Four UWA students have recently undertaken internships with the Department of Premier and Cabinet through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s summer internship program, each contributing 100 hours to projects aimed at improving processes, culture and communications.
Aishya Raman, Brendan Tan, Claudia Vacca and Toby Sin took on internship roles supporting Digital Architecture Policy and Research, Organisational Development and Strategic Communications projects, gaining the opportunity to put skills from their varied courses of study to practical use.
Claudia, currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts with double majors in Law and Society and Criminology, worked on the Department’s Multicultural Plan and Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Plan, assessing previous versions of the plans, achievement of targets, and best practise in similar plans from across the public sector.
“The workforce diversity and inclusion plan looks at six groups - Youth, Women in Senior Executive Positions, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, People with Disability and Peoples of Diverse Sexual and Gender Backgrounds,” Claudia said.
“My contribution to the diversity and inclusion plans will benefit the Department’s staff as well as the wider community.
“Hopefully this work supports a more equitable and inclusive workplace, where staff members can feel confident and celebrated in their identity,” she said.
Image: Claudia Vacca was one of four UWA students to intern with the Department of Premier and Cabinet through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s summer internship program
Brendan, studying Software Engineering with a second major in Finance, said the internship provided the opportunity to make a positive impact, while giving him insights into professional life and the public service.
“Interning with the Department opened my eyes to see how comprehensively the WA government looks after residents, with divisions dedicated to serving different parts of the community and working on a variety of matters – from supporting Aboriginal communities, to managing the economy, modernising and digitising services, environmental management and more.
“I worked on projects including improving processes in finance, and automating repetitive tasks to free up time for staff to attend to higher level matters,” Brendan said.
Alyson Szigligeti, Organisational Development Consultant and Graduate Coordinator with the Department, said that McCusker Centre for Citizenship internships provided an “excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable experience in an area of government related to their fields of study and to start building their professional network.”
“We really value having McCusker interns work with us as they come with a good skill set and can hit the ground running,” Ms Szigligeti said.
“In addition to gaining valuable professional skills, McCusker interns also help the Department stay up-to-date with the changing nature of workplaces and prepare for the needs of the future workforce.”
Brendan and Claudia agreed that interning with the Department through the McCusker Centre program had provided valuable professional experience.
“The internship provides an opportunity for hands-on experience, I found this to be particularly useful in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge gained from the classroom to practical workforce skills,” Claudia said.
“I am now aware of the importance of diverse and inclusive workspaces, and how much time and effort goes into making sure staff are provided with the resources and support to work in an inclusive space. Being a part of a collaborative team culture, where I was encouraged to share my ideas and felt included was incredibly rewarding.”