Driven by the passion for making a difference in people’s lives, a marketing co-op student from the Australian School of Business completed a three-month internship with a well known not-for-profit organisation.
Alexandra Roche-West was offered a full-time unpaid internship at The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Australia earlier this year. Roche-West’s role was to provide administrative support to the Face-to Face marketing team.
Roche-West said: “Through this experience, I have gained a wealth of knowledge about the organisation, the industry and the significant role marketing plays. Marketing provides the momentum for social change within this industry, allowing Australia for UNHRC to achieve their humanitarian goals.
"It was interesting to learn that the marketing principals used to formulate their marketing strategy are essentially the same as those used to sell tangible goods and services. However, the outcome, being to solve real humanitarian problems makes working in this industry so much more rewarding,” she said.
UNHCR helps millions of people in restarting their lives. The agency aims to guarantee that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in other States with the option to come back home voluntarily, stay local or relocate to a third country.
The UNHCR internships normally last between two to six months and are offered depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and capacity of units to receive and supervise interns.
The Co-op Scholarship Program is a four year scholarship program designed for single major students who will combine their study with a number of Industry Training Experience placements.