The Western Australian Food Industry Education Collaboration (WAFEC) program, delivered by national science agency, CSIRO, on behalf of the Western Australian government's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), is working to connect talented STEM students with food and beverage businesses across the state.
The state government has been steadily developing its agrifood and beverage sector, with initiatives including the Agrifood and Beverage Voucher Program, which increased funding to $700,000 for its latest round, and working with CSIRO on a Western Australian round of its Innovate to Grow: Agrifood program.
The state is continuing to support local businesses alongside Western Australia’s future agrifood leaders. First announced in October last year, the WAFEC collaboration between CSIRO and DPIRD offers paid internships for tertiary students, and support for host businesses in food manufacturing, production, processing and technology.
WAFEC connects businesses with Western Australia’s top STEM students to undertake business-led projects, bringing fresh perspectives and contributing to growth.
Program facilitators will help with project scoping, completing recruitment, and ongoing support, offering a $2500 payment per student on project completion. Regional businesses can access an additional $2500 per student for travel support when hosting remote interns.
Businesses can head to csiro.au to register for the WAFEC information session, being held on 21 August, to learn more about the program and apply for a student intern.
