Speech pathology student Mari Ohanes had her first experience of working with children and engaging as a professional during her clinical placement at NextSense. Not only did she learn a lot, she managed to have fun and see children thrive.

The Macquarie University Master of Speech and Language Pathology student is one of more than 20 allied health students who were assigned a paediatric student placement at NextSense in 2023.

‘I had the opportunity to work alongside my lovely supervisor, learn lots, meet with other professionals in the field and wonderful clientele,’ Mari says.

‘I was able to run my own sessions for the first time, and create tools as part of a multidisciplinary team, helping develop my communication and competence as a training speech pathologist.

Being her first student placement, Mari overcame initial nerves, easing in to working with children in a clinical setting, ‘I learnt that working in collaboration and being a good role model is vital in therapy, and a little bit of fun never hurt anyone,’ she says.

All students are allocated a NextSense speech pathologist supervisor, who provides professional and clinical guidance throughout their 13-16 week immersion in a clinical setting.

The student intakes are an important way for NextSense to invest in building capabilities for the skillset of people entering the hearing and vision sector and we’re pleased to work with universities on this program. It gives students valuable exposure to what it’s like to work in multidisciplinary team that puts best practice and client outcomes at the centre.

Due to finish her studies in the next year, Mari has her sights set on working with children in the future, ‘I’ve thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the children’s grit, charisma, and curiosity flourish. I hope to make a positive impact in the field.’ 

The benefits of introducing students to our organisation early are that students understand who we are, our purpose and what we do. This opens a world of opportunity for potential employment.

Our move from North Rocks to our new centre for innovation on the Macquarie University campus later this year will help us partner even more closely with the university and its students. And investing in building the capabilities of future professionals is another way NextSense can enrich the talent within the hearing sector.

We look forward to meeting the next cohort of students joining us for practical experience.

To find out more about student placements at NextSense, contact Client Care.