Alain Grossbard
Work-Integrated Learning | 2017
International VET Practitioner Fellow
About Alain's 2017 Fellowship
Alain Grossbard’s fellowship focused on creating and managing overseas work placement opportunities for Vocational Education and Training (VET) students studying public relations. Through the project, he built partnerships with international companies and educational organisations to give students the chance to complete short-term internships in global workplaces.
As part of the fellowship, Grossbard travelled overseas to establish industry connections, assess potential host organisations, and develop agreements that would support students during their placements. He successfully launched a pilot program involving 11 RMIT students, who completed four-week work placements across Europe, Africa, and North America.
Impact of his Fellowship since 2017
The Fellowship had a profound professional impact through the creation and expansion of a Work-Integrated Learning and Internship program that has now delivered 21 industry, government, community, and international partnerships over more than a decade. These projects have included campaigns for organisations such as Ambulance Victoria, Peroni Beer, Beaurepaires Tyre and Care Service, and St Vincent’s Hospital, alongside international collaborations in Spain, Dubai, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The program has enabled students to work on live briefs across digital marketing, PR, communications, health, sport, education, tourism, and FMCG sectors, with graduates consistently attributing their first professional roles to this experience.
In a broader sense, the Fellowship has contributed significantly to the sector by embedding a model of applied learning that is both scalable and accessible, with all projects delivered to partner organisations entirely free of charge. This approach has strengthened relationships between education and industry while expanding opportunities for students to engage with real clients and complex communication challenges.
The Fellowship’s lasting impact is evidenced through a sustained partnership record including initiatives such as a concussion and CTE awareness campaign with the Concussion and CTE Foundation (2026), a mental health and AI support initiative for retired AFL players with FifthQTR Foundation (2026), renewable energy communications work with Solar Serve Group in Dubai (2025), education technology campaigns with Zizenzic (2024), and health-focused projects with St Vincent’s Hospital Cancer Centre (2022). Collectively, these outcomes demonstrate a long-term contribution to industry engagement, student employability, and innovative communication practice.
