Crunching the data on more meaningful work
5-minute read
Discover how Data Analytics students are helping nbn to provide more meaningful work for employees, while gaining valuable real-world experience for themselves.
At nbn, we value ongoing professional development and continuous learning, and encourage each other to find solutions in productive, competitive and innovative ways.
And it’s an approach not only reserved for employees – it’s also extended to those who spend time learning within our organisation.
Like those participating in nbn’s Data Analytics student placement program.
About the program
In partnership with North Link, nbn’s Data Analytics student placement program welcomes university students into the business for a paid part-time, fixed-term internship.
The program was established with the help of the North and West Melbourne Data Analytics Hub, which works with students to help businesses use data to their best advantage.
Together, nbn and the Hub have created work-integrated learning experiences within nbn data projects to get hands-on in solving real-world business challenges while creating potential career pathways for talented and capable students.
Mark Fisher, Principal Data Scientist in nbn’s Chief Data Office, proudly hosts each group of interns.
Meet Mark, Principal Data Scientist
A veteran at nbn, Mark has been with the business for more than a decade.
“Over my time at nbn, data science has become a more common profession,” says Mark.
“We're always looking for ways to keep growing that strength in data science.”
Welcoming the students
In 2022, three Data Analytics students from RMIT University participated in the inaugural program.
This year, another three talented students are currently helping nbn to progress an ongoing data project to reduce manual work by using breakthrough image recognition and object detection technology.
As part of commercial assurance activities, nbn receives tens of thousands of images from field delivery partners each week that need to be reviewed – when manually completed, this becomes time-consuming.
Using modern breakthrough image recognition and object detection opens up the possibility of training a machine learning model to read and assess the files quickly – without human assistance.
This will create more efficient processes and enhance career opportunities for employees.
“People who would otherwise be manually checking this type of data can then assess more complex data and complete more fulfilling work,” says Mark.
And for our second cohort of students from RMIT University – Vedika Patange, Fabian Caballero and Sean Richards, who are all in their final year of study – the project is providing them with valuable business experience.
Meet Vedika
“I was always fascinated with how data works," says Vedika Patange, an international student in her final semester of a Masters of Analytics.
“Over the years, gradually I understood the use of data, data prediction and the importance of it in all the fields.”
Meet Fabian
Hailing from Colombia and living in Melbourne since 2019, Fabian Caballero is in his final year of a Masters of Analytics at RMIT.
Always interested in how data can provide solutions and answers to certain questions, an important reason Fabian applied for nbn’s internship is that it’s a paid opportunity.
“A reward for the effort and work. Even though it is a small role, it's still nice to get some benefits from this experience.”
Meet Sean
“I like machine learning and subjects in that area are probably some of the most interesting subjects I've done,” says Sean Richards, who is studying a bachelor’s degree in Analytics, along with the Honours program.
After enjoying Physics in high school, Sean began an Engineering degree before realising he had a passion for maths. This saw him choose a pathway into analytics, which further developed into the machine learning data science field.
What's next?
With Vedika, Fabian and Sean soon to wrap up their placements at nbn, Mark reflects on the mutual benefits of the program.
“It’s been very good – the students coming in and applying their fresh thinking and industrialism to the problem, getting that opportunity to develop their skills.
“And as well as benefiting from their contributions to our project, we also get to find out more about the talent ‘out there’.
“Together, we can enable better and better things for everyone.”
