- Posted on 7 Dec 2022
- 7-minute read
8 students from the subject Global Work Project have participated in a unique workplace experience, working as interns for the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC).
The students have taken part in site visits to Indonesian manufacturing and distribution warehouses in Sydney, meeting retailers and distributors of sustainable Indonesian products. They also took part in a Zoom meeting with several Indonesian sustainable business figures, including a seaweed farmer, director of a multinational textile corporation, and a community business leader in Papua and Sumatra. The students also took part in the Indonesian Trade Fair held at the International Convention Centre Sydney in November.
The goal of the program for these students, who draw from the Bachelor of Global Studies, the Bachelor of International Studies, and the Bachelor of Business, is to develop their communication and intercultural skills within a multidimensional, transdisciplinary internship setting.
Kestity Pringgoharjono, the Program Coordinator at the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, speaks on the goals of the program:
This program facilitates engagement between UTS students and Indonesian producers to discuss sustainability practices in the production, sale and export of Indonesian goods to the Australian market across multiple industries. Students are provided with cross-cultural experiences and the opportunity to participate in research and creative content design.
On the benefits of the program specifically to the ITPC, Kestity says:
It allows us to showcase Indonesian products to wider Australian stakeholders with approaches to sustainable production. Students are actively participating in the promotion of Indonesian products and businesses, developing stories about these sustainable products and featuring them online . These stories help small Indonesian producers by opening them up to international access, as many of them do not have websites and cannot afford the associated costs of developing and maintaining an online presence and trading in English. Students were also responsible for the creation of an interactive story map that displays the origin of sustainable products across Indonesia.
In regards to practical skills, Kestity notes that students are learning transferable skills, applicable to multiple industries and careers, such as:
Ultimately, the program helps students develop their human-centred skills, which go hand-in-hand with their technical ones. These transferable skills are essential for this kind of work but are applicable in almost any role, as communication, research, human relations, management, leadership, and creativity are all highly desirable to any employer.
Ultimately, the program helps students develop their human-centred skills, which go hand-in-hand with their technical ones. These transferable skills are essential for this kind of work but are applicable in almost any role, as communication, research, human relations, management, leadership, and creativity are all highly desirable to any employer.
Kestity says that these sorts of programs are beneficial not only to Indonesia, but to Australia as well, noting:
Understanding sustainable practices within the region is important to provide access to better-value goods for Australian consumers and better opportunities for Australian businesses. Sustainable practices in business are now more important than ever as were seeing many corporations contribute to environmental and social problems such as pollution, climate change, and unfair business practices.
Understanding sustainable practices within the region is important to provide access to better-value goods for Australian consumers and better opportunities for Australian businesses. Sustainable practices in business are now more important than ever as were seeing many corporations contribute to environmental and social problems such as pollution, climate change, and unfair business practices.
Examples of student work
