A Canberra psychology student who recently completed a three-month internship at Nous Group with support from Indigenous organisation CareerTrackers will be welcomed back to Nous next year as a graduate consultant.

Taliah King, who is in her final year as a student at the Australian National University, gained experience working on projects in the Nous Canberra office for clients in the government sector.

Taliah said she did her internship at Nous because it offered a unique and challenging experience and allowed her to learn from extraordinary and diverse people.

“Interning at Nous, I have learnt new skills that build on the skills I personally brought to the table,” she said. “I had the opportunity to understand Nous’ role in shaping public policy, organisational performance and leadership development. In my internship I supported the creation of a new support team, which included working with stakeholders in the organisation and streamlining opinions on the purpose, function and roles of the team.”

She explained that her mother, who was adopted as a child and shared a lot of disadvantages with those from the Stolen Generations, recently completed her PhD. “My family has always been very firm believers in the importance of education and the opportunities it provides,” Taliah said.

Taliah is a proud Yuin woman on her mother’s side and a proud Waanyi Gangalidda woman on her father’s side. She was placed with Nous as part of our long-standing partnership with CareerTrackers, which coordinates internships for Indigenous young people.

CareerTrackers has helped many Indigenous young people expand their career horizons. A study in 2016 found that 53 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher education students had not completed their studies nine years after commencing, compared to only 26 per cent of all non-Indigenous domestic students.

“CareerTrackers and its internship opportunities give students the chance to experience what opportunities are open to them after university and encourage them to continue studying,” Taliah said. “Having a community of Indigenous students across the nation and access to corporate leaders helps students to identify common experiences and provides a broader perspective to motivate them to keep working through difficult periods at university.”

During her internship at Nous, Taliah was supported by a Performance Coach who helped her to realise her full potential in the role. At the end of her internship, Taliah was invited to join Nous as a graduate consultant after her undergraduate studies. Taliah will return to work at Nous in February 2022.

Cara Morgan, the Nous Recruitment Manager, said Taliah’s experience was a demonstration of the rich professional opportunities that a CareerTrackers internship at Nous could offer.

“We are thrilled that Taliah has agreed to join us next year. The CareerTrackers program offers great experience to the young people involved and provides a pathway to a career in management consulting.”

As part of our recent Statement of Commitment to Collaborate with and Learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Nous has refreshed our commitment to working with First Nations peoples.

“Our commitment will be demonstrated through … actively seeking to attract, recruit and employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across all roles,” the Commitment says. “Nous will strive to create and sustain a work environment in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff feel empowered to be their best selves and add unique value through their individual capabilities and lived experiences.”

Nous seeks to host CareerTrackers interns across each of our Australian offices. We have previously been named a Most Valued Partner by CareerTrackers for our involvement in the program.

All internships at Nous, including those through CareerTrackers, are paid positions.