![From left to right: Whitireia graduates Sarah Yankelowitz, Petra Westropp and Holly Hunter.](https://publishersnz.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2016-Interns-l-to-r-Sarah-Petra-Holly_small.jpg)
From left to right: Whitireia graduates Sarah Yankelowitz, Petra Westropp and Holly Hunter.
The Creative New Zealand National Publishing Internships Initiative, managed by PANZ, provides internship opportunities each year for three new graduates of the Whitireia New Zealand publishing course to enter the industry.
Sarah Yankelowitz will intern with Penguin Random House NZ; Petra Westropp with Gecko Press and Holly Hunter with Victoria University Press.
All interns are paired with their chosen roles and the publishers involved are happy with the placements.
Odessa Owens, who is Acting Programme Leader, Publishing at Whitireia New Zealand, says “These internships reward the very best new graduates with invaluable work experience, after a year of intense practical and theoretical study.
“The calibre of this year’s applications was extremely high, and we’re thrilled with the results,” Odessa says.
Publishers who have participated in the Intern Programme praise the initiative. Julia Marshall at Gecko Press says course graduates are the first place of call when she wants to hire. “They are well trained and have all-round knowledge of the basic skills.”
Petra will be Gecko’s fourth intern, and Julia also praises the ability of course tutors to match interns with publishers. “It is fantastic. Since we started hiring from the course, the interns have been better right from the start.”
Petra, Sarah and Holly will start their internships in February.