From humble beginnings in 2005, Cooper and Westwood has grown rapidly to become one of the Gold Coast’s leading creative agencies with a substantial roster of local, national and international clients. According to General Manager Liam O’Doherty the agency’s success is built on a thriving team culture. “For us, culture is everything. We hire first on culture and aptitude, before technical talent”, O’Doherty enthuses. 

It’s that focus on putting people first, with a priority on hiring people with the right cultural fit that has seen the agency develop a substantial internship program to ensure the agency can continue to grow while investing in local talent. “Apart from investing back into our industry the program makes smart business sense. It’s a definite benefit for us having the chance to work with someone, see how they respond to challenges and then how they solve problems to provide a very clear picture of their capability”, says O’Doherty.

So, you’re fresh out of university and you land your first job. You have all the theory you need in your chosen profession, but not the experience. How do you gain an understanding about the way your new employer operates their business? What are their expectations of you in your new job? What’s the team culture like and will you be able to confidently apply yourself in the organisation?

From an employer’s perspective they face a similar dilemma. How can they quickly get their new employee up to speed on how the business runs? Will the graduate be familiar with their systems and processes? Does the new employee understand business etiquette and will they be able to successfully communicate their ideas within the team?

In short, you can have all the knowledge in the world, but there’s no substitute for experience. But how do you gain experience and the confidence to operate within a real world situation when you’ve just spent the last few years studying?

Business administration tends to be dominated by women, but that hasn’t stopped Jett Podesta from seizing his opportunity in the field. The Year 11 Merrimac State High School student is currently undertaking a traineeship with the Aurora Training Institute as part of his Certificate III in Business Administration.

Aurora’s General Manager of Operations for South East Queensland Kim Little illustrates the gender imbalance in business administration from experience. “Jett is just the second male trainee we’ve had in the 10 years we’ve been doing this. We have an office full of females, so the girls get excited when a male shows interest in working here. It’s nice to see young men like Jett apply for these positions.”

Australia’s largest luxury motor yacht builder Riviera, based on the Gold Coast, continues its commitment to fostering excellence by encouraging its apprentice graduates to participate in a new initiative aimed at enhancing their skills and career pathways.

Over a six-month term, graduates of the Riviera apprenticeship program team up with a mentor at Riviera’s Coomera production facility as part of Study Gold Coast’s Kickstart program.

"I didn’t think I could grow so much professionally in such a short period of time." Shreya Kulkarni is studying her Masters in Marketing at Griffith University. This is her remarkable account of her internship experience at HTG Solutions on the Gold Coast.

A tech company based in the heart of Surfers Paradise is winning international accolades for the way its changing agricultural practices across the globe. Social enterprise AgUnity has developed a platform that empowers poor farmers in developing countries by improving their agricultural practices so that they can become profitable.

By using blockchain in the backend of their platform AgUnity are able to guarantee security for farmers and in doing so tackle the issues of graft and corruption which plague farming in those countries.

The Venue Management Association moved to the Gold Coast from Brisbane five years ago and CEO Michael Brierley says they’ve never looked back. “A lot of the people we work with on the Gold Coast are very innovative and have a great sense of fun. It’s also such a beautiful place to work.”

Amy Kwan and China (pronounced Chee-na) Yamasaki are students from Griffith University and Southern Cross University respectively. Both are serving internships with Tyler International, a Gold Coast based study tour organisation. CEO Angela Tyler says her company is always happy to accept students who believe their internship experience will benefit their career aspirations.   

Larissa Rose, Director of Glowing Green Australia says: “We have a deeply ingrained philosophy that we have a role and a duty of care to build the leaders of the future. If we want to do the 101 of sustainability for our industry, then we need to ensure that we’re building the leaders of the future to sustain the sector.

For years Parkwood Village has been an important training ground for school-based trainees in hospitality. General Manager Cody Mathie says it’s more than just training young people for the organisation and the hospitality sector.   

Lemon Tree Marketing are a full service strategic agency that began in 2012 with Managing Director Natalie Carosi. The Burleigh Heads agency has grown rapidly since, now employing 10 staff. Timing is everything, nowhere more so than in business as Natalie explains:

GANDEN Engineers and Project Managers are one of Australia’s leading water and wastewater consultancies. The Gold Coast based company assists their clients in design, procurement, commissioning and operation of water and wastewater assets.

Aquaduck is a well established Gold Coast tourism business that’s been operating since 1996. This year the company changed ownership with the new owners placing an emphasis on improving the quality of the Aquaduck experience.

HTG is a Gold Coast based company employing over 180 staff boasting a diversified portfolio of businesses across multiple sectors. While still very much a Gold Coast based company, HTG has a growing footprint globally.

Natura Pacific is a sustainability‐focused social enterprise that seeks to reintegrate communities with nature and promote a sustainable business model that can be used globally for social and environmental good.

Anonyome Labs is a tech company that specialises in data security by allowing people to take control of their private information. Their motto is ‘it’s not our work life, it’s our life’s work’.

Last year Chris Boyd read an article about bullying in a local high school and he knew he needed to do something about it.

The Frizelle Group was first established in 1985 and is one of the largest motor dealers in Queensland with over 830 staff across eight locations. The group runs a substantial apprentice program with around 40 of those apprentices employed each year.

We live and work in a global economy and while that can literally open up a world of opportunities the prospect does present its challenges.

Southport Sharks have shown a commitment to supporting and enhancing the student experience on the Gold Coast over a number of years.

For Gold Coast businessman Vincent Fletcher, investing in recent university graduates is a win-win for everyone at software company CartonCloud. The same goes for CartonCloud’s diverse workplace, where staff from all cultures and backgrounds feel welcome and part of the team.

When Melinda Rogers and Michael Jacobson created Very Media they wanted it to be more than just another communications company on the Gold Coast. One of the priorities was to give back to the industry they love.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary places a strong emphasis on the culture of its workplace. Every team member that you encounter, whether staff member or volunteer, not only greets you with a smile but genuinely seems to enjoy what they do and the environment in which they work.

Liam Howe is the Director of the local engineering, design and project management company, which on average has engaged the services of at least one intern every year since the company was founded in 2009.