Pictured, from left: Minh Duc Truong and Fahad Akhtar.
One way to help meet these challenges is by leveraging university-led student placement programs. Placements enable industry to engage with emerging talent, support the professional development of current employees, and gain new insights and support for their projects, while also helping to shape the next generation of professionals within their sector.
At La Trobe University's Digital Innovation Hub (DIH), student placements across a wide array of disciplines, such as Commerce, Arts, Data Science and Computer Science, have become a crucial component of the Hub's strategy to remain agile and at the cutting edge of digital innovation.
Student contributions have focused on building proof-of-concept projects, conducting market research, and supporting the design of new systems or products. These projects not only address immediate needs but also add to a growing portfolio of capabilities that can be used to demonstrate the Hub’s expertise to its potential partners.
“Interns are an essential capability in the DIH. They contribute valuable capability and skills. Their enthusiasm helps with effective collaborations and creating a more productive working environment,” says Jeff Jones, Manager, Digital Innovation Hub.
Once their placements end, students continue to serve as advocates, carrying their positive experiences into the student network and wider industry ecosystem.
“Their work serves as a tangible demonstration of the Hub’s capabilities, aiding in the promotion of the Digital Innovation Hub. Additionally, it becomes a valuable component of their professional portfolios, providing a strong foundation as they begin their careers and seek employment opportunities.” says Jeff.
Beyond strategic advantages for organisations, student placements also provide valuable learning opportunities for the students themselves. For Anastasia Zafiropoulos, a student completing a Bachelor of Commerce/Arts (Marketing/Sociology), her placement at the Hub enabled her to apply academic knowledge within a practical setting.
“This placement provided me with practical marketing experience in a technical business context and helped to bridge the gap between theory and practice… I was able to apply my theoretical marketing knowledge to real-world scenarios and enhance my marketing skills.
“My project was to develop the ‘Marketing Offer of Services Kit’ which is a comprehensive overview of the DIH’s assets and capabilities and is intended to communicate to potential clients the benefits of working with the DIH in a co-design or prototyping journey. This project involved market research, content development, engagement planning and the formation of a marketing plan. My other responsibilities included creating the DIH value proposition statement as well as redesigning the Innovation Central Website.”
As well as developing key DIH materials for the Hub team to use ongoing, students on placement have the opportunity to engage with projects connected to the space’s industry partners.
For Master of Data Science student, Fahad Akhtar, it was his machine learning studies that led him to apply at the Hub. The placement required previous knowledge of Power BI, Python and SQL – so he could hit the ground running and contribute to an industry project related to Cisco Spaces.
“(In this development phase), we needed to figure out a way to understand and use unstructured data that has not been cleaned… and refine it in order to make attributes (useful to the client).”
Meanwhile, Minh Duc Truong, a Bachelor of Computer Science student, focused on Cisco’s Meraki cloud-managed smart cameras.
“My project was connected to my area of study, so I could use put my knowledge to the test with a real-life client, while also continually improving my skills and knowledge.”
By integrating student placements into their operations, host businesses like DIH not only gain much-needed support and access new talent and fresh insights – they also play a direct role in shaping the professionals of tomorrow. For students, placements provide an essential stepping stone into the workforce, offering valuable experience that makes them more competitive and prepared for their future careers.
At the Digital Innovation Hub, this combination of innovation, mentorship, and practical learning creates a powerful opportunity for growth - both for students and for the organisations the Hub collaborates with.
To learn more about La Trobe’s Digital Innovation Hub, visit: latrobe.edu.au/digitalinnovationhub
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If you are a member of industry and interested in La Trobe’s student industry placement program, connect with La Trobe Talent.
La Trobe Talent will support your business throughout, from creating a placement description to promoting it to students and finalising the agreement.
Contact La Trobe Talent at latrobetalent@latrobe.edu.au
For general industry engagement enquiries, please reach out to industry.engagement@latrobe.edu.au
