Ribit – Connecting Students to Innovative Companies
Industry and Community Partner
Brokerage
University
Various
Innovative Features
- Engaging multiple disciplines
- Flexibility in duration, location and space
- Scalable and sustainable
- Spanning multiple universities
or institutions
Enablers
- Building up the Ribit database of employers by focusing on the start-up and SME markets who might otherwise find it challenging to engage with universities and access the student cohort for part-time paid employment, study related projects, and course accredited placements. Further, we know based on research that the start-up and SME market provides the biggest potential of new job growth in the Australian economy, and that this job growth supports our students to enter and participate in the job market.
- Ribit hosts Speed Networking events that connect students directly with some of Australia’s most innovative businesses and start-up’s. These events also increase Ribit’s database of students who are actively engaged in the online platform.
- Ribit’s email database ensures students remain connected with Ribit and engage in the job search platform.
For more information
The Ribit online platform operates in three ways:
- Student profiles – Ribit co-designed the student profile with students based on what they wanted to highlight about themselves to potential employers. The profile also requires students select several hard skills and soft skills which Ribit then uses to match with employer job postings.
- Employer jobs postings – employers post jobs by identifying the hard and soft skills they are seeking in a student and by explaining the work opportunity in detail. Employers can then search through the students with matching profiles (students identity is removed at this stage of the process). Employers can then invite the matching student profiles to connect with them and students can respond if they are interested in the work opportunity.
- Newsletter – an automated newsletter is sent to students that highlights newly posted job opportunities that match their profile.
Beyond the digital platform, Ribit is creating opportunities for students and companies to connect in real life. Ribit regularly organises events and connection opportunities for students and companies to meet face-to-face in what it calls Speed Networking events.
Impact / outcomes
Students: students are applying for jobs and accredited work placements through Ribit to employers that are prepared to hire a student, and who understands the benefit of focusing on the students soft and hard skills rather than their history of work experience. This means students can focus on the range of skills they have developed across various forms of experiences rather than citing specific work-related experience which they might not have developed at this early career stage. Ribit provides the connection to innovation that accelerates a student’s career development.
Industry Partners: Ribit’s online platform connects employers directly with tertiary students from multiple universities in a quick, easy and risk-free way that may have taken significant time and research to otherwise achieve.
Ribit: Ribit’s mission is to connect smart students to innovative companies. The brokerage provided by Ribit that connects students and SMEs and start-up companies creates jobs which positively impacts the Australian economy. Further, it demonstrates to students the long-lasting advantage of tertiary study.
Evaluation
Ribit engages with students and employers via surveys requesting specific feedback and areas of improvement. Throughout the development of Ribit these valuable insights from users have been utilised and implemented to improve Ribit’s offering.
Cybersecurity Jobs Speed Networking at Sydney School of Entrepreneurship –
