Work experience programs are currently closed for 2021

Please check this page regularly for changes to work experience opportunities or you can email us on schoolprograms@swinburne.edu.au.

At Swinburne, we welcome students in Year 9 and 10 to participate in work experience at the university. These one-week placements give students the opportunity to:

  • develop employability skills
  • explore possible career options
  • understand employer expectations
  • build self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence.

Work experience areas

Our work experience programs run in the following areas.

Students will learn:
  • to build electronic circuit prototypes
  • 3D printing
  • laser cutting
  • microcontroller programing
  • soldering
  • sorting and testing of teaching equipment
  • cataloguing and filing.
Students will learn about:
  • chemistry
  • DNA, PCR, electrophoresis
  • cell culture
  • organic chemistry and analytical instruments
  • materials characterisation
  • confocal and fluoro microscopy
  • microbiology streaking, gram stain, and ID of colonies.
Students will have a chance to:
  • search for pulsar signatures in radio observations
  • classify galaxy morphologies
  • identify strong gravitational lenses
  • search for peculiar motions in simulated galaxy mergers
  • produce visualisations of galaxies and galaxy groups
  • participate in real-time remote observations
  • attend scientific talks and group meetings
  • prepare teaching materials.

2021 program

Applications for the 2021 astrophysics program are now closed. To apply to participate in the 2022 program, please send your cover letter, resume and available dates to Emma Barnett: ejbarnett@swinburne.edu.au.

Ready to discover new things?

If you are in Year 9 or 10, join the Swinburne Science Experience to see where a career in science can take you.

Find out more