Our Story: From ACEN to WIL Australia
Built by Visionary Volunteers
From day one, our organisation has been shaped by the dedication and vision of countless volunteers. For example, key contributions have been made by many dedicated volunteers behind our conference organising committees, State chapters, and Board of Directors.
Carol-Joy Patrick | In 2004, the President and CEO of the World Association of Cooperative Education (WACE) recommended that Carol-Joy Patrick (Griffith University) contact Judie Kay (Swinburne University) due to their independent efforts to start an Australian association for WIL. Together they co-founded what came to be called ACEN. |
Judie Kay | In Nov 2005, Carol-Joy and Judie further combined efforts with other key leaders, such as Freny Tayebjee (Western Sydney University), with an initial gathering of interested academics and industry representatives to progress the idea of a national association which they agreed to call the Australian Collaborative Education Network, ACEN. The foresight and dedication of these three colleagues, was instrumental in creating a legitimate, scholarly field and laying the groundwork for what is now broadly known as WIL. The success and national acceptance of WIL today is a direct result of the foundational efforts of these early leaders. |
Freny Tayebjee | Carol-Joy, Judie and Freny were from different university areas, covering academic course delivery, placements and industry engagement, and careers services. This diversity of areas engaged in WIL was a hallmark of the successful development of ACEN. The immediate predecessor to ACEN had been a body of academics in Melbourne and Sydney who had unsuccessfully attempted to establish an ongoing association called WILA (short for WIL Australia). The name ACEN was chosen at that time to develop its own identity while focusing on collaboration and networking with industry. |
| Griffith University provided funding for the first ACEN secretariat, and hosted the first ACEN conference for Australian WIL practitioners in Sept, 2006. That conference was an outstanding success – demonstrating the need for ACEN and allowing other practitioners to participate which further developed the network. While many people made invaluable contributions, the following are those who served as President. |
Carol Joy Patrick (President, Sept 2006 to Oct 2009), as ACEN’s inaugural President, obtained seed funding from Griffith University to host the first ACEN conference and establish the first secretariat for ACEN. One of the key outcomes of this period was to establish ACEN’s funding model of affordable university-level membership enabling all WIL practitioners to be part of the network without further costs. In 2008 ACEN hosted its first international conference together with WACE in Sydney.
Judie Kay (President, Oct 2009 to Nov 2018 ) established ACEN as a robust, sustainable and credible organisation with broad membership, extensive national and global networks providing much needed resources and support to the sector. These efforts resulted in an effective voice to WIL practitioners. Judie undertook strong and effective advocacy for WIL in Australia, through strategic collaborations, culminating in the achievement of the first National WIL Strategy in 2015.
Sonia Ferns | Sonia Ferns (President, Nov 2018 - Nov 2019 ) built on and expanded many longstanding ACEN initiatives such as the ACEN student scholarship scheme and ACEN Research Grants, and also progressed the inclusion of WIL-related questions on the annual Graduate Outcome Survey and enhanced ACEN’s global and national partnerships. |
Franziska Trede | Franziska Trede (President, Nov 2019 to Oct 2022) provided critical organisational and sector leadership through the unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Franziska championed the rapid pivot to virtual WIL, developing vital resources and fostering a strong collaborative network to support practitioners and ensure students could continue their learning – while also contributing to updating the National WIL Strategy. |
Denise Jackson | Denise Jackson (President, Nov 2022 to Oct 2023) championed a culture of excellence and evidence-based practice, particularly through inclusion of WIL items in the Australian national Graduate Outcomes Survey, strongly advocating for the separation of WIL from the international student work cap, and also contributing to updating the National WIL Strategy |
Michael O'Connor | Michael O'Connor (President, Nov 2023-ongoing) pursued a collaborative and progressive approach to lead the organisation through its most significant strategic evolution; rebranding from ACEN to WIL Australia. This transformation – including new name, logo, and website – involved extensive consultation with members and partners. It modernised the organisation's identity to better communicate the value we bring to the contemporary national environment, reinforcing our role as the peak WIL body. |
These leaders are just part of a much larger story of a network built by and for its members.
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WIL Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands where we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of all First Nations people.