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  2. Internship Program

About the Program

The Internship Program provides important career exposure and opportunities for Interns, whilst at the same time supporting and strengthening under-resourced Indigenous and Indigenous-sector organisations.

Internships are full time for 4-6 weeks at organisations involved in native title, social welfare, justice, education, community development and health. Since 2017, the Commonwealth Government also supports paid internships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and graduates, enabling greater diversity and access. The Program has had a transformational impact on the organisations Aurora supports, the communities we serve, and the individual Interns.

The Stories

Makayla Jennings, Intern
“The most rewarding aspect of my placement was the cultural knowledge I was able to gain from speaking to other Indigenous people, attending cultural tours and simply researching the area of cultural safety. As I am Indigenous myself, it allowed me to be more in touch with my heritage and allowed me to feel connected to other Aboriginal people and the environment in a way I have never felt before. It has improved my confidence, social skills and overall development as a person. I gained much more than just professional experience.”

Sharon Ahmer, Intern
“The Program places novices in a professional environment with a supportive mentor, and an intern can feel that they are making a contribution in an area of work that is largely underfunded. I was at a personal crossroads and not knowing how I would move forward, but now I am confident in my pathway to working in native title.”

Senator Pat Dodson, Host
“My experience is that the internships are exceedingly mutually beneficial to the Indigenous organisation and to the intern, adding real value to the organisation’s capacity to deliver services to the community. There is no comparable program in Australia.”

The Statistics

200+
Aurora Host organisations
3,000+
internships arranged Australia-wide
577,000+ hours
of additional capacity provided to the Indigenous sector

The Impact

Mutual benefit: Interns benefit from an enriching professional experience to complement university studies, and organisations strengthen their capacity to attract talented candidates, which improves their viability.

Flow on to employment: The Program has a transformational impact on transitioning Interns from education into jobs – 660 Interns, including 38 Indigenous Interns, have gone on to gain paid employment in the sector

Impact on communities: Indigenous Interns become positive role models, gaining skills they can use within and beyond their communities. Furthermore, the Program fosters the delivery of services to Indigenous communities.

 

Interested in working in the sector or recruiting to the sector?

Use the Aurora Connection Hub - an app designed to assist Indigenous sector organisations recruit high quality Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous graduates with an interest in joining the sector.