Diversity in cadetship program redefining early career pathways

Rashidulla Noor Hassan is currently completing a cadetship at Jemena during his university holidays, something he says he couldn’t have imagined when he first arrived in Australia, speaking no English, at age 13 as an asylum seeker originating from Myanmar.

As part of Jemena’s ongoing focus on diversity and inclusion, Jemena is partnering with CareerSeekers to attract people like Rashidulla from diverse backgrounds to take part in its annual cadetship program.

CareerSeekers is a non-profit organisation supporting humanitarian entrants into professional careers. Their program provides in-depth preparation and support to both refugees and people seeking asylum who are either currently studying at university, or looking to start their professional career in Australia.

This model aligns with Jemena’s cadetship program, which places university students completing their last or second last year of study as cadets (also known as interns or undergraduates) in areas across the business. The cadets come aboard for eight to 12 weeks of full-time work over the summer months and combine the theory of their university studies with the practicality of on-the-job learning.

Jemena Talent Development Partner Andre Gomez said that we need diverse, switched-on talent to help us work towards the energy transition.

“Rashidulla has already been a great asset to the team this summer. Importantly, our cadetship program and partnership with CareerSeekers connects cadets with mentors and gives them a reference for future roles - all of which is hard to achieve with limited networks when you move to a new country.

Rashidulla, who is studying a Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University, majoring in management and Human Resources (HR), is halfway through the cadetship program and said it’s been a great way to build experience as a young professional.

“I start off my day by joining the stand-up meeting with the HR services team. I have regular check-ins with my project team and if I ever need further work or support throughout the day, my managers and colleagues are always available to assist me. I really enjoy it when we have lots of projects or tasks to focus on because I like to be busy.

“Everyone has been supportive in my learning journey. After only a few weeks of my cadetship, I have learned a great deal from my peers across the HR function. In addition, I have improved in my collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills by working with different teams and projects.”

Rashidulla said he is very grateful for the opportunity provided by the Jemena and CareerSeekers partnership.

“I have always wanted to gain experience in work which contributes to my professional and career goals so that I have a fair chance of landing a job after graduation. CareerSeekers are very supportive, and completing the cadetship at a large and reputable organisation such as Jemena will put me in an advantageous position when applying for future roles.

“It excites me to come to work every day and have the opportunity to learn and enhance my skills,” he said.