UNSW's award-winning Western Sydney initiative sets new standard for local engagement
Unlocking Western Sydney’s opportunities, one event at a time.
Published on the 08 December 2025 by UNSW Business School EDI Team
Often, it's the most meaningful impact that’s the hardest to measure. This was the case for UNSW Business School’s Western Sydney Connect: Growing Together initiative.
In just 10 months, the program gave 600 students in Greater Western Sydney better access to career services, mentorship, and job opportunities. But for Sabine King, Director, Career Accelerator AGSM & UNSW Business School and Deputy Chair of BUS EDI Committee, it’s the change in students that truly counts.
“When a student tells us they've grown in confidence, now have clarity about their future or a different sense of agency about applying for roles, that's where the real impact shows,” she says.
The initiative also allowed local employer partners, to tap into a diverse and highly capable local talent pool.
Creating such critical connections in the region is what earned the initiative national recognition, taking out the 2025 Award for Outstanding Career Service from the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE).
A leading model for regional engagement
As the peak industry body for the graduate recruitment and development market in Australia, AAGE supports organisations that recruit and develop graduates or offer relevant services. It’s run by employers, for employers.
Its Award for Outstanding Career Service recognised Western Sydney Connect as an innovative and strategic career service initiative that showcases excellence in how it delivers resources and tools and engages with employers and community.
"The recognition from graduate employers themselves – the organisations who ultimately decide whether our students are ready for the workforce – makes this award especially meaningful," says King.
"It tells us that what we're doing works. It's delivering the results that matter to the people who hire our graduates."
Innovative ways to address local issues
Western Sydney Connect was established to make education, skills development and workforce preparation more equitable and accessible for students in Western Sydney.
“We knew there would be opportunities for lifelong learning in the region. So, we wanted to make ourselves available and to strengthen some of the existing partnerships,” explains Associate Professor Carmen Leong, Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, School of Information Systems and Technology Management, at UNSW Business School.
“We wanted to grow together and build something with our partners for the region.”
Western Sydney Connect was UNSW Business School’s first initiative to activate its UNSW study innovation hub in Parramatta, offering monthly events and innovative employer and community engagement activities tailored to addressing real-world issues and developing future-focused skills.
“One huge challenge is there is a shortage of healthcare workers in this region. So, we teamed up with the Western Sydney Health Alliance to run a hackathon to come up with creative solutions.”
“Hackathons are a great way for students to learn about working with industry and partners on a real-world issue that an organisation might face across multi-disciplinary teams, whilst unpacking fresh ideas to solve the challenge” says Associate Professor Leong.
The hackathon gave local health services new perspectives and ideas for solving a critical problem.
In addition, to address the issue of limited financial literacy in current younger demographics, UNSW Business School ran a hands-on workshop to help participants structure their thinking around money, evaluate financial options, and understand the basics of financial modelling.
And partnering with EY on hosting a mock assessment centre gave participants a realistic insight into what it’s like to work for one of the big four consulting firms.
The event series also included a peer-led mentorship initiative connecting Greater Western Sydney students with alumni and industry mentors, peer-assisted study sessions, workshops on AI and sustainability, and an afternoon of storytelling and connection celebrating Indigenous leadership.
A strategic approach to engagement
King says meeting the diverse needs of Western Sydney’s communities required thoughtful planning and a partnered approach.
"We looked at the themes shaping the region and how UNSW experts from the Business School can share insights and help meet these needs. We were also very targeted about who we wanted to engage for each event. This started with a clear value proposition for each stakeholder group from students and employers to community organisations, policy makers and councils," she says.
One common value for all groups was the opportunity to form relationships and foster new contacts, so each event incorporated a networking element. We kept the events purposefully small to ensure quality conversations are had.
"I live and breathe this space, and for me, professional success is driven by your network. That is what we embed in students. So, for our students to have the opportunity to meet people who might become their prospective employer locally was critical,” she says.
This strategic approach also meant designing each event with clear outcomes. From giving healthcare employers creative solutions to workforce shortages, to allowing female high school students to imagine their career in finance and economics, to giving employers access to a diverse local talent pipeline.
“We also worked with a wide range of internal-UNSW and external partners across these events. From student societies, local governments, peak bodies, community leaders, not-for-profits and with the local community,” says Associate Professor Leong.
Fostering opportunities grounded in equity
By bringing expertise, employers and diverse opportunities to students' doorsteps, Western Sydney Connect started conversations and created critical connections the region needs to continue Progress for All. And for students across Greater Western Sydney, it has opened doors that distance – among other barriers – once kept closed.
“What’s really exciting is that you could take the concept of “Western Sydney Connect” out of Western Sydney and apply it to any other region,” King says.
For Associate Professor Leong, the real potential of the model centres around collaboration that brings more opportunities to students.
“I'd love to see us work with other universities to make more options available for students, regardless of whether they are a UNSW, Western Sydney, UTS student or wherever they choose to study.”
The success and recognition of the initiative show the potential impact of new models of engagement: when universities work creatively and strategically with local partners to meet students where they are, everyone wins.
Visit UNSW Western Sydney Connect: Growing Together
If you would like to get invovled with these initiavtes, please cotnact the UNSW Business School EDI team.