“Participating in this program has been a great experience, allowing me to grow significantly as a leader and inspiring me to challenge conventional thinking. I’m so proud of our former neurodiverse interns through the ACS Foundation AASQA Neurodiverse Talent Internship Program. They have now successfully completed our Graduate Program and moved into permanent roles. Their creativity in tackling challenges, ambition, and loyalty to their teammates truly stand out.
I really admire that they aren’t afraid to reach out to senior managers when they have something on their minds—they ask questions both respectfully and confidently. What's more, I feel just as supported by them as I hope they feel supported by me. Some of our best moments come from the deep conversations we share on a wide range of topics. It’s these connections and our mutual support that make this program so special for me.”
Tracey Joynson, AASQA Program Intern
The ACS Foundation is an excellent organization that provides final-year students with opportunities to undertake internships across various companies, enabling practical experience and professional growth. They offered valuable guidance during the interview preparation process and assigned a dedicated support person to assist with the transition into working within a large organization.
During my internship with the Australian Computer Society Foundation (ACS), I had the opportunity to work at the mining company in the Simulation Delivery team. My primary responsibilities included working on a dynamic mine-rail-port model, preparing model inputs, and running various scenarios.
Throughout the internship, I enhanced my skills by completing data analytics courses on LinkedIn and applying that knowledge to project work, which required strong analytical capabilities. Additionally, I developed proficiency in Python programming and created automation tools to improve team efficiency. One of my key contributions was building a Python-based software solution that automated manual data conversion processes. This significantly reduced processing time and improved accuracy, delivering measurable benefits to the team.
I also gained valuable industry exposure by visiting a mining site and observing operational processes firsthand. During this experience, I learned a great deal about the mining industry. The team I worked with was incredibly helpful and supportive, and I am grateful to ACS for providing me with the opportunity to work in such a dynamic industry.
My advice to future interns at ACS to take full advantage of the support ACS provides during the application process and the connections they facilitate. It’s a fantastic program that opens doors to valuable industry experience and professional growth
Dhiren Patel, AASQA Intern
