Industry visits – what impact do they have for students?
Let’s start with what an industry visit is! Typically, it’s when students visit a corporate office or headquarters, to gain firsthand exposure to the company’s culture and industry practices. Students typically participate in interactive sessions with executives, managers and employees, with the goal to understand how the business operates, but most importantly develop their thinking and understanding of, what they are studying, and how it will affect their career opportunities. Or how the theory they are learning can be applied in the real-world. And for some students, it may open the door to an internships or job interview. Industry visits take place all around the world at SAS offices. 2 such recent events included:
- A university cohort visit to SAS Malaysia
- A school group visit to SAS Australia
A university cohort visit to SAS Malaysia
The SAS Malaysia industry visit provided the students with an enhanced understanding of how data, AI and software solutions, deliver value to industry. The visit was organized as part the SAS Global Academic Program, with the goal to expose students to modern industry practices in data and AI and data-driven decision-making. And connected classroom learning with industrial application, particularly in the fast-evolving digital economy.
Students learnt about the organisational structure and operations of SAS, the organisations role in the data and AI domain, and showcased how software solutions help businesses optimise performance. Additionally, the visit introduced students to emerging technologies such as GenAI, Agentic AI and Digital Twins, while also fostering awareness of potential career paths in these fields.
The visit included an introductory briefing on SAS’s history, global presence, and contributions to the world of data and AI. Demonstrations on SAS apps and highlighted how SAS, data and AI deliver value to the healthcare and finance sector. Interactive Q&A sessions allowed students to clarify concepts and gain practical insights from industry experts. And a guided tour of the company’s facilities provided an overview of its collaborative working culture and technological infrastructure.
The result. The visit significantly enhanced students understanding of the data and AI industry. Students were able to see how theoretical concepts, including machine learning, data modelling, and visualization, are applied in real-world business scenarios. And introduced students industry case studies that increased awareness of industry expectations and the skills required to succeed in data and AI related careers. The day also highlighted the importance of continuous or life long learning given the rate of technological and business change in the world today.
A school group visit to SAS Australia
SAS’s Girls in Tech Day was a great opportunity for a group of schoolgirls to gain valuable insights into the tech industry and learn what skills it takes to follow a career path into data and AI.
The visit started with an overview of a day in the life of a SAS intern. Two SAS interns talked about how they spend their days, working in each of their relevant roles. And shared insights about the projects they are working on, while explaining how what they had learnt at school had lead them to where they are today. And also what they were learning while at SAS and how they were further developing their skills.
Graduate program employees talked about how they were learning to use technology to collect and clean data, build visualisations, and identify trends and patterns. They demonstrated how various types of visualisation can effectively represent complex data sets. And critically how to interpret these technical insights and present them to a business audience. The team also talked about their individual employment experiences and the academic pathways that led them to SAS. And the importance of selecting HSC courses as a pathway to either university or employment, plus tips and tricks of finding work experience, and getting ready for job interviews.
The SAS Girls in Tech Day was an empowering event aimed at inspiring young women to pursue careers in technology, data, and AI. And the day brought together schoolgirls from across Melbourne to explore the world of STEM through interactive, hands-on workshops, networking, and presentations.
Call to Action
A good industry visit can shine a light on what life after study looks like. What a job in the workplace looks like and how careers differ to jobs. A great industry visit inspires the next generation not just carve out a career pathway, but to make a difference. To inspire others to follow in their footsteps and to become a coach and mentor to others. And every organisation can make their industry visits great. With a bit of time and effort and a lot of passion.
