About the Internship Program
Our award-winning Internship Program, exclusively available to Australian Disability Network members, is a strategic, accessible way to champion disability inclusion within your organisation.
The program pairs your employees with university students and recent graduates with disability in paid internships, offering a unique opportunity to meet both your operational needs and your inclusion goals. It promotes education, awareness, and disability confidence across your team, contributing to a more supportive and inclusive workplace.
100% of participating organisations reported increased disability confidence and awareness. 95% said they would participate again. 100% said their intern’s work met or exceeded expectations.
If you’re interested in hosting an intern, please contact our Internship Program Lead, Rudy Haruta, at Rudy.Haruta@AusDN.org.au or call +61 2 8270 9230.
Key Benefits for Your Organisation
Drive Cultural Change
The Internship Program raises awareness, breaks down barriers, and builds disability confidence across your organisation.
Advance Diversity and Inclusion Goals
This program provides an effective way to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) objectives by offering employees a hands-on opportunity to engage with and influence disability inclusion in their organisation.
Build Leadership Capability
Employees who serve as supervisors and managers gain leadership, coaching, and management skills, as well as practical experience in inclusive people management that benefits your whole team.
Real time learning and development
Supervisors and managers are provided training workshops, resources and one to one support from our experienced team throughout the internship period.
Cost-Effective Operational Support
Hosting an intern is an affordable way to resource projects and key deliverables, while contributing to your broader inclusion strategy at the same time.
Access a Diverse Talent Pipeline
The program introduces you to a largely untapped pool of skilled individuals with disability, with real potential for future recruitment and a stronger, more diverse talent pipeline.
What’s Involved
The programs team at Australian Disability Network provides structured support and end-to-end management that make it simple to engage with the program and realise immediate and lasting organisational benefits.
We handle all aspects of the program – from recruiting interns to matching roles, conducting pre-briefings, providing ongoing support, and evaluating outcomes – making participation streamlined and hassle-free.
Here’s how responsibilities are shared:
| What the host organisation does | What Australian Disability Network does |
| Register for the program and sign the Program Agreement. | Offers information sessions and consults on how to register for the program. |
| Identify roles and provide a position description for each internship position. Each role is a minimum of 152 hours of paid work over at least four weeks. | Assists in creating inclusive, accessible position descriptions. |
| Conduct a formal interview and selection process from the shortlist we provide. | Lists and promotes the roles to potential candidates. |
| Assign a supervisor to manage the intern day-to-day, and a workplace buddy to provide peer support. | Screens and shortlists suitable candidates for your roles. |
| Assist the intern in completing your onboarding process. | Trains supervisors on how to support interns with disability effectively. |
| Provide feedback and evaluation upon request after the program concludes. | Provides ongoing support to both the host organisation and the intern throughout the placement. |
| Celebrates the success of the program and facilitates feedback from your team. |
Key Dates
We run the Internship Program twice a year — winter and summer — to align with university holiday periods.
Winter
| Milestone | Timing |
| Register for the program | Late Feb – Late March |
| Position details confirmed | 27th March |
| Shortlist of candidates provided | Mid to late May |
| Internships start | July to September |
Summer
| Milestone | Timing |
| Register for the program | Late July – Late August |
| Position details confirmed | 28th August |
| Shortlist of candidates provided | End of October/Early November |
| Internships start | December / January / February / March |
To register your interest in the upcoming cohort, contact Internship Program Lead Rudy Haruta at Rudy.Haruta@AusDN.org.au or +61 2 8270 9230.
Apply to Host an Intern
Ready to get started? Follow these steps to complete your Position Nomination:
- Register for the program and sign the Program Agreement. Contact Internship Program Lead Rudy Haruta at Rudy.Haruta@AusDN.org.au or +61 2 8270 9230 to get started. This step is essential to proceed.
- Complete the Position Description template. A sample Position Description is available to help guide you.
- Save your Position Description using the file name format: Position Description – [Organisation Name] [Role Title]. Please ensure the file name is not shortened or altered.
- Log in to the AusDN portal to complete your Position Nomination. If you don’t have a login or are experiencing any issues, email helpdesk@AusDN.org.au.
- Complete and submit the online Position Nomination form.
Download the Position Nomination Guide for tips on submitting your position description and identifying your host team.
For support through any of these steps, please contact Rudy Haruta, at Rudy.Haruta@AusDN.org.au or call +61 2 8270 9230.
Cost
- Program fee: $5,016 per placement ($4,560 + GST), invoiced by Australian Disability Network.
- Intern wage: A fair wage plus superannuation, commensurate with the role, paid directly by your organisation.
Please note: The member hour cost is 14–16 hours depending on your membership level. Contact your Relationship Manager or Rudy Haruta at Rudy.Haruta@ausdn.org.au for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Who is this program to?
Organisations who are members of Australian Disability Network are able to participate in this program.
Question 2: What does it cost?
We charge $5,160 ($4,560 + GST) for each intern you engage. You’re also responsible for paying the intern’s pro-rata salary for the internship period (including superannuation).
Question 3: What is the minimum duration for an internship?
The minimum duration for an internship is 152 hours or four weeks. The program is designed to be flexible and align with university holidays in winter (July) and summer (December, January, February). While the winter break is ideal for the minimum duration, longer placements are best suited to the summer break, allowing for a more extended and uninterrupted internship experience.
Question 4: What support do supervisors get throughout the program?
We provide ongoing support and guidance to supervisors throughout the program. You’ll receive a copy of our practical Internship Program Supervisor’s Guide, packed with helpful information. Additionally, we offer mandatory Disability Confidence Training to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to foster an inclusive and supportive workplace.
Question 5: How do you find the interns?
We attract eligible students and recent graduates (up to 36 months after they have completed their degree) through the Careers and Disability units at Australian universities. Candidates attend a compulsory briefing session as part of our screening process, and we confirm eligibility in accordance with your requirements before shortlisting.
Question 6: How do you prepare the interns?
We provide a comprehensive briefing to all candidates who apply. During this session, we assess each candidate’s readiness for an internship and their suitability for available positions. Applicants who do not attend the briefing or fail to meet your organisation’s eligibility requirements will not be shortlisted.
Additionally, we conduct individual interviews with each applicant to ensure they are a good fit for the roles they have applied for. This thorough process helps us match candidates with positions where they can thrive and contribute effectively.
Question 7: Does Australian Disability Network check applicants’ references?
No, checking references is the responsibility of the host organisation.
Question 8: Does Australian Disability Network provide training for the interns?
No, all training, including induction training and specific workplace training, is the responsibility of the host organisation. We provide them with a comprehensive Intern Handbook to support them throughout their internship.
Question 9: What if I change my mind?
If you decide you no longer want to participate in the Internship Program after we have started the student attraction campaign, we may charge a portion of the Internship fee as per our Program Agreement.