Internship program demonstrates Arts job opportunities

Oct 31, 2003

Sutherland Shire Council's Cultural and Events Manager Tim Fong won't need any convincing to remain involved in the University of Wollongong's ground-breaking Faculty of Arts Internship program.

He now has a cultural map of the Shire that will be used to help develop Council's cultural policies and resource allocation, thanks to the work of UOW Third Year Arts intern Keiran Roche.

Keiran has spent the last five months working one day a week at Council, plotting the spread of cultural activities across the Shire.

The Internship program is a first for an Arts Faculty in Australia, placing students with corporations and organisations as a formal part of their studies. It is designed to enhance the students' all-round skills, as well as demonstrating the value of a UOW Arts degree in producing graduates equipped for a range of employment options. Students spent their internships with organisations ranging from the ABC and a number of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, health services, schools, migrant services, tourism offices, local government and schools, through to a placement in the media office of the NSW Opposition leader John Brogden.

Mr Fong and Keiran attended a function on October 29 hosted by UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton to thank the organisations and corporations that had offered places for the Arts Internship program students. Prof Sutton said reception by employers to the program had been remarkable.

"I really want to thank the employers who took part, and I hope it has been rewarding for them," Prof Sutton said. This program is an example of where the future lies (for Arts students). It shows the Arts program at this University does equip you well for a whole range of employment.."

Mr Fong said his Unit's involvement with the Internship program had been extremely positive. "We get a lot of work experience students at Council, but Keiran has been really outstanding. He is a real team player who fitted in very well, but the best thing was the quality of his work," Mr Fong said. "He was able to gather information on all sorts of community cultural groups that we didn't even know were out there."

Mr Fong said this information would be extremely valuable in determining the allocation of resources to support cultural activities.

Keiran, from Helensburgh, said the experience working for Council had been invaluable. He had been able to use the research skills he had developed at University, and was given a great deal of autonomy.

"I had to use my own initiative because I was told what to do, not how to do it," he said. "Working at Council gave me confidence that my Arts degree had equipped me well for the workforce, particularly seeing how research skills can help in the workplace.

"It was also great to put together something that will have an impact on Council's cultural planning."