Students

Here at the Academy we like to do everything we can to support our students both during their time studying with us and once they have graduated. Part of what makes the Academy stand out from other training providers is the amount of work experience and job opportunities we offer.

As part of our new Social Centre for 2012 we have incorporated a Job Board within the Career Centre which will allow all our students to search for current positions throughout Australia. This Job Board is set out in a similar way to SEEK but features only those opportunities relevant to Special Events and Weddings.

The Academy has developed relationships with many venues, wedding coordinators, event management consultancies and corporate companies all of whom are looking for new entrants into the industry for either work experience or full time positions. They are known as Employer Partners and have access to our Careers Centre to post openings as they become available. As a student with the Academy you can upload your resume directly to the Career Centre and make it visible for our Employer Partners and apply for positions directly through the Job Board.

On top of this staff at the Academy actively source opportunities for our students and post these at the end of each week directly into the Career Centre. There is no other industry training company that offers this facility and it is the first of its type in Australia.

We encourage all our students to attend at least one industry event during the course of the year as these are invaluable from an educational and networking point of view. There are several events to choose from and below we have listed the ones that we recommend and that we feel will give most benefit to our students.

The Australian Event Symposium is held over 2 days as part of the Australian Event Awards. It attracts international speakers and is the first conference of its type in Australia that has really tried to mirror, albeit on a smaller scale, some of the international event conferences held in America. It is a great learning experience and will continue to grow. The topics covered are wide and varied and will help students to take what they have learnt in their courses and see how it fits within a real business context.

Melbourne’s Event Showcase draws on the local creative talents of the city’s leading event suppliers to present an exciting sensory experience. More than just a tradeshow, the showcase inspires guests by revealing events in action, exhibitors’ new ideas and provides a rare chance to see, hear and taste the latest industry trends. This creates an opportunity for you to network with exhibitors in a cohesive and creative environment. Now in its 6th year, this two-day exhibition is firmly established as the must-attend event for any corporate event organiser.

The Australian Business Events Expo is a two-day tradeshow that brings together buyers and sellers who provide products, people, destinations and services that are integral to delivering business events and conferences held around Australia. It’s the ultimate market place for business events in Australia - dedicated to meetings, incentives, conferences and business events. Special features such as the  Pre-scheduled Appointment System (PSA) and the Hosted Buyer and Semi Hosted Buyer Program, make the Expo a must-attend event.

Whilst we appreciate not everyone can make it to Las Vegas, the Event Solutions Ideas Factory is probably the best conference and trade show you can attend as a wedding or event professional. The team at the Academy attend this show each year to keep up with the latest trends, network and to find out what is happening in the world of special events on the international scene. last year we were in great company with industry pros such as Preston Bailey, David Tutera, Sean Low and Lara McCulloch Carter. The show is put together by Event Solutions Magazine and brings event planners, producers, designers, marketers and suppliers together in an environment of learning, sharing and experience all the industry has to offer.

In 2012 the Academy launched a Virtual Social Centre called ‘Wedding and Event Pro’ which allows students to connect and socialise in a virtual environment. The Social Centre is an important step forward as it brings students together from across all the Academy campuses and allows them to network and chat in the same way as they would if they were studying on a face-to-face course. Not only can they chat to other students on their course, but also with tutors, staff at the academy, students on other courses and also industry professionals who are active members of Wedding and Event Pro.

Wedding and Event Pro is available as an industry online social tool for any wedding or event professional. Members include venues, suppliers, event management companies, event design consultancies and wedding planners. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to virtually meet industry experts who they would not normally have access to.

There are many great features to the Social Centre and we have highlighted some of these below:

• Student and Tutor Forums – students can chat to Academy tutors via the Tutor forum and post questions. They will find FAQ’s for their course within the forum that will help with their assignments, as more often than not, the questions you have will have already been asked by students before. This is also your opportunity to chat with other students on your course, ask questions and see how other students are approaching their assignments.
• Career Centre – this area houses our Job Board and is where students can upload their resumes and search for job openings and work experience. For more details click here.
• Library – to enhance your course the Academy has an online library that is packed with articles covering many different topics including: business, marketing, design, planning, styling, pricing and much more. There are also over 50 mood boards to help you with your assignments and inspire when you need help being creative. Add to this a collection of videos and podcasts from industry experts the library is a fantastic addition to your course materials that is added to each week.
• Online Chat – use this in the same way as you use the chat feature on Facebook. You can opt to be on or offline so other students and members can contact you and chat to you whilst you are online.
• Personal Profile – each student can create their own profile and show as little or as much information as they wish. The profile allows them to create their own blog and image gallery which can be read by other members and is a great way to show off your skills. On top of this students can link to their profile on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, You Tube, Google and many other social media apps.

To visit Wedding and Event Pro and apply for a two week trial membership click here.

Nothing beats real life experience! Although our course materials are presented in a virtual online campus there is nothing virtual about what we offer. From the start of your journey with us your assignments are taken from real wedding and event briefs. As you work through each unit of your course you will be working towards building your own portfolio to allow you to hit the ground running once you have graduated and become a certified planner, stylist or designer.

Your Tutors are with you every step of the way to guide and steer you in the right direction, but at some point you might want to test these newly acquired skills in a ‘Real Life’ environment. We work with many companies in the industry to provide our students with work experience opportunities. It is not a mandatory part of your study but is simply there as an option if you would like to take advantage of it.

Our work experience is presented in many different formats and can include shadowing a planner, helping to set up an event or being part of a planning team. In 2012 our students have been invited to submit applications to work on the Australian Event Awards and also on a series of Workshops being hosted by Marley Majcher, the Party Goddess. Both of these events are fantastic opportunities for students to get first hand experience as part of the team on the day and also being involved in the working party planning the event.

In 2011 our students were invited to work on a national conference, a TV Show, many weddings, a series of sales meetings, wedding expos and many other adhoc events throughout Australia. Many of graduating students who go onto launch their own businesses or work in venues or within events companies often keep in touch with the Academy and use our students for events they are working on whcih is fantastic news for our new students.

It is important that students show a commitment to their studies so we do ask that before work experience is offered students have completed their first 8 assignments. This also allows our tutors to evaluate where each student is in their study and where their skills lie, so they are offered opportunities that best suit them and will give them best value.