Explore Vocational Business & Information Technology

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Hi, I'm Sylvia Baroutis. This video is about three programs offered by the College of Vocational Education here at RMIT. Specifically, I want to tell you something of these business programs: the diploma of business, the associate degree in business, and the diploma of information technology. These programs are in the area in which I work as an Associate Dean.

Today, I'm going to tell you a bit about the programs and the great opportunities they provide our students, the ways in which the programs are structured, our connections with industry, and student work integrated learning projects, pathways to business bachelor degree programs and career outcomes. These programs are well-renowned and allow students to work across a variety of disciplines to replicate the real-world experience they will need once they start their careers.

Wominjeka. Before I'd start, I'd like to acknowledge the people of the [Woiwurrung 00:01:07] and [Boon wurrung 00:01:09] language groups of the Eastern Kulin nations, on whose unseated lands we conduct the business of the university. RMIT and I respectfully knowledge their ancestors and elders, past, present and emerging. While we conduct our work remotely, I want to pay my respect to the wider, unceded lands of this nation.

The three programs all provide the skills and knowledge for working in today's business world, or great opportunities for further study through a range of pathways to business bachelor degrees offered by RMIT. Displayed here are three pathway examples. You can also explore many more using the pathways tool found on the RMIT website.

There are many attractive reasons why you might choose to start your uni studies in vocational education. You enjoy practical or applied learning. You would like to solve problems for real businesses. You recognize the value of obtaining two qualifications, a diploma or associate degree, and a bachelor degree, in the same time as it normally takes to complete a degree: three years. Your ATAR score was perhaps a little lower than you hope for to enter into a degree, but you're still determined to reach your goal. You can do this by one of our pathway programs.

You haven't yet decided on which business area you prefer. For example, marketing, accounting, human resources, or other areas, so you want to study a range of business areas before you make that important decision on a specific career direction. If this sounds like you, then a vocational education program may be your way forward.

The one year diploma of business is a very popular program. Students particularly enjoy the unique program structure. The program is divided into four eight-week modules, two in semester one and two in semester two. During each of the four eight-week modules, the focus is on one area of business alone. Our students like this structure because it makes study much easier focusing on just one area at a time. At the end of your program, you will have developed your own examples of real business products, such as a marketing plan, for example. These examples can be very useful to show potential employers at job interviews to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have attained. The program explores four key general business areas: development of yourself and your team through learning about emotional intelligence and the creation of human resources well-being programs, engaging with customers through up-to-date marketing methods, ensuring business continuity through the use of tools such as risk management and sustainability strategies, and implementing business operations through project and project management meetings.

Like the diploma of business, the two-year associate degree in business program has a special course structure as well. It includes the eight common core courses. These common core courses make up the first year of all the three-year business bachelor higher education degree programs. So by successfully completing the associate degree, you will be able to enter into the final year of many RMIT business bachelor programs.

You can see that the program includes one university elective. You can choose your own elective from across the many higher education programs. You might decide on an elective from the bachelor degree you're aiming for, perhaps marketing, human resources, or management, or, alternatively, students often choose the business skills elective. This is an excellent practical elective course in which you will learn how to plan to run your own small business. As the assessment for this elective is the completion of a real business plan, you will exit with real ideas and tools to plan your own business. This is a great elective option to consider.

If IT is what you're interested in, the one-year diploma of information technology is maybe a good choice for you. The program helps you develop a range of IT skills. Many of the individual units shown here have been clustered or grouped together to form courses, which reflect the way IT tasks are structured in business. During your first semester, skills you will learn include web page design, database design, networking, structured query language, together with two general business courses. In your second semester, examples of what you will study are website design, mobile app development, Windows server, and how to manage ICT projects.

RMIT has a specialized it lab in which students work. They use desktop computers with connections to a server with switches and routers. When working on projects, students use a comprehensive range of software, including WordPress, MS Access Database and MS SQL Server to implement models, as well as Android studio to design and develop mobile apps. Recently, students in the diploma of information technology have developed, for example, mobile apps, websites, and databases for a number of small medium business clients. They've done this while completing work-integrated learning projects for these businesses.

RMIT has established significant industry connections. We have industry advisory committees for our programs that provide business expertise and engage with us in industry events and provide guest speakers on a range of study topics. We have industry advisory committees for our programs that provide business expertise and engage with us in industry events and provide guest speakers on a range of study topics.

RMIT students engage with industry in a number of ways. Industry events are organized by the associate degree program. Students attending these events can network with representatives across the many industries invited. Industry professionals speak about the latest trends in their fields, and students have the opportunity to ask questions, for example, about future career opportunities. Events are also organized where students can showcase their team projects to industry.

RMIT students engage with industry in other ways too. Most importantly, though, business provides our students with challenges. In return, our students provide the clients with solutions to real business issues. For example, this year associate degree students will partner with an international food development firm, [Pekin Deluxe 00:07:59], while studying buyer behavior. Pekin Deluxe has given our students a global challenge in which they need to research and provide strategic opportunities for the company in its development of a new ice cream product for Chinese consumers. Both our offshore international students at Shanghai University of Business and Economics and our local Melbourne students will all be involved in this project.

As well as working on the exciting project to develop a new ice cream product for Chinese consumers, this year, associate degree students will also partner with RMIT Europe located in Barcelona, Spain. RMIT Europe is providing international guest speakers to talk on various business topics across the program, giving students a European perspective on business. Our associate degree students often team up with other students across the globe. They've worked with Irish students from the Dundalk Institute of Technology to solve global real business problems. Last year, the student project was to find new markets for Irish whiskey across the Asia Pacific region.

The diploma of business is currently working with an organization called [Ripen 00:00:09:14]. This organization provides the students with introductions to global businesses who then provide students with business challenges to solve. Experiencing real business challenges makes students job ready when entering the workforce.

The business and IT programs all provide great pathways to further study and career opportunities. Past students have used the diploma of business one-year program to enhance their career opportunities in various ways: to provide business skills and knowledge, to further develop their own small businesses, or to directly enter the business world with a general business understanding. Or they have built on skills developed in the program by taking further studies in our business bachelor degree programs. After graduating from the two-year associate degree in business, you will have developed a further range of business skills essential in any business.

A strong future demand for ICT professionals is anticipated, and currently, there is a shortage of people with good IT skills. So gaining the skills offered in the diploma of information technology will open doors to many opportunities. For example, you might like to pursue a career or further studies in IT project management, database development, networking, or web development. All of our programs are very practical and flexible with many pathway and career options for you to choose from.

So what are the entry requirements for these programs? There are two different entry categories for the diploma of business program. Current year 12 applicants, no ATAR score is required for this program, and non-year 12 applicants. For full entry requirements, please refer to the RMIT website.

The associate degree in business program is open to both domestic year 12 and non-year 12 applicants, as well as international applicants. The ATAR score refers to the lowest selection rank to which an offer was made, including consideration of any adjustments for current and recent year 12 applicants. For full entry requirements, including non-year 12, please refer to the RMIT website.

There are three different entry categories for the diploma of information technology program. Current year 12 applicants, no ATAR score is required for this program; non-year 12 applicants; international applicants. For full entry requirements, including non-year 12, please refer to the RMIT website.

Next year, orientation will take place on 8th of February, 2021, and vocational education classes begin on the 8th of February. Very importantly, your last day to enroll for semester one will be 15th of February.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our globally recognized programs. For further information on these programs, be sure to check the program information available on our website.

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