Four Charles Sturt University (CSU) television production graduates are living the dream, having successfully secured a highly sought after year-long internship with the Nine Network in Sydney.

 

Channel Nine has recently launched a new initiative called the Operational Internship Program where five operations trainees have been employed. Four of the five trainees are graduates from CSU’s Bachelor of Arts (Television Production).

 

The graduates will work in various departments, from news operations, vision switching, props, and post production work for a period of two months in each department.

 

CSU’s School of Communication and Creative Industries Associate Head of School, Mr Patrick Sproule, said it was a win for both CSU and Nine.

 

“This success for Charles Sturt University can partly be attributed to our internship summit and subsequent internship program, which Channel Nine are big supporters of,” he said.

 

“We now have internships with all free-to-air networks, both in Sydney and regional areas, and several of the key Pay TV operators.

 

“It is a great success story for the University and shows the impressive performance of our students while on internship.”

 

One of the CSU students chosen for the program is Wagga born and bred Mr Brad Rogers, 22, who completed his degree at CSU in Wagga Wagga. He described the opportunity to work as an intern as fantastic.

 

“Throughout the year we will be rotated around five departments and at the moment I'm in a role called transfers which involves the recording of shows to servers and DVD,” Mr Rogers said.

 

“Everyone I've met is helping me learn these skills and I am also accompanied and working alongside past students of the course. I am looking forward to what’s to come and am interested in possibly pursuing a career working in the live studio environment one day.”

 

Nine Network’s Operations Director, Mr Geoff Sparke, said the trainees would be required to act as a junior in each department they work in.

 

“It is not purely a training role but as an effective member of the department, albeit a junior position. Each intern will be in a fundamental position to take advantage of any vacancies that come up during the period. If a vacancy appears and the trainee is deemed suitable based on the two months that he or she has worked in the department, they will be offered the position,” he said.

 

“This whole program is to better prepare Channel Nine for filling vacancies as well as a much needed trial period for entrants to the industry to prove themselves as well as validate that they have made the right career choice. Each department tenure will give real world exposure to particular skills that may not have been considered.”