Evaluating an Interdisciplinary Employability Curriculum Intervention

Topic: This roundtable discussion presents the outcomes of an interdisciplinary curriculum intervention that taught marketing knowledge and skills to fourth-year occupational therapy (OT) university students. Context/background: Allied health practitioners, including occupational therapists (OTs), running private practices has grown (Nancarrow et al., 2017), and having business and marketing knowledge and skills helps to ensure their financial sustainability (Loria, 2021). Universities must prepare graduates for success succeed in increasingly dynamic workplace conditions (Winterton & Turner, 2019). However, no university in Australia integrates business or marketing knowledge and skills to OT students. Description: Two guest marketing workshops, one week apart, took place midway through a fourth-year OT course at a regional Queensland university in 2023 and 2024. The workshops used active learning (Stegemann & Sutton-Brady, 2013) to introduce key areas of marketing knowledge, which were then formally assessed via the creation of a new OT service. Method: Students were invited to complete anonymous surveys pre the first and post the second workshop. Students were asked about their interest in marketing, if marketing knowledge was important for occupational therapists, and their confidence in marketing. Outcome and Contribution: There was a minimal difference in survey responses between 2023 and 2024. In both years students agreed that marketing was important, however, there was no significant change in interest or importance. There was a statistically significant increase in confidence in marketing skills in both years. Despite students showing limited interest in marketing, marketing confidence increased in the post surveys. As time pressure prevents students from engaging in employability activities outside of the curriculum (Jackson et al., 2024), interdisciplinary employability interventions should be included in curriculum.