Swinburne and BWM Dentsu Group launch Indigenous internship program

Swinburne and media agency BWM Dentsu Group have announced a strategic partnership along with an internship program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students looking to enter the creative and media industries.

The Indigenous internship is one of the first of its kind in the sector and is being undertaken by the BWM Dentsu Group as part of its recently implemented Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Students involved in the program will begin their internship in January 2019 in the BWM Dentsu Group’s Melbourne office and work across all the agencies in the group, which plans to roll out a similar program in its Sydney office later next year.

The partnership aligns with Swinburne’s own RAP, which achieved Elevate status in 2017, and supports the university’s long history of championing future ready students through professional placements and internships to enhance students’ skills and employment prospects.

Designing creative opportunities for Indigenous students

Co-designed to provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the internship aims to help address the underrepresentation of Indigenous people in the creative industries.

“We want to ensure the creative sector is a welcoming, dynamic, safe and nurturing environment for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” says Belinda Murray, Managing Director of BWM Dentsu Melbourne.

“On top of this, we’re also excited to improve BWM Dentsu Group’s creative offering by opening ourselves up to the diversity of thinking that this talented group of young people will bring to the agency.

“Through this partnership with Swinburne, we aren’t just helping young people find their feet in a new industry, we’re also helping our industry grow and thrive as a result of improved inclusion and diversity.”

Reciprocal benefits

Swinburne and the Moondani Toombadool Centre prides itself on its commitment to student success.

Professor Andrew Gunstone, Executive Director of Reconciliation Strategy and Leadership at Swinburne, says the program presents a fantastic opportunity for Indigenous students to gain exposure to the creative industry.

“We’re excited about creating experiences that extend student knowledge, bring Indigenous knowledge to industry, and foster understanding. Everyone benefits from that kind of partnership. So we’re thrilled to be working with the BWM Dentsu Group to offer Swinburne Indigenous students such a wide and compelling range of opportunities,“ Professor Gunstone says.

BWM Dentsu Group

The BWM Dentsu Group includes Haystac, Cox Inall Communications, Cox Inall Change, and Cox Inall Ridgeway – an Indigenous social impact agency.

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