Two UWA Master of Data Science students have been interning with the Council on the Ageing WA (COTA) this semester through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, supporting the organisation’s efforts to tackle homelessness among older women in WA.
Santhosh Kanmani and Sneha Jayachandran are both using their data analysis skills to build a better understanding of the factors contributing to this issue and create a report to raise awareness and influence policy. They are also working on an academic journal article based on their findings.
“I applied for an internship wanting to explore how data and research can be used for social impact, not just business outcomes. I’ve always been interested in using data to understand real-world problems, and the internship has helped me build the technical and analytical skills to do that in a meaningful way,” said Sneha.
“We have focussed on identifying economic and systemic barriers that lead to housing insecurity. A big part of this is using data and evidence to highlight the importance of early intervention - getting support to women before tragedy strikes and they lose their homes,” she said.
Santhosh said that it had been inspiring to be a part of the welcoming and passionate team at COTA.
“It’s genuinely inspiring to be part of this environment, and it’s exciting to know that the work Sneha and I are helping COTA with could help shape better outcomes for vulnerable women across WA. We’ve been able to dive deep into the pathways that lead to homelessness and use data to explore interventions that could actually make a difference,” he said.
Chris Jeffery, Chief Policy Officer at COTA WA, said that although Santhosh and Sneha had not known each other prior to the internship, they quickly formed a close working relationship.
“Sneha and Santhosh developed the project in a way that allowed them to work independently on different aspects of the initiative, bringing these aspects together for a final product. This feature of their collaboration has been very impressive,” Mr Jeffery said.
“The project had two main foci: firstly, an analysis of the available literature on the issue of increasing housing insecurity among older people (sadly, the fastest growing cohort in the homelessness sector), and, secondly and importantly, development of a number of practical interventions to propose to government and non-government agencies to mitigate the probability of housing insecurity occurring. The potential societal impact of this work cannot be over-emphasised,” Mr Jeffery said.
Santhosh and Sneha both recommended making an internship part of postgraduate studies.
“It’s a chance to apply what you’ve learned in a real setting and understand how your skills can make a difference. You also get to learn about issues you might not come across in your degree. It’s not just about completing hours - it’s about connecting with the community, building confidence, and seeing how change can start with small, practical actions,” Sneha said.