Event Recap | Internship Insights Panel
On Wednesday September 9th, AustCham Shanghai’s Education and HR Committee co-hosted a panel discussion on Internships. The panel included representatives from the Australian Higher Education Sector, HR Employers and interns, who together discussed best practices in building and managing successful internship programs.
Amanda Barry, Director of the China Liason Office at the Australian National University, began with an overview on internships in the Australian Higher Education sector. Currently, a vast majority of student work experience is completed through internships, though business practicums and group projects at host companies is also on the rise as a form of experiential learning for students. Work-integrated learning and internships also take different forms depending on courses of study. In the case of Science and Engineering, practical work experience is mandatory given the necessary qualifications required for full time employment upon graduation. This is less the case for other areas of study.
Andrew Nip, Head of People and Culture and Head of Learning, Training and Development, at Hays, and Annie Li, China HR Head for Rio Tinto, together discussed internships from an employers viewpoint. A key takeaway is that internships need to be structured and well managed in order to provide value for both host company and intern. For Rio Tinto, internships are project based and determined by internal departments that require project support. HR teams therefore play the role of a bridge between potential interns and business departments. Internships also represent a great opportunity to train existing staff and managers at the host companies, where successfully managing or taking on an intern is seen as important for staff progression and the management of people.
Jessica Wang, who is currently pursuing a Masters of Commerce at the University of Sydney, also joined the panel to provide insights as a recent intern. For Jessica, internships in marketing provided valuable practical experience on top of her existing studies. Internships also represented an opportunity to observe varying work cultures and for herself to better understand what types of companies and where she would prefer to work going forward. Last but not least, Jessica also emphasized the importance of having structure and projects with internships rather than having to complete daily ad hoc admin tasks.
AustCham Shanghai would like to thank all our speakers and attendees for participating yesterday. If you would like to learn more about internships or get further involved with our HR and Education Members, please do not hesitate to reach out.
