CSIRO's Virtual Work Experience Program

The opportunity

Work experience is a great way for high school students to start exploring what they might like to study or what kind of career they might like to pursue. The virtual program enables Year 10 and Year 11 students to benefit from work experience no matter where they live, removing travel, geographic and cost constraints. Students participate using a secure online communication and collaboration platform while at school, home or a supported community venue, such as a library.

Groups of up to 10 students connect with CSIRO staff or industry professionals, and work together on a real-world STEM challenge, over the course of a week. At the end of the week, the students will have produced a project that responds to an industry challenge, that they can add to their portfolio of work for applications to further study or jobs.

CSIRO staff or STEM professionals who participate as supervisors agree to prepare a task for the students to work on, and to guide and mentor them throughout the week as students build up to presenting a final project. The CSIRO Work Experience team assists supervisors to optimise projects for online collaboration with students. Supervisors may also arrange for colleagues to speak to the student group about their own roles. This helps the students understand the breadth of roles in STEM and to spark ideas about the area of STEM that interests them most.

How to apply

We are not currently accepting applications from students for the Virtual Work Experience Program - Defence Industry stream. Please submit an expression of interest to be notified of upcoming opportunities when they become available.

Program outcomes

An evaluation of the program undertaken by CSIRO in 2019 found that students gained valuable experience in STEM and in new ways of working, while developing crucial life skills, such as teamwork, communication, negotiation and resilience. The virtual aspect of the program mimics the way CSIRO staff work every day, providing students with realistic expectations and building valuable skills for successfully working remotely in the future. At the end of the program, students produce a project that they can use in a portfolio of work when applying for further study or jobs.

Supervisors and their colleagues report unexpected benefits for their own professional development and job satisfaction through participating in the program. For example, sharing their career story to an enthusiastic group of students reconnects them with their original reasons for pursuing a career in STEM. For scientists who have little opportunity for public speaking, the chance to present their work in a low-risk environment enables them to further develop their skills in that areas. Beyond that, supervising young students builds mentoring and coaching skills that helps them guide their own teams on a day-to-day basis.