Work Integrated Learning igniting passions along the way
Fourth year Law student Katie Donald wears many hats: not only is she juggling a conjoint Laws and Arts degree at Te Herenga Waka―Victoria University of Wellington, she is also the current CEO of Ignite Consultants Wellington, a student-led organisation doing great work in the community.
Ignite Consultants bridges the gap between students who are passionate about giving back to the community and charities wanting to maximise their impact. This ranges from designing innovative communication strategies, sourcing funding revenue, designing new websites and internal communications, creating new initiatives to increase community awareness, and more. Each charity ‘Client’ is assigned a student ‘Project Manager’ who guides a team of student ‘Consultants’ to work collaboratively on a real-world challenge―a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) model in action that ignites a passion for doing good along the way.
Consultant teams are multi-disciplinary across all different degrees and year levels, bringing a variety of skills and perspectives to inform a project―from ideation through to implementation. Each project has a duration of nine weeks, during which the teams receive mentoring from a dedicated industry professional. Training involves design thinking, presentation skills, and they also learn from each other as they go through their projects.
Client relations, account management, project management, teamwork, and collaboration are some of the many work-ready skills Ignite consultants walk away with, as well the satisfaction of seeing their work’s social impact―something they get to present to both client and stakeholders at the Community Evening at the end of each nine-week project.
This is Katie’s third role within Ignite, starting her journey as a consultant, then as a project manager, and now as CEO. “There are plenty of opportunities to get involved within the Ignite structure―I like to think there is something for everyone,” she says.
Katie’s Ignite experience is teaching her new skills that make a real impact in the workforce while also allowing her to apply what she's learning in her studies.
“The research and advocacy skills I have learned through law school have helped me when approaching projects and in communicating with others in the different roles that I have taken on. In turn, the skills learned through my BA have helped with big-picture thinking and my confidence in using Te Reo Māori in my day-to-day.”
Katie believes that the Ignite structure is all about WIL: “You learn by doing. You learn how to have open conversations with the charity about what they are after and how to work with your team and mentor to make that outcome possible in a short timeframe.”
Business skills and networking aside, this work experience also helps graduates when applying for jobs. During interviews they can speak to real-life experiences in consulting and working with the charity sector. “As time goes on, there seems to be some ‘alumni’ recognition as well, as people go through the Ignite programme,” she says.
Katie, who has loved her Ignite experience, is presenting the Ignite method and how it could be applied to courses or other areas of the University at this year’s Student Showcase, ahead of the WILNZ2024 conference at the Pipitea Campus.
She is excited by the opportunities that can arise as a result of belonging to Ignite Consultants and experiencing this type of WIL. “Not only does this genuinely help you build your skills, but you also get to make lasting connections with your team, your professional mentor, and the charities themselves. It really sets you up for the future.”