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Jamie Sherson with the award (Instagram\/Universities Australia)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Jamie Sherson with the award (Instagram\/Universities Australia)<\/p>\n
Australian Catholic University\u2019s innovative Step Up into Teaching has taken out the Future Builder People\u2019s Choice category at Universities Australia\u2019s 2025 Shaping Australia Awards.<\/p>\n
The award, announced at Parliament House in Canberra last week, further cements ACU\u2019s position as a national leader in education innovation and community engagement.<\/p>\n
SUIT national coordinator Jamie Sherson said the award recognised the strength of collaboration and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt highlights the potential of partnerships between universities, schools, and dioceses in supporting equity and opportunity in education,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The SUIT program gives Year 11 and 12 students an early start to a teaching degree, helping boost the teacher workforce and supporting first-in-family, low-socio-economic status and First Nations students to study at university.<\/p>\n
Mr Sherson said that winning the Future Builder Award People\u2019s Choice category was an honour that recognised the impact of the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese students are not only future teachers, but they are also future leaders who will inspire the next generation in their own communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Zlatko Skrbis congratulated Mr Sherson on the award.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are delighted to receive this recognition from Universities Australia and the Australian public,\u201d Professor Skrbis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe SUIT program is part of ACU\u2019s mission to break down barriers to higher education and support the next generation of educators.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis award belongs to our dedicated and passionate staff, our school partners and the many young people who have embraced the possibilities this program offers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Universities Australia Chief Executive Officer Luke Sheehy said the awards recognised initiatives that made an outstanding contribution to society.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese projects are transforming lives, and these awards celebrate the people driving change and making a real difference right across Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The SUIT program, which operates at ACU\u2019s Strathfield Campus and recently expanded to the university\u2019s Brisbane Campus, has seen a 50 per cent increase in enrolments over the past two years.<\/p>\n
Graduates, who complete two tertiary level units during the spring and summer school holidays, receive conditional entry into an ACU teaching degree once they finish Year 12, and prior recognition for their studies.<\/p>\n
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