Tilly Coles-Dyke graduated from UWA in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science and International Relations, and Asian Studies, with a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship adding valuable and highly relevant real-world experience in her final semester. She is now a Graduate Officer at Energy Policy WA (part of the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety), and has returned to continue her UWA studies with a Master of International Relations in Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics.
“I applied for an internship with the McCusker Centre because I wanted to gain practical, hands-on experience and meet new people, all while supporting the wider Western Australian community,” Tilly said.
With Tilly’s clear interests and developing experience in international relations, particularly in Asia, the McCusker Centre for Citizenship team matched her with the Strategic Engagement Intern role with Invest and Trade WA at the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI).
“I worked with the Strategic Engagement Team on a variety of projects, including supporting the Australia-China Natural Gas Technology Partnership Fund. The Fund is a $25 million joint initiative between the North West Shelf Joint Venture, Commonwealth Government, Western Australian Government and China’s National Development and Reform Commission to support knowledge transfer and training in the energy sector between the two regions. I also helped to organise the 2024 Western Australian Export Awards, which showcased the wonderful work of WA companies in exporting goods and services. The event saw record numbers of participants, with 105 applications from 48 different companies.”
In line with her hopes for the experience, Tilly said the internship had provided her with valuable professional development to progress her career, while enabling her to make a meaningful contribution to the community.
“My internship opened my eyes to how much the WA Government does to support our local community, including strengthening relations with other regions around the world for the good of our economy,” she said.
“The work I undertook allowed me to contribute to this. JTSI supports the diversification of the Western Australian economy and the creation of local jobs. Invest and Trade Western Australia within JTSI, where I interned, has a large team in Perth and a presence in 17 international locations, which is responsible for attracting investment into Western Australia to develop our sectors and promote our high-quality local products and services to global customers. I was fortunate to be able to support outbound missions, major events, inbound delegations, joint meetings and research work into enhancing Western Australia’s strategic partnerships in Asia.”
In an overall experience with a wealth of positives, Tilly did have one stand-out.
“The highlight of my experience was welcoming representatives of the East Java Provincial Government to Perth.
“The visit brought together senior representatives from both regions to discuss initiatives as part of the 2023 renewed sister-state relationship. It included a joint working group meeting involving the WA Government, the Indonesian Consulate-General in Perth, and the East Java Provincial Government, as well as a business roundtable hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA.
“I loved that I was able to enhance WA’s relations with East Java and support cross-cultural and people-to-people ties. I had a wonderful opportunity to meet the delegates on their visit and show them around the WA Parliament, which was the most memorable part of my internship.”