Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) with newly formed partnerships for its recently launched internship program in order to grow the number of women in traditionally male-dominated roles.

As part of its commitment to supporting female recruitment and improving opportunities for greater diversity and inclusion, MCEC recently launched an internship program to encourage more women to take up operational and technical roles.

In line with this year’s IWD theme ‘Break the Bias,’ the Centre has partnered with technical education providers to broaden its candidate pools and further elevate its reputation as an inclusive employer.

Recently hired MCEC intern, Ebony Watts is a graduate of the RMIT Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services course and was offered the role in a six-month, full-time level 1 placement capacity.

“This is a big step for me – this is my first real job and I never thought I would be working in a venue like this,” Watts said.

“I have tagged along with lighting techs, multimedia techs and even venue techs in addition to the general AV crew I have been rostered with, and everyone I’ve met is really nice and has warmly welcomed me.

With an interest primarily in lighting tech, Watts said she’s fairly confident with basic vision tech and is looking forward to learning more.

“I’m nervous to learn more about audio as it’s currently my weak point but I know it’s a necessary part of AV and I’m confident I will get the appropriate support to delve into that area at MCEC.”