UTS Students Collaborate with Taylor to Tackle Real-Life Challenges

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023

Taylor and UTS joined forces to address real life business challenges aimed to foster practical learning experiences and influence student thinking on leadership challenges.

UTS Business School has taken a proactive approach to bridging the gap between academia and industry by providing students with hands-on learning opportunities.

Approximately 300 Bachelor of Business students were given the chance to participate in the challenge, guided by industry expert Dr Isabelle Phillips, and UTS partners Associate Professor Marco Berti, and Dr Charles Okumu. Taylor’s Head of Design and Innovation, Abbey Johnson presented one of the prevalent industry challenges in construction. Students formulated solutions to actively seek and embrace sustainable work methods despite the challenges arising from the macro-economic context. These solutions were then presented to a panel of Taylor judges and were evaluated based on the company’s principles.

A special presentation was held on Thursday 25^th May at the UTS campus and awards were presented to the winning teams. The four categories of awards reflect Taylor’s principles of Listen, Create, Include and Excel. George Bardas, Chief Executive Officer and Abbey Johnson were proud to hand out these awards and connect with the students.

George Bardas, CEO, Taylor

“

By applying their thinking to real-life challenges, we have empowered students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It is a win-win solution as we gain their valuable perspectives and insights and at the same time provide students with an invaluable learning experience.”

4 uts business school taylor construction education executives

5 uts business school taylor construction education awards presentation

By opening our doors to young and talented professionals, we not only shape the future of our industry but also provide an unparalleled learning experience for the leaders of tomorrow. They bring a fresh energy and a willingness to challenge the status quo, pushing us to constantly improve and adapt.

Abbey Johnson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for students to apply strategic thinking to issues faced in the workforce. The students have been innovative, bold, and imaginative in their proposals and we encourage them to maintain this approach beyond university. Real change comes from thinking differently and being resilient.”
Abbey Johnson, Head of Design & Innovation

Dr Isabelle Phillips, a business consultant and academic said: “Students grapple with tough theoretical concepts such as paradox, institutionalism and sensemaking theory. Being able to apply theories to make sense of contemporary business contexts and plan for sustainable futures is a highly-valued student experience. This experience was possible thanks to the transparency and corporate citizenship of Taylor. Thank you!”
Dr Isabelle Phillips

7 uts business school taylor construction education awards

9 uts business school taylor construction education certificates

2 uts business school taylor construction education abbey johnson

3 uts business school taylor construction education george bardas

6 uts business school taylor construction education winners group

8 uts business school taylor construction education student winners

Hear what some of the Students had to say:

Michael McManus, a winner in the Create category, reported that this way of learning is impactful and fulfilling. He said “It was motivating and inspiring to hear from the Taylor CEO and Head of Design and Innovation on how they will apply our suggestions. I was lucky to have some deeper conversations with the Taylor execs. Applying our knowledge to a real-live company – we know it’s actually going to have impacts. This gave me a really good sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.”

Christina Moothoo, a winner in the Excel category, enjoyed the challenge and is now applying this thinking in her own work. She said “This experience has given me the opportunity to dig deep. I have been able to apply these theories with the role I’m now in. I’ve been telling everyone how great it is to apply theories to real-life organizational issues.”

Jacqueline Koutsoubos, winner in the Listen category, valued the experience based on real-world sustainability connections to her study efforts. She said “This gave me the opportunity to learn about the real work towards sustainability. I enjoyed participating in this initiative a lot. I felt the work I was doing has meaningful.”

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Full list of winners

Listen Award