First Nations at the Sydney Opera House

The best way for students to experience what we do is through our Work Experience Program. Through our partnership with the NSW Department of Education we run a program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are studying in years 9-12. The program is a week long and is offered several times throughout the year. During the week, students are introduced to different staff and departments across the organisation. The program is practical and participants spend time working in up to four different departments to gain first-hand work experience.

After completing our Work Experience Program, students can apply for a paid internship. These internships are currently offered in our Ticketing Sales department and we are always looking to expand the types of intern roles. The internship is based on a 90 hour contract as a Ticketing Sales Representative. The hours of work are designed to fit around the student’s study, and students develop skills in sales and customer service, operating ticketing software and basic computing. We have a growing alumni of interns, many of whom have gained ongoing employment at the Opera House and are now involved in facilitating Work Experience Program activities with students.

Each year the Opera House supplements these two programs with events for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Our Careers Day program is one such event where participants get to meet a range of Opera House employees to hear about what they do and stories of their career pathways.