Since its inaugural year in 2017, students undertaking the Diploma of Sport (Sport Development)/Diploma of Leadership and Management (SIS50319/BSB51918) have been provided with exceptional placement opportunities within all areas of the sporting industry.
The course, that is made possible through Richmond Football Club’s partnership with Swinburne University of Technology has provided several past and current students with work at the Australian Open across a number of years.
A graduate from 2017, Eliza Howard has since gained full-time employment as the Business Development Coordinator at Tennis Australia.
“I am responsible for managing corporate accounts for Australian Open’s premium experiences,” Eliza said.
Eliza highlights that a lot of her skills were developed while undertaking placements during her studies.
“Richmond Institute got me my first entry-level job in the sporting industry, and this has been used as a springboard for future roles,” she said.
Despite COVID-19 continuing to have an impact on sporting events, Eliza says, “we have still been working towards this event for the whole year, and it is so special to see it come to life finally.”
Marcus Kikidopoulos who graduated in 2018 has been employed as Premium Guest Host and is responsible for the on court level seats at Rod Laver Arena.
“My responsibilities include ensuring guests are provided with the upmost hospitality, liaising with a wide array of people and creating a comfortable and memorable experience” he says.
As a student who took on many placement opportunities throughout his graduate year, he has been able to transfer these skills into his current role.
“A major skill I developed is the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people in varying settings, as well as with other team members in a clear and concise way” says Marcus.
With the 5-day lockdown being lifted, he is excited for crowds to return, “Having major sports and large events back in Melbourne has provided all the workforce involved with a noticeable buzz and enthusiasm arguably more than ever”.
2019 graduate Billie Lewis has been employed by Richmond Institute Sports Industry Network partner Spark Event Group.
“My role at the Australian Open is Patron Services, and I was zoned to Rod Laver Arena,” she said.
Billie added that the fan engagement placement she undertook at Richmond during her studies has assisted her with her role this year.
“The skills I learned in fan engagement have helped me learn how to best approach different situations that I face with patrons,” she said.
Michaela Langsdale, the Education Manager (Pathways & Events) at Richmond Institute, says, “It is absolutely fantastic to see such a range of students past and present working at the Australian Open.”
“With live sport events few and far between at the minute, I am very impressed to see how proactive the graduates have been in jumping headfirst into these opportunities.”
Richmond Institute works closely with key industry partners to provide students with real employment and placement opportunities.
“Hands-on experience is absolutely critical to go alongside the formal qualification the students receive, and these practical experiences will ensure they stand out from the crowd and have a strong chance of making that break into the industry,” says Michaela.
Some other past students involved in the event are Rachel Murphy, Shae Collard and Bailey Rankin (2019 graduates), Mathew Asciak, Jack Serpell-Wilcock, and Harry Mezger (2020 graduates), and Carla Di Berardino & Jake Dzienciol (current students in 2021).
Their roles have included ushering patrons to their seats, working on the turnstiles, assisting with activations, and being relief staff.
Richmond Institute is an affordable staffing solution for any schools and sporting organisations sourcing motivated tertiary students and graduates for roles of all levels.
Click here to register your organisation’s interest and join the Richmond Institute Sports Industry Network.
