With a strong interest in making urban environments more resilient to climate change, aspiring town planner and University of the Sunshine Coast student Cameron Milne is gaining hands-on experience as a student planner with Gympie Regional Council.

Cameron is among several students and graduates who have turned internships into positions at Gympie Regional Council — success stories that showcase the valuable career opportunities created through strong partnerships between the University and local government.

They include Civil Engineering student Hayden Kernick who believes he has the best of both worlds –applying his studies to tasks in the field while gaining practical, on-the-job learning as a Council cadet engineer.

Meanwhile, new UniSC graduate Josie Bennett is putting her graphic design skills to work at Gympie Regional Council, helping to raise awareness of community issues and promoting regional tourism and events.

Whether through an internship, practicum, placement, clinical placement, project, wider field experience, professional experience, professional practice or work experience, most UniSC degrees have opportunities for Work Integrated Learning (WIL), with a focus on career-oriented education. 

Gympie Regional Council says its partnership with UniSC provides students with beneficial opportunities to gain real-life work experience, while enabling Council to benefit from their enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and current knowledge.

UniSC Town Planning and Urban Design student Cameron, who joined the Council as a student planner following a 12 week paid Council Summer Break Internship at the end of his second year, says the experience has been essential for developing industry-relevant skills.

“Working in a role that aligns with my studies has been invaluable for gaining practical knowledge and experience,” said Cameron, who received the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Queensland Student Academic Prize for being the top-performing UniSC student for two consecutive years.

“It’s also deepened my understanding of planning as a profession and how teams operate in a real-world setting.”

He is currently balancing his council role with completing his honours thesis, using complex climate modelling software to evaluate street tree policies in South East Queensland to determine how they can best respond to climate change and enhance thermal comfort.

For Josie, who recently graduated from UniSC with a Bachelor of Design majoring in visual communications, a graduate internship has provided opportunities to contribute to a wide range of creative projects and campaigns as part of Council’s Communications and Media team.

“It’s fantastic to see how communications and media function in local government and to support the community while getting to know the region better,” she said.

“My degree taught me the principles of design and encouraged critical thinking about its impact. The internship gave me an excellent platform to apply that knowledge—there is no shortage of opportunities to create for Council.”

“A standout project for me was designing the back page of a rates notice, which featured the region’s free tree program. It helped increase community interest in the program, and it’s rewarding to see how design can effectively communicate a message.”

Hayden, 20, who completed his secondary schooling at Cooloola Christian College, recommends an internship to other students who want insights into the industry they hope to work in and real-world skills to apply in their future career. 

“I love the balance between going out in the field and being in the office, including creating 3D models of roads and infrastructure – you can visualise what you are creating and then develop it to the contract stage,” he said. 

“As well as technical experience in civil design and network engineering, I’ve learnt the importance of teamwork, adaptability and communication.”