UWA postgraduate student Curtis White has contributed 100 hours towards important research being done at Ombudsman WA.
Curtis, who is studying towards a Master of Public Policy, undertook the internship through UWA’s McCusker Centre for Citizenship with the hope of gaining “real world and practical experience that could make an impact”.
The Ombudsman acts impartially for the people of WA to ensure public authorities in WA such as government agencies, local governments and universities are making lawful, fair and accountable decisions.
“A highlight of the internship was meeting and working with Ombudsman staff and learning all about the great work they do,” he said.
“I got the opportunity to work in the Ombudsman’s office, meet and talk to many different employees working at the Ombudsman, and gain valuable experience about the inner workings of the WA public sector,” said Curtis.
Curtis said the internship “opened his eyes” to the vast amount of work that goes into professional workplaces such as the Ombudsman, who cover a wide range of issues including resolving complaints about state agencies, reviewing family and domestic violence fatalities, improving public processes through investigation and education, and more.
“The Ombudsman does truly important work that ensures the public sector is always held accountable,” said Curtis.
“[The internship] will definitely help me to ensure I do work that will make an impact in the community,” said Curtis, who plans to keep volunteering following his internship.
The Ombudsman team were impressed with Curtis’ contributions.
“We were absolutely delighted to work with Curtis and commend him for his exceptional work ethic and professionalism” said Jane Burn, internship supervisor and Principal Research and Project Officer at Ombudsman WA.
Curtis recommends the McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship program to other UWA students.
“It shows you what the real working world is like while ensuring that you are thinking about the impact you can have,” he said.