Being a Youth Associate at parliament

The Youth Associate Program with the community engagement team gives young professionals a chance to work in their chosen field.

I am currently studying a Master of Journalism at Monash University, and this program has given me ample opportunity to refine my skills in interviewing, writing and researching.

Since starting the program, I have produced written content for Parliament’s website about legislation, community programs and events being held in Queen’s Hall.

Being able to have published content on a reputable website like Parliament of Victoria is invaluable for an aspiring journalist. This content will form part of my professional portfolio, which I can show future employers.

On top of producing written content, I have also made content for the Parliament’s various social media channels.

One of my major projects was a four-part social media video series about Melbourne’s federal years. The team at community engagement gave me creative license to experiment with a different style of video.

With social media becoming the primary avenue for young people accessing news, it was a great opportunity to produce a news style series with that target audience in mind. Inevitably as more and more news is produced in this way, having skills in researching, planning, producing, editing and filming will be advantageous.

Each day is different and often reflects a daily newsroom environment.

On a parliamentary sitting week, I find myself running between events, capturing content and turning something around the same day. I love the busyness, which makes me think I have chosen the right profession.

A lot of journalism internships are unpaid, so to be offered this opportunity and to be paid for the work I am producing is really rewarding. I found it has allowed me to be really present at work as I did not have to worry about the financial burden of completing unpaid work hours.

I could not speak more highly of the Youth Associate program. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain mentorship from staff in the community engagement team, develop journalistic skills for industry and have work published.

Find out more about how parliament connects with Victorians through our Community Connections page.