Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC.

A woman wearing a headset and standing in front of an electronic switchboard. She is smiling and looking ahead. The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition logo is visible in the background. The logo is white and is on a pink background.

MCEC Helps 'Break the Bias' with New Internships for Women

MCEC are proud to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD), with new partnerships with technical education providers to elevate MCEC as an inclusive employer for female graduates in traditionally male-dominant areas.

This year's IWD theme is 'Break the Bias,' and MCEC is proud to be empowering women to follow whichever path they choose, having recently launched an internship program, born from a commitment to supporting female recruitment and work experience.

The purpose is to encourage more female participation in operational and technical areas, to broaden the general candidate pools and to improve opportunities for greater diversity and inclusion in the workforce.

Recently hired 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.

Ebony said the opportunity MCEC has given her is exciting and diverse.

"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" she 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, everyone I've met is really nice and has warmly welcomed me.

My interest is primarily in lighting tech and I’m fairly confident with basic vision tech. 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” she said.