UOW and Warrigal Join Forces
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- Created on Wednesday, 22 November 2017 15:06
Warrigal has teamed up with UOW’s Faculty of Business students studying innovation to bring new ideas to the aged care industry – a sector in the midst of major change and reform.
“When we heard about trialling the Innovation Intern program we jumped at it” said Warrigal CEO, Mark Sewell. “Warrigal has recognised innovation as being so critical to our future operations that we have a directorate entirely focused on it– and we are seeing some great work coming together with our new flagship Shell Cove site which is piloting new ways of delivering our services.“
Business students gleaned first-hand what the aged care sector is about – its challenges and its opportunities. This has led to a broader understanding of the skills and talents of our younger generation combined with the wisdom of our older generation – it’s certainly a mix we love to encourage at Warrigal”, Mark said.
The results have seen some impressive ideas focusing on optional service packages to offer greater choice to enhance the lifestyle and wellbeing of customers and a grants program to help foster a greater culture of innovation within Warrigal itself.
Leader of the Innovation Intern program and lecturer in Creating and Marketing New Products, Elias Kyriazis, was delighted when he was told Warrigal had an Innovation Division and quickly realised what a great opportunity the program and partnership with Warrigal presented for all parties.
“I instantly recognised that I was dealing with a unique and very progressive organisation and UOW’s Innovation Interns were going to learn a great deal in a professional organisation. I knew it would be a challenging environment for the interns to apply their newly gained innovation knowledge in a well-supported environment led by Leanne Taylor and Shandell Renshaw.
The Business Faculty and Warrigal has had a successful partnership for many years working together in research, internships, industry panels and guest lectures.
The internship program was supported by Sandy Haig and Jorge Perez Faculty Business Internship Team and Dr Shamika Almeida, Subject Co-ordinator.
“We are thrilled to partner with UOW and progress so many of our projects contributing to best practice and innovation in the aged care sector which can only be of benefit to our older community”, Mark Sewell said.