Student Grant Provides Peace of Mind

Plans to move away from family and friends in pursuit of further education in Australia met an unexpected change of direction for 25-year-old Ananday (Andy) Khandelwal from India.

After missing an admissions deadline in Perth for a Bachelor of Nursing, Andy discovered the Gold Coast, a city that has provided him with an exceptional education and lifestyle experience with many employment and career opportunities. 

For the first time in its history the City of Gold Coast has launched a program which aims to attract more university graduates to help shape the city’s future. There are 25 positions available across a wide variety of streams, including engineering; digital and data; business and management; environment; sustainability; and planning.

The City’s Graduate Academy is a 12-month structured early career development initiative providing professional development training and on-the-job experience opportunities for enthusiastic university graduates. 

With over 20 years’ experience in construction, Amanda Bulow is a pioneer in that industry and is now helping other women to follow in her footsteps through her not-for-profit organisation Awesome Women in Construction.

“I grew up on 80 acres of farmland near Ipswich where there were no ‘boy or girl jobs' – just jobs, and you had to do them. It was my first experience of equality, without knowing what that was at the time,” Amanda says.

“I was lucky to have many great female role models as leaders when I was growing up. I was taught that I could do whatever I wanted and be whoever I wanted to be, and if that door’s not open, we can kick it open.”

In 2021 the Pakistan Government launched the National Amateur Short Film Festival to find their best emerging film makers and offer them a scholarship to study abroad, enhancing their knowledge and skills to bring back new ideas and ignite Pakistan’s film industry.

The NASFF received more than 1100 entries from 72 universities across the country and while the students may have entered not knowing what to expect it was certainly an opportunity to be part of something special, possibly even transformational.

Study Gold Coast’s Careers Alliance Network connects professional career influencers with industry to leverage and optimise career pathways for students. The program widens the scope of employment options for students and graduates through the creation of professional networking and partnership development opportunities.

The most recent Careers Alliance event focused on the Gold Coast’s advanced manufacturing sector and was held at the Australian Industry Trade College, an industry established institution that helps young people to pursue their chosen careers through apprenticeships and traineeships.   

Representatives from three Gold Coast based advanced manufacturers were guest speakers at the event, all shedding light on their businesses and the career opportunities in their industries.