The Communications Council (TCC) and Western Australia’s Curtin University School of Marketing have brokered a partnership to bridge the gap between academic insight and practical workplace knowledge.

TCC will advise the university on industry trends and topics to update the curriculum and will also provide advice to Curtin on student recruitment and the crafting of student resumes.

Margaret Zabel, chief executive of TCC, said: “This relationship is a great step towards training tomorrow’s practitioners and making them enthusiastic about the prospect of being part of dynamic, social and rapidly evolving industry.”

“It complements other services we already offer such as AWARD School and the Graduate Trainee Program, both designed to be segways into the industry. The Communications Council WA is pioneering this model, and we hope that if it is successful, it may prove an example for the development of curricula around Australia that are responsive to the current job market and that build up a graduate’s professional skills and capabilities.”

The partnership comes after the Interactive Advertising Bureau launched a new education and training program designed to tackle the “documented skills gap” in the digital industry.

On the new Curtin and TCC relationship, Sonia Dickinson (pictured right), associate professor at Curtin’s School of Marketing, added: “Our relationship with The Communications Council is an exceptional opportunity for our students. Through a range of joint initiatives, we are certain that our students will graduate job ready.”

As a result of the partnership the Curtin University School of Marketing has become the inaugural member premier member of the Council’s Education Network.