UWA Master of Business Analytics student Raghul Selvam applied his analytical, research and engagement skills to support community wellbeing during his McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS).
Raghul was motivated to apply for a McCusker Centre internship to gain practical experience alongside his studies and apply his academic knowledge in a real-world setting. With a background in Computer Science and an MBA, he was keen to further develop his analytical and problem-solving skills while contributing to work that creates positive outcomes for the community.
During Semester 1 2026 Raghul interned with the Local Government Child Safeguarding Project, supporting LGIRS to strengthen child safe practices and raise awareness of safeguarding across local governments in Western Australia. His role involved research, reviewing project documentation and supporting engagement and digital content activity linked to the work of the Child Safe Network Project Reference Group.
The network brings together representatives from different local governments to provide input and feedback to guide project activity and develop digital scenarios relevant to local government context. Raghul helped to facilitate a collaborative approach ensuring scenarios reflect real-world challenges to support consistent, effective approaches to child safeguarding across the sector.
Raghul’s supervisor, Kayleigh Ellis, Project Lead – Local Government Child Safeguarding Project, highlighted the impact of his contribution:
“Raghul has been such an asset to our project, quickly developing subject matter knowledge and demonstrating the ability to apply this to practical project tasks. His development of visual aids to assist our Project Reference Group through the draft storyboard development process was highly valued. Across 10 short weeks, he facilitated project activity sufficient to secure first draft animations for stakeholder review — a great achievement and of high value in promoting positive project outcomes.”
Reflecting on the experience, Raghul said the most rewarding aspect of the internship was contributing to a project with a clear social purpose.
“It was really meaningful to work on an initiative that supports child safeguarding and community wellbeing,” he said. “I also learnt a lot from working alongside professionals and gained valuable insight into how government organisations operate.”
One of the most challenging aspects of the internship was navigating the complexity of safeguarding frameworks and policies within the local government sector. Raghul said this challenge ultimately deepened his understanding of governance and the importance of robust safeguarding structures in protecting children and supporting safe communities.
The internship also shifted Raghul’s perspective on the role of collaboration in creating social impact.
“It showed me how important safeguarding policies are, and how collaboration between organisations can make a real difference,” he said.
Raghul believes the work he contributed to will benefit the community by raising awareness of child safeguarding and supporting organisations to implement safer practices. Over time, he says, this helps build trust in local institutions and creates safer environments for children and families.
Looking ahead, Raghul sees the internship as a valuable foundation for his future career. The experience strengthened his skills in research, analysis and stakeholder engagement, as well as providing practical exposure to working within a government environment.
He strongly recommends a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship to other students.
“These internships provide real-world experience and allow you to apply what you learn at university in a practical setting,” he said. “They also give you the chance to work with professionals, gain insight into different sectors and contribute to work that genuinely benefits the community.”
Image: Raghul and his supervisor Kayleigh Ellis at LGRIS