Australian Student
What an Australian student says about studying at UWS
Name
Leonore Kenyon
Year completed degree
2006
Degree completed
Bachelor of Social Science (2 majors: Sociology & Humanitarian & Peace Studies)
Current position title
Community Development Officer, New South Wales Department of Housing.
Years in that position
Almost 1 year
Description of current duties
This role mainly entails coordinating community events such as White Ribbon Day, Halloween, Carols Night and Harmony Day.
It also involves liaising with local and/or external service organisations and local residents via set working groups, such as Family & Children’s Services, Youth and/or Community Development. These meetings, which occur on a monthly basis, provide opportunities for members to discuss ideas and/or issues surrounding planning events, securing donations and/or researching potential services to engage local residents.
Previous positions
As I have always been a passionate supporter of human and animal welfare, in about 2004 I began working with people with disabilities, becoming a residential care worker at a number of houses. This role was very rewarding and I built up wonderful relationships with the clients – I stayed in this role for about 2 years before extending my experience in the disabilities sector by working in challenging behaviours and then casual respite care.
How the degree was useful
I had the opportunity to undertake an industry placement via the Cooperative programs at UWS which gave me experience working in a community orientated role, where you work together with residents and/or local organisations and not for them. Through uni I had learnt the theoretical concepts such as what community development means, issues of bureaucracy and social power. Within the placement, I had the opportunity to apply this knowledge within a real context, which increased my understanding of (for example), the difficulties that communities can experience - particularly if there are high levels of disability, elderly people, public housing or drug and alcohol abuse in the area, which was my placement exactly. As a result I entered my placement (and ongoing employment) with far more confidence than I would have had if I had not studied social science. It also increased my capacity to grasp the issues at hand and in particular, the terminology being utilised during the placement.
Advice for prospective students
I am really grateful that I have had the opportunity through Cooperative Programs to learn so much in a really hands on environment. It is a great feeling to complete university and earn a degree; however it can be challenging to find employment almost immediately. As such, I firmly believe that if I had not gone for the internship via Cooperative Programs, I would still be working in respite care and trying to find a full time job. It is even more difficult to receive opportunities to test the waters of an industry you may find of interest but have no access to and this is where internships such as these are so valuable.
UWS industry placements are also available to international students and provide you with more opportunities to gain industry experience in Australia while you study. International students may apply for five week Summer Vacation projects or four week Winter Vacation Projects through the Careers and Cooperative Education unit.
