University of Sydney taps Ingram Micro for industry experience program

University of Sydney has tapped Ingram Micro as one of its industry partners for its Business Practicum consulting project.

The project allows USyd undergraduate and postgraduate students to work with a company, small or medium-sized enterprise, not-for-profit or government organisation as part of a unit of study.

Ingram Micro worked with USyd Master of Commerce student Samantha Xiong as the project representative for her team, which the distributor also sponsored.

The sponsored project involved three groups of participating students tasked to enhance three business areas of Ingram Micro, including finance, e-commerce and automation. As "student consultants", they were tasked to identify business problems, propose potential solutions, create prototypes and deliver project results.

As a result of the project's completion, Xiong landed a job with Ingram Micro as a business analyst.

The technology distributor said Xiong "demonstrated a real passion" for business intelligence and data science while completing the program.

"Samantha and her team were the most professional in their presentations and we recognised the talent she could bring into our business," Ingram Micro chief financial officer John Dalgarno said.

Ingram said Xiong was offered a job interview because of her ability to identify business problems, propose potential solutions, create prototypes and deliver project results.

Commenting on her new role, Xiong said she was enjoying developing new skills in her role as an Ingram Micro business analyst.

"The best part of my job is that I face the challenge to learn new technology tools all the time. Every project is different, and I can always learn something new from it.”

Xiong said the University of Sydney Business School had provided her with “countless” support and employability programs during her degree and said that hands-on skill training had been essential to her career development.

Ingram Micro senior vice president and chief country executive Tim Ament said ensuring students gain practical skills through work-integrated learning programs like the Business Practicum unit was imperative to preparing them for the workforce.

“Our partnership with the University of Sydney Business School exposed students to working on real business problems and managing stakeholder relations.”

“It is important for students to work alongside industry experts and learn how to develop skills outside their curriculum before joining the workforce.”