Student Vacation Program

Food Technology  |  Process Performance Engineering

Dairy Innovation Australia’s Student Vacation Program places talented undergraduate students into site-based projects sponsored by Dairy Innovation Australia’s member companies. This allows students to gain valuable work experience in their professional field while completing a project valuable to their sponsoring company. The program was initiated in 1999, and since then 67 students have participated.

The program was very successful in 2007-2008 and, thanks to continuing industry support, was extended to include R&D projects aligned with Dairy Innovation Australia’s areas of expertise. Last year, six undergraduate students – five process engineers and a food technologist – were employed by Dairy Innovation Australia to complete projects for Bega Co-operative Society, Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co., National Foods Limited and Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory. Process Engineering topics included energy useage, environmental compliance, process availability and efficiency, and product loss minimisation. The food technologist student was supported by Cultures Division staff.

Dairy Innovation Australia is again seeking to employ a group of talented and motivated process engineering and food technology students to complete the student vacation program over the coming 2008-2009 summer break, with the program commencing in early December through till late February. In the first week of the program, students will complete 3 days of formal training in topics ranging from dairy chemistry and microbiology to dairy processing and project planning. After this time the students will be based at their sponsor factory – most likely in country Victoria, for the remainder of the project.  At the completion of the student program, students are required to submit a project report and give a formal presentation to staff from their sponsoring company and Dairy Innovation Australia.

Students are selected for the program based on their interest in working in the dairy industry, their ability to travel and live in rural communities and must possess initiative and drive required to deliver project outcomes.

Successful candidates will be selected by their written application, formal panel interview and practical skills assessment.

To Apply for the program: Please send: