Social science

This video shows text on screen alongside small cartoons of elderly people.

Duration: 0:35

Audio: Upbeat melodic music plays.

Text on screen reads:

The number of Australians aged 65+ is projected to more than double by 2055. To respond to this record growth, we need to build a skilled and experienced aged care workforce.

1,689,000 jobs are now in the health and social services sector, with a predicted growth of a further 15% by 2024 (1,941,500). That’s one in seven new jobs.

Looking for a career in caring?

RMIT University offers Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees in Community Services to equip you to seize the future.

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Title text:

To find out more, visit

www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/social-science

Visual: RMIT University logo

This video depicts scenes and shots of Rebecca Paterson walking through the streets of inner Melbourne, working in a small office, strolling through RMIT’s Melbourne campus with a friend, leading a group discussion while on placement, consulting with clients, and speaking to camera. Ambient electronic music plays throughout.

Duration: 1 minute 34 seconds

Rebecca Paterson [Master of Social Work]: Justice to me means people who are unable to speak for themselves are allowed or given a voice, and that things get changed.

I feel like as social workers, one of the better things that we can do is to remind people that we’re actually all the same, and that everyone has “stuff”, but there’s a quality in humanity that needs to be voiced.

RMIT was much more preferable for me in terms of what kind of placements were available. What I really liked was that teachers had experience in the field that wasn’t too long ago and so they still understood what it meant to be a social worker as well as an academic.

Placements are seen as a critical part of the program. I worked with women and we were dealing with their trauma that they’d experienced from their past refugee experiences.

From doing the course I’ve been able to get great skills at being able to interact well with a variety of different clients.

I wasn’t particularly skilled at advocating (speaking on the behalf of other people) prior to coming into social work. But now I feel much more confident, I’ve had heaps more experience in being able to do that, and that’s something that’s been really valuable.

I’ve actually gained employment from my previous placement opportunity. We do counselling and advocacy for people seeking asylum and refugees.

I feel really excited about being able to see change in peoples’ lives, and journey with them together, that’s what I’m excited about.

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RMIT University

Find out how RMIT’s international internships and strong professional networks prepare you for a career in international studies.

Upbeat music plays throughout

Duration: 2:35 mins

[Opening title]
RMIT Presents

Pieter Bossink (RMIT International Studies graduate): I guess International Studies to me, means a course of study where one better understands how global events are triggered and how they impact the community.

Alice Slevison (RMIT International Studies Graduate): You become a global citizen with a strong understanding of different cultures and languages so that you can work anywhere in the world. It's all about carving out your own niche during your time at RMIT, and pursuing your interests.

Pieter: What attracted me most to the degree was the international internship component. It gave me the opportunity to get international experience in a field that I was deeply passionate about.

Alice: I had the opportunity to study a semester abroad at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and complete an internship at the Australian Chamber of Commerce. I learnt about Chinese foreign policy and politics with students from across the globe, immersed myself in the culture, and learnt Mandarin which opened so many doors for me later on. The internship fast-tracked my career and provided me with professional networks that I still have to this day.

Pieter: Since graduating I've lived and worked in Nepal, Thailand, and Bangladesh, and I'm now in Cambodia working as an Operations Manager for Cardno International Development. I run a program that's designed to increase productivity and incomes for farmers and spread knowledge about new agricultural techniques.

Alice: I'm working as a policy officer in the China and non-tariff measures team at the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, in Canberra. I negotiate market access for Australian agricultural goods to enter the Chinese market and assist the Minister by compiling ministerial briefs and providing advice on the Chinese market. I didn't succeed by just applying for jobs and getting them, they were always a result of having a strong professional network.

Pieter: I still remember one of our lecturers saying, “we're giving you the skills to do jobs that don't even exist yet”, and he was right. I've got mates from uni who are now senior Australian diplomats working in embassies throughout Asia and Europe, others work on Indigenous issues in Australia, there's a human rights lawyer and one guy owns a couple of bars in Phnom Penh.

Alice: Often in this industry you're looking so far into the future that you may not see the impact you're making each day, but I've realised change doesn't always happen on a global scale. It's happening right in front of you.

[Closing Credits] Shape the world with an international studies degree
Find out more: www.rmit.edu.au
[Visual] Australian Government, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources logo
Cardno logo
RMIT logo

[Screen title] CRICOS provider number: 00122A, RTO Code: 3046