Industry partnership delivers job opportunities and curriculum boost
AIC’s growing partnership with SkillsVR is already delivering real outcomes for students, including a graduate hire and new curriculum opportunities aligned to industry demand.
Industry partnership delivers job opportunities and curriculum boost
AIC’s growing partnership with SkillsVR is already delivering real outcomes for students, including a graduate hire and new curriculum opportunities aligned to industry demand.
The relationship began through early conversations with SkillsVR’s leadership team and a connection made at the Auckland International Campus’s Careers Expo, where the two organisations identified shared goals around employability and building stronger pathways from study into work.
From there, a joint project team was formed to shape the partnership, with AIC bringing together curriculum, academic, employability, and industry engagement expertise, while SkillsVR contributed technical specialists and senior leadership support.
A key focus was improving clarity around student capability, graduate readiness, and practical employment considerations such as visa requirements, helping both sides build confidence in how AIC students and graduates could support SkillsVR’s growth.
SkillsVR enhances skills using VR, AR, MR, Web, Mobile, and AI training technologies, which boost performance, reduce risk, and improve engagement.
Anna Freeman, Industry Relations Partner at AIC, said the partnership shows what’s possible when industry and education work closely together.
“When we take the time to understand what employers actually need, we can create opportunities that are genuinely valuable for students and meaningful for industry,” she said.
One of the most significant outcomes so far has been the introduction of Unity into the curriculum of Future Skills’ new Master of AI Integrated IT Solutions programme, following SkillsVR’s identification of the suite of AI tools as a critical skill for its future workforce.
SkillsVR has also created direct employment opportunities for AIC graduates, recently advertising two permanent full-time roles which were shared across AIC channels with strong support from academic leadership.
AIC’s academic team put forward AIC graduate Malki Maduka for consideration, and Malki was invited to complete a technical QA challenge as part of the recruitment process. After performing strongly, Malki was offered the role.
Anna said the result reflects the value of partnerships that lead to practical outcomes.
“This is what transforming opportunity into reality looks like,” she said. “A student gets a real career start, an employer gets talent they can trust, and our programmes stay aligned to the skills industry is asking for.”
AIC and SkillsVR will continue working together in 2026, with a shared focus on expanding student opportunities and strengthening the connection between learning and employment.
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