The Learning Journal is an important resource that the API provides for our Power Up Scholarship Students for the duration of their summer vacation placements and internships. In 2024, the Learning Journal has continued to be an invaluable tool for API students in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry experience and will continue to be provided for students completing their placements with API Members over the 2024/25 Summer Placement period.
A tool for Transformative Learning
The Learning Journal is designed to help undergraduate students capture and reflect on their experiences during industry placements. It is a crucial document that is aimed at providing structure via guided exercises at different stages of their placements (week 2, week 5, week 7 etc.) to benefit both the students and API Member staff from getting the most out of the Summer Placement period.
By providing a structured framework, the Learning Journal transforms work placements from simple exposure opportunities into deeply reflective and growth-oriented learning experiences.
This summer, 26 API Scholarship students from over 15 universities across Australia have begun their placement across API Member organisations for the 2024/25 period. They are using the Learning Journal to:
Document hands-on industry experiences: Students are recording their day-to-day tasks and major projects, student goals for the summer placement experience, skills-based goal setting (this is where students identify technical and non-technical skills that they want to work on throughout their summer placement) and various networking exercises. This creates a personalised roadmap of their professional journey with their company.
Apply academic theory in real-world scenarios: The journal encourages students to connect theoretical knowledge with practical applications in the energy sector.
Track skill development: From technical expertise to soft skills like communication and teamwork, the journal serves as a personal skills inventory.
Supporting Vacation Placement Managers
The learning journal is also a supporting resource for the Managers and Supervisors of students undertaking a summer internship/placement at API Member companies. This resource ensures a deeper level of industry understanding throughout their time at your workplace and are aligned to the learning outcomes set by Engineers Australia and the Universities Accreditation Guidelines.
Hear more from API CEO, David Pointing on how API Member Organisations can benefit from the Learning Journal:
2025 Power UP Video Challenge:
The excitement continues as we come to the end of 2024. Over the course of the summer placement, the API Power Up Scholarship students will also be completing entries to the annual Power Up Video Challenge for 2025. This is where our students will create a short video about their experience during their summer placements.
What is the 2025 Video Challenge Competition?
The API are looking for our students to create a maximum of 3-minute video about their placement. The theme for this year's video contest is "Driving the Energy Transition: Power Engineers at the Heart of Change" to showcase the power sector's central role in accelerating the shift to renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure.
Some key questions/prompts students can answer in their videos include:
How do you see power engineers having an impact on Australia’s energy transition?
How is your role over your summer placement helping make a difference in the Australian goal of reaching net zero by 2030?
How is your project/organisation impacting the customers and community that you serve?
Show us your placement project that you worked on, and/or the projects that your organisation is currently working on.
How has the API helped you in make an impact in the Power Sector?
How has the API through the Power Up Program, and the Power Up Scholarship helped you progress your career in power?
How voting works:
Students who gain the most votes on their videos will be selected as a winner or finalist of the People's Choice video, while a professional panel will determine the winner and finalists for the Judges' Choice award. Cash prizes will be awarded to all winners and finalists upon conclusion of the challenge as well.
Voting begins on the 5th of March 2025 and closes on the 23rd of March 2025. Keep a close eye on the API website and socials to see our amazing students' summer placement experiences and how to vote on your favourite video!
Click here for more information on the Power UP Video Challenge and to watch the 2024 videos.
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