To be eligible to apply, students must be at an educational disadvantage due to factors such as socio-economic status, isolated or disadvantaged community, cultural background, or financial hardship. They must also be of good academic standing to ensure they can manage the program alongside their studies. All applicants are assessed to determine how they may benefit from the program, and their capacity to commit and be fully engaged.
FAQs
Co-NNECTIONS students are from a wide range of disciplines across all faculties, and all stages of study. Those who make it to the internship stage are typically in the mid or latter stages of their degree.
During Industry Bootcamp, organisations can host part of Co-NNECTIONS cohort (typically 50+ students) for 2-3 hours and deliver a professional development workshop, networking or a Q&A with employees and potentially a site tour of their offices.
The Co-NNECTIONS team will shortlist candidates from within the group who meet the requirements of the internship or industry partner and will provide them with a profile for each student (resume and transcript). The industry partner then has the option to interview some or all these candidates in order to make a selection.
Yes absolutely, if there is the volume of work and the supervision available, then we very much encourage companies to consider hosting more than one student. Often students and sponsors benefit from the social support the students gain, and the potential to work together on projects.
Typically students intern part time throughout one term (3 or 4 days a week for about 3 months). We suggest 40 working days in total as a suitable min. amount of time for the student to really gain some confidence and knowledge and make a genuine contribution to the organisation.
Once the student has been offered an opportunity by an industry partner, the exact days and hours of the placement are organised directly between the student and the industry partner.
Students can be given any types of activities that applies knowledge they are building in their degree, or challenges them to learn something new. Previous year’s cohorts performed a very wide range of projects from marketing, events and administration to HR, actuarial work, data analysis, coding and biomedical research. Ideally the role will increase in responsibility or technicality as the student progresses through the placement and becomes more competent.
Companies hosting a student are expected to provide a clear role with some key tasks each week, associated desired outcomes, and general goals for the placement. They also need to nominate a supervisor who is equipped for the role and provides day-to-day supervision and regular feedback to their intern.
The company should provide a general orientation/induction as well as more role specific training and should facilitate the student to integrate into their team whilst also connecting them with others in the organisation.
At the end of the placement the student and sponsor provide feedback to each other, and the student conducts a presentation at their workplace about their experiences. The industry partner also contributes to a financial equity award to help the student support themselves during their placement.
The students visit a range of companies in the first stage of the program, which helps them build confidence in presenting themselves in a corporate setting, networking with professionals, and understanding the expectations of employers.
The students will typically also attend a 3-day Leadership Camp which helps them with their teamwork skills and self-awareness, whilst fostering greater connection with their peers on the program, and can receive mentoring from a CoNX or Co-op alumnus for guidance in navigating their internship and career more broadly.
The Co-NNECTIONS team provide all students with a pre-internship induction to help them prepare for their placement, as well as ongoing communication and support throughout their internship.
The Co-NNECTIONS team will check in with an industry partner at different stages throughout the placement and is contactable at any time should any support be needed. Co-NNECTIONS also provides companies with tools to help with supervising the student, negotiating the internship role and conditions, and providing feedback.
Once a Co-NNECTIONS student is confirmed for an internship, the organisation is invoiced for the total amount of award to be given to the student while they are on placement. The amount of the award is calculated based on the number of days of the internship. The daily rate is $187.50 + GST. The total amount goes to the student i.e there are no administrative costs.
Yes, an organisation has the option to hire the student directly for the term of the internship, particularly if they have an internship program in place and wish to offer the Co-NNECTIONS student the same conditions and rate of pay as other interns.