La Trobe University Master of Business Analytics student Pallavi Martolia was named Northern Industry Student Placement Program (NISPP) Student of the Year at the 2020 Northern Business Achievement Awards.
NISPP, managed by NORTH Link, sources placements and projects across Melbourne for students from La Trobe University, RMIT University, Kangan Institute and Melbourne Polytechnic. In 2020, over 230 students participated.
Pallavi worked as a data analyst for IPC Health, a major healthcare provider in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Her work involved using PowerBi to create a centralised record and visualisation of various datapoints essential to the business.
As a healthcare provider, IPC Health are required by the government to use specific systems, with different systems responsible for different types of healthcare such as mental health, dental and physio. Having all the information in one place allows the business to better understand what is happening in their various lines of operation.
Dinna Tayao, IPC Health’s Manager of Business and Performance Information, was enthusiastic about the results the project.
“I don’t think the project would have been so successful without Pallavi’s participation and contribution,” she said. “Pallavi was quick to act, communicated clearly and her leadership led to a timely resolution and eventually on-time wrap of the project.”
Deputy Head of the Accounting and Data Analytics Department at La Trobe University, Kok-Leong Ong, had high expectations of Pallavi going into the project.
“She has been on the top 10% of the course in terms of academic performance and was proactive in engaging with professional development events that we organised,” Professor Kok-Leong Ong said. “She joins us with a number of years of industry experience in marketing strategy and analytics, so I know she not only has the skills but also the right soft skills to excel.”
Pallavi was eager for the challenge involved in working on a real-world project that would impact a business and was able to use her previous experiences to make the project a success.
“My previous work experience in analysis, coupled with very useful learnings from the Masters course, made me confident and ready to face data analysis project in the real world,” Pallavi said.
“The placement was a great learning experience for me. I’m very thankful to La Trobe and NORTH Link, who provide this opportunity for students. The whole experience made me career-ready and I feel confident to face realistic challenges.”
The Northern Business Achievement Awards are a partnership of industry, education, local and state government and decision makers across Melbourne’s north. They recognise local business achievements and excellence, growth and competitiveness.