UWA student Cheng Liu has supported the Council on the Ageing (COTA) WA to undertake a significant digital project that will allow the organisation to better support WA seniors.
Cheng, who is in the final year of her Master of Business Analytics, undertook the project through a 100-hour internship at UWA’s McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
“I decided to apply for an internship with the McCusker Centre because I wanted to engage myself in a real workplace and apply the knowledge I’ve learned from my degree to benefit the community,” said Cheng.
COTA (WA) is a Victoria Park based not-for-profit organisation that advocates on behalf of older Western Australians to help move towards an equitable, just and inclusive society where older people can thrive.
“I took part in the project to help COTA (WA) facilitate the transition from an Australia-wide membership system to a state-based system,” explained Cheng.
The project was a substantial undertaking, requiring Cheng to understand the nuanced business requirements of the COTA (WA) team and liaise with organisations who could provide a digital tool to meet their needs – as well as align with COTA (WA)’s community-minded ethos.
The COTA (WA) team were extremely impressed with Cheng’s skills, professionalism and commitment to the internship role.
“Cheng showed outstanding understanding of the team, their digital competency, current IT systems and the environment in which they work,” said Dana Moore, internship supervisor and COTA (WA) Executive Officer.
Additionally, they commended Cheng’s ability to look beyond the business task to see the great societal impact of COTA (WA)’s work.
“Cheng has embraced a new and expanding perspective on older Western Australians and indeed older people in general – how they contribute to society and how we might collaborate intergenerationally to achieve shared outcomes,” said Dana.
Cheng says that finding a successful business match for COTA (WA) was a highlight of the internship, in addition to learning about the importance of socially minded organisations.
“I gained a better understanding of professional workplaces and the social impact that many organisations are working on to make the world a better place,” said Cheng.
“I recommend the McCusker Centre internship to other students because it is an excellent opportunity for students to gain practical professional skills that are applicable for their future careers and make a positive impact on our community,” she says.