PORT Macquarie-based Senior Computing Lecturer Dr Arash Mahboubi is searching for community groups and businesses with IT problems to solve.
His Charles Sturt University (CSU) students have just delivered 3500 hours of free IT solutions as part of the capstone unit of their Bachelor of Computer Science (Software Development).
These solutions, which were for organisations ranging from grassroots community groups to AgTech innovators, are about to roll-out across regional Australia.
Now new partners are needed for the incoming cohort.
Dr Mahboubi said student demand has outstripped the number of “live” briefs CSU can secure.
“To keep pace, we’re calling for more industry partners who are able to set a six-month project (run across two teaching sessions), join a brief online catch-up every fortnight, and give feedback on student updates.
“Industry partners’ guidance helps graduates gain authentic, job-ready experience, while your organisation receives a valuable, low-cost digital solution.”
Last semester, 55 third-year computer software-engineers from across CSU’s campuses swapped hypothetical case studies for real clients.
Dr Mahboubi said their brief was simple.
“It was to build something the client genuinely needed and to do it under the same pressure they are about to face in their first professional roles.
“Graduates don’t need another simulated brief, they need the adrenaline and accountability of a live backlog and a real stakeholder.”
Dr Mahboubi, who is part of the CSU School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, said the students were divided into 10 project teams.
They then worked on industry-engaged software projects including website rebuilds, AI modules, data-dashboards, and a local council’s streetsweeper apps.
Student Adam Ragg led the group that partnered with the national AgTech company Pairtree Intelligence.
He said helping to develop a custom alerts dashboard for farmers that unifies weather, biosecurity and supply-chain data, felt like a real job.
“Leading the team and working with stakeholders helped me develop skills I wouldn’t have picked up from coursework alone.”
Pairtree Intelligence founder and CEO Hamish Munro said their partnership with CSU over the past five years had been “great” and “rewarding”.
“On average, we have employed one of the team members each year to keep the talent in the bush and hopefully build greater capacity outside the metro areas.”
Dr Mahboubi believes the real-world model should become the norm for final-year study.
Industry or community groups interested in his offer can email amahboubi@csu.edu.au.
By Sue STEPHENSON
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