The need for University graduates to be industry-ready on completion of a tertiary degree is a topic which is being examined with increasing interest (Frawley & Litchfield, 2009). There is concern that Australia is facing a shortage of professional, qualified talent in the advertising industry (Corlette, 2010;Ma, 2012; Hayes Quarterly Report, 2013), thus placing an increasing demand on universities to produce industry-ready graduates who can fulfil advertising jobs and make an immediate and meaningful contribution to their employers. In an effort to successfully prepare graduates to make a meaningful initial workplace contribution, Charles Sturt University (CSU) is adopting strategies that aim to close the gap between the lecture hall and the workplace. One such strategy enables Advertising students at Charles Sturt University to spend their final year in the on-campus student advertising agency, Kajulu Communications. To transition easily into full time employment, students must apply best industry knowledge, practice and skills to a range of authentic situations to develop the abilities employers require of them in order to enter the workforce industryready. Whilst much has been written about graduate employability and the skills and attributes students need (Andrews & Higson, 2010;Boden & Nedeva, 2010;Bridgstock, 2009;Lowden, Hall, Elliott & Lewin 2011;Mason, Williams & Cranmer, 2009;Thomson, 2013), this paper examines the students' perceptions of being industry-ready and identifies the key attributes relevant for course design.

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