Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) are collaborating on a new initiative aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the state’s growing food and beverage sector.
The WA Food Industry Education Collaboration Program is offering paid internships for tertiary students, along with support for businesses in food manufacturing, production, processing, and technology.
A total of twenty paid internships are available for undergraduate and postgraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from universities, TAFE, and VET institutions.
Businesses will receive facilitation and financial assistance to help accommodate these interns.
Interns will work on real-world projects that benefit the host businesses, gaining valuable experience and enhancing their future employment prospects.
Liz Crompton, the Program Lead for CSIRO’s WA Food and Industry Education Collaboration, emphasised that the program creates mutual benefits for both interns and host businesses by cultivating skilled future employees and fostering industry growth.
“Through this program, CSIRO will facilitate student and employer matching to support WA businesses with high-quality STEM interns, particularly in regional and remote areas,” said Crompton.
“While the program’s primary objectives include retaining skilled STEM talent in WA, we also aim to build and strengthen connections between industry and tertiary education institutions.”
Kim Antonio, DPIRD’s Food Industry Innovation Manager, encouraged interested students and businesses to explore how the WA Food Industry Education Collaboration Program would benefit their future.
“These DPIRD-supported, paid internships will provide real-life, hands-on work experience, giving students practical skills, experience and industry connections to launch their careers,” he said.
“The program will showcase the sector as a valuable employment option and provide students an opportunity to apply theory and skills on meaningful projects in an important industry sector.
“We’d love to hear from WA food and beverage businesses interested in hosting a student to work on a STEM related technical solution to support their business growth.”
Applications are open until mid-2025. Interested applicants can find more information and apply here.