Case study — Website
A personal career coach in every student's pocket for Western Sydney University
- Project type
- Custom Learning Management Portal
- Our role
- Discovery · Design · Development · Consulting
- Technology
- Laravel · Next.js
Western edge is a personal and professional development platform. It uses ai and machine learning to recommend learning activities, resources and experiences from across western sydney university to help students become more employable and maximise their potential.
The problem
Western Sydney University’s Employability and Careers team identified a widespread challenge: students too often navigate university feeling unsupported and unprepared for the workforce, lacking confidence in job applications and undervaluing their life experiences as employability assets. Their vision was a personal career coach in every student’s pocket.
Our approach
Shakewell proposed and built Western Edge — a centralised learning portal powered by AI and machine learning, custom-developed on Laravel and Next.js. Students record milestones in a Story Bank that feeds a Personal Capacities Wheel, follow learning Playlists co-designed with employers and alumni, connect with mentors, earn shareable skills badges and receive personalised job recommendations. A modular architecture tailors the experience by study year and discipline, with permissioned pathways protecting alumni privacy.
The outcome
Western Edge delivers transformation, not just content: Playlists have become part of some core curriculum, and the platform is the foundation for future Alumni Edge and Community Manager expansions.
“Michael and the team work in deep partnership and are genuinely invested in the success of the project and the maximising the impact it can deliver to end users. Always exceeding expectations, you will not find a more amiable, grounded and technically proficient team!”
— Kelly Whitney, WSU Associate Director; Careers, Talent & Organisational Success
Related services: Website Development, AI Consulting & Implementation
The work
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