The College of Psychological Practice (COPP) aims to provide 4 year psychology graduates with skills that employers find useful. Graduates from the college are therefore able to find employment in a variety of fields.

Because university undergraduate training is devoted almost solely to psychology as an academic science, there is little training in the professional skills necessary for the wider application in business or public service. The restricted emphasis of university training requires a balance which the College provides.

In the College, there is a heavy emphasis on skill and practice in the use of psychology to solve real problems. Training and supervision is by highly experienced registered psychologists.

The College uses the practicum (workshop) approach in which graduates undertake practical tasks with a practicum leader. The College practicums are based on a study of what psychologists actually do and on the trends in employment of psychologists.

Further details can be found in the College publication entitled, Realistic Careers in Psychology (ISBN 1 8760 9401).

The practicums provide basic training in all the competencies required by the NSW Psychologists Registration Board, so that graduates will be able to register as psychologists. The College does not however train to specialist levels, which may be satisfied by another type of postgraduate qualification.

Interns living in the southern and western suburbs may have to travel to the City, northern and eastern suburbs for supervision, as relatively few psychologists are located in the south and west of Sydney. However, this probably means that good future career prospects in those areas will be open to those who attain registration.

• The route to registration as a psychologist is summarised in Appendix A.

• The competencies required by psychologists are summarised in Appendix B.

• The list of Praciticums, Seminars and Workshops is shown in Appendix C.

The College itself is a learning organisation which pays heed to the needs of employers, interns and staff. It aims to keep its courses up to date by a continuing dialogue with these groups.

For this purpose, the College seeks contact with employers of psychologists.