Making a difference in the Top End with the Industry Project

The Industry Project elective gives students the opportunity to solve industry problems through the rigours of research. 

As part of his Bachelor of Commerce degree, Nikolas enrolled in the Industry Project elective to broaden his business knowledge. 

The Industry Project is a third-year elective, specifically designed to build student capacity in delivering professional presentations, applying research to develop project outcomes, report writing and reflecting on the development of employability skills.

Through the Industry Project elective, Nikolas was able to develop practical skills and real through applying his business theory consulting advice to the Non-For-Profit organisation, the Miriam Rose Foundation. 

“The Industry Project was a practical way of learning and an opportunity to gain real-world experience whilst completing my degree” 

The Miriam Rose Foundation is founded by Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann AO, an Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu (Daly River), Northern Territory. The Non-For-Profit organisation exists to empower Indigenous youth in the NT, through the celebration of Miriam-Rose’s activism as an educator, renowned artist and spokesperson working towards reconciliation. The University of Adelaide had an established relationship with the organisation to host students who would assist in providing pro-bono consultancy advice.

“My role was to develop an analysis of the pricing models used by a cross-section of short-term accommodation providers to assist the Miriam Rose Foundation in establishing their own competitive pricing model for accommodation on planned cultural immersion programs.”

Nikolas saw this as an opportunity to refine his business skills and contribute to a project that would have an impact on the future success of the organisation which has flow-on effects for those livelihoods in remote Aboriginal communities in the Top End. He believes that it was important to experience learning beyond the classroom and gain early insights into the workplace environment. Travelling 250 km south-west of Darwin to the Daly River, Nikolas and a small group of his classmates stayed in the region for 3 days.

“My core assessment was the production of a business case for the foundation. This was informed by my 3-day trip to meet the organisation that we were supporting and subsequently, engage in wide-ranging industry research.”

Being able to undertake this unique learning experience in the Northern Territory enabled Nikolas to graduate from university with a career-ready mindset and his best foot forward.

When you graduate, there are droves of other graduates and so, experiences like these will help to differentiate you from the pack. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop experience outside of a formal learning environment and I believe that it greatly assisted me in building my resume in the lead up to applying for a graduate roleNikolas Baric, Bachelor of Commerce graduate

Upon completing his studies, Nikolas secured a graduate role with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, for whom he is currently employed by, and now works as a Manager of Customer Lifecycle based in Sydney, Australia. Managing team projects is now the norm for Nikolas, who regularly draws upon his project management skills throughout the working week. He fondly reflects on the guidance and support that helped him to excel with his studies, specifically, with the Industry Project that opened up doors for him. 

“The university provided me with a great opportunity to understand the context of the project and helped me to frame the objectives. This meant that the overall experience was well-planned and easy to navigate.”

Students enrolled at the University of Adelaide who are in their third (3) year of studies can undertake PROF 3510 - Industry Project as a 3 unit elective.