FOSTERING STUDENT WORK READINESS – A UNIVERSITY CASE STUDY J. Borg 1 , M. Turner 2 , C. Scott-Young 2 1 PhD Student, RMIT University 2 Senior Lecturer, RMIT University jessica.borg@rmit.edu.au ABSTRACT Student work readiness relates to the acquisition of relevant skills and knowledge which enable students to make meaningful contributions to industry, and assist them in their transition from student to practitioner. An individual’s smooth transition into the workforce translates into higher levels of interactions in their workplace, ensuing in benefits for both the employee and the employer. In the built environment, employees are known to experience high levels of work-related stress, exacerbating the need for built environment professionals to be well prepared for the workforce. While work readiness is typically reserved for graduates who have completed their program of study, there has been a notable increase in built environment undergraduates combining work and study prior to graduation. This trend challenges universities to consider that these students need to be work ready prior to completion of their studies. Research notes that student work readiness can be attained through collaboration between universities, students and industry. This study uses the newly conceptualised work readiness model, known as The Life Buoy Education Science EPiC Series in Education Science Volume 1, 2017, Pages 196–209 AUBEA 2017: Australasian Universities Build- ing Education Association Conference 2017 M. Lamb (ed.), AUBEA 2017 (EPiC Series in Education Science, vol. 1), pp. 196–209