Students earn while combining practical hands-on experience with academic coursework
SYDNEY, Australia – WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC), one of Australia’s most successful technology companies and the largest ASX listed technology business by market cap, has opened applications for its 2025 Earn & Learn program to help nurture Australia’s future technologists. The program provides rapid career development, substantial financial benefits, an environment rich in learning, expertise and more support than can be obtained during a standard undergraduate program in software engineering.
WiseTech’s Earn & Learn program was established in 2023 with an intake of 30 students. This year, its second year, 52 students joined the program. WiseTech is targeting at least 100 year 12 graduates in its next intake. Interested students can find out more and apply for the 2025 intake here: wisetechglobal.com/earn-and-learn
More than a typical scholarship or cadetship, the Earn & Learn program combines theoretical learning at university with a full-time wage, working at WiseTech, learning and applying skills in a real-world environment. WiseTech Global is the leading developer and provider of software solutions to the global logistics industry. While working at WiseTech, students study a specially crafted blend of university coursework and content delivered through the WiseTech Academy.
Richard White, CEO and founder of WiseTech Global said: “The WiseTech Earn & Learn program gives talented students the opportunity to learn rapidly, apply knowledge and build proficiency and fluency, while simultaneously learning theory from lectures and study at university and in the WiseTech Academy. No amount of pure theory or study, by itself, will make a top-notch software engineer. Typically, the successful applicants work 80-90% of the time on commercially important projects alongside senior software engineers and architects, and perhaps 10-20% of the time on study. We select students who are motivated, highly intelligent, curious, love learning and solving problems and want to make a difference to the world. Earn & Learn and WiseTech Global will accelerate their technology career progression and will be economically and professionally miles ahead of other pathways.
“We are excited that 27% of our 2024 Earn and Learn cohort are female, that’s much higher than the current participation rate for female software engineers in undergraduate programs. The reality is that Australia needs to attract more school leavers to high value technology careers. Key to that is creating environments that welcome and support students from a wide range of backgrounds who have the aptitude, passion and curiosity to become technologists.
“Last year’s intake, who are now in their second year, are among the mentors for this years' intake, ensuring new students are surrounded by peers they can relate to and learn from, as well as senior software engineers who can provide the deeper insights required in a rapid learning environment,” said Mr White.
Sophia Nguyen, who joined the Earn & Learn program in 2023, explained how learning in the workplace has accelerated her university study: “It’s a misconception that software engineers must work in isolation on their part of a project. Working at WiseTech we learn that throughout development it’s really important to communicate and work together – with other students, our mentors and teammates. You need to be really collaborative - that’s a business skill you won’t get at uni. Applying coding theory in the real world helps you pick it up more quickly – especially with so many mentors available to help us get back on track when we get stuck. I have even been able to help some of my friends at uni. It’s very exciting when your code goes into production and will make a difference for someone.”
Under the four-year program, each student receives a competitive salary, reimbursement of university course fees, multiple grants of share rights as they progress through the program and access to a range of valuable employee benefits[1]. Students are supported by a dedicated WiseTech team, and participate in WiseTech’s rotation program, working across different teams and projects to experience and develop skills under the guidance of senior software engineers.
Earn & Learn was envisioned by WiseTech CEO and founder Richard White, who remains highly engaged in the program’s design and objectives. The program is led by Matthew Kameron, a former school leader and teacher of mathematics and computer science, and a lead software engineer who draws on his unique background to create an environment that fosters a passion for problem solving through coding.
Mr Kameron said “Enabling gifted students is a key ingredient in our mission to increase access to tech careers in Australia. Our focus is to provide an environment that will help them become amazing software engineers and to provide them all the support they need to get there. The combination of intensive study at WiseTech and university, combined with their experience in a variety of our development teams, gives them a vastly superior opportunity, educationally and economically, than anything else in Australia and, I think, the world. Many of our students were described by our most experienced senior software engineers as being already as strong as a university graduate. At the end of their induction and initial team experiences, they will join a team permanently while continuing their university study – and become mentors to next year’s intake.”
Hear from some of the 2024 WiseTech Earn & Learn students:
Fiona Chuang: “Earning while I study my degree is a lot less pressure as it means I can actually focus on learning and gaining skills rather than stressing about how I’m going to pay for my uni,” she said.
Ariel Daniel: “Seeing other women inside tech inspired me to do it. I can do that too! The Earn & Lean program is really good because it like applies to everybody. We have a lot of mentors and many of them are women, they're really helpful and knowledgeable. I feel like I can reach that point someday,” she said.
Jasmine Chandraratnam: “I was interested in AI which led me to coding. Being able to earn while I learn is one of the main reasons I decided to come to WiseTech instead of taking a normal degree as it gives you financial security while you study. And you get job experience you wouldn’t get in a normal degree as it’s hands on and practical,” she said.
Jackie Truong: “I get to work in a job while I study, and it’s actually related to my degree!” she said.
Julian Kirk: “I enjoy problem solving. While it can be frustrating if it takes a long time, it’s really nice when you solve it! I’ve worked on personal gaming projects, but I’m excited about getting to do real things that can actually impact stuff,” he said.
Gurnoor Saini: “I don’t have much coding experience, but this model is great because it combines practical application with study at uni. Theory is easier to understand when I can apply it some place,” she said.
Dan Long: “Earn & Learn gives me four years’ job experience as a head start on other university graduates. I could just go to uni and get a degree in three years, but that wouldn't give me the practical knowledge that I need to excel in real work. This is also a more practical way to learn, because it’s hard to learn from just books and theory. Importantly, being paid while I learn has allowed me to move to Sydney to attend UTS instead of travelling two hours in on the train from Picton,” he said.
Valin Kennedy: “Earning an income while I study helps me as I’ve moved from Orange to go to university in Sydney and have to pay for accommodation. Instead of working in a café, I have a job that gives me four years’ experience that is relevant to the career I want to be in,” he said.
[1] Salary is on a full-time equivalent basis with actual salary based on days worked at WiseTech Global. Reimbursement of course costs is based on the level of academic performance for each subject, in line with WiseTech's Further Education Assistance Scheme as amended from time to time. Each share right is a right to receive one WiseTech Global share and remains subject to our Equity Incentive Plan Rules and the conditions in the relevant offer documents for each grant.