Pictured: Jessica Mason, Bachelor of Arts student, La Trobe University, planting at Mount Emily in Victoria.
Jessica Mason was in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts, studying Sustainability and Development, when a placement opportunity too good to miss came up with Greenfleet, a not-for-profit organisation that restores legally protected native forests to capture carbon emissions.
“I wanted to work towards a career in climate change adaptation and mitigation, so working with an organisation like Greenfleet presented the perfect opportunity.”
Ms Mason joined Greenfleet’s Marketing and Engagement team for one semester. She contributed to research and content creation, learning more about the organisation’s work delivering climate action by restoring native forests. She says she was attracted to Greenfleet because of the chance to work in different branches of the organisation and the flexible working arrangements that fit in with study demands.
“The position included a variety of tasks and the opportunity to work with various staff members, which provided ample experience, challenges, and a chance to improve my skillset,” she says.
Ms Mason’s placement was so successful that Greenfleet offered her a permanent role with the Revegetation team, and on top of Ms Mason’s day-to-day role there she will also support the next round of students.
Building on a long-standing partnership
Greenfleet has offered industry placements for La Trobe students with an interest in sustainability from a range of disciplines since 2023. The program builds on a 25-year partnership, with the university taking significant climate action by supporting Greenfleet’s native reforestation projects.
“Graduates have a lot to offer organisations, and having industry placements means they go into their roles with real-world experience,” says Rebecca Peake, General Manager, Marketing and Engagement at Greenfleet.
The team at Greenfleet considered Mason's experience and their needs at the time and decided the Marketing and Engagement Team was the best fit. “It meant we got to give her a few different projects across different elements of the team,” Peake says.
Ms Mason helped the busy team by working on tasks that had been put on the backburner, Ms Peake says. “Jess worked beautifully autonomously and used her research skills – it was really helpful to have extra hands to help with projects we might not otherwise get to,” she says.
Two-way relationship
Greenfleet staff also gained valuable experience during Ms Mason’s student placement, Ms Peake says. “For some of the team, this meant getting to practice some project and people management skills,” she says.
“Placements can help develop the skillsets of the permanent team and give them experience that they might not otherwise have in their day-to-day roles.”
Welcoming a student into a team also brings an outsider’s valuable perspective, along with age, gender, and cultural diversity to the workplace, Ms Peake says. “It's lovely to have fresh eyes come into an organisation,” she says.
Finding the right fit
Key to a successful placement is a ‘sense check’ of whether the student will be a good fit within the team and whether the organisation can facilitate what they’re looking for, Ms Peake says.
“Even though students sit within one team, we try to give them an overview of what it's like to work at Greenfleet, how Greenfleet works as an organisation, and get them out to a tree-planting site to give them hands-on experience,” she says.
Ms Mason says a placement is a good starting point for students considering their career goals. “It's not as overwhelming as starting a job full-time, and it can help people get used to the requirements of a professional space.”
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 the process, from creating a placement description to promoting it to students and finalising the agreement. Contact La Trobe Talent at latrobetalent@latrobe.edu.au or submit an EOI Form.
For general industry engagement inquiries, please reach out to industry.engagement@latrobe.edu.au
