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Finding work experience  by Carla Cher Studying engineering at university can be challenging. Equations, formulae, assignments, lab reports, exams… However, it seems one of the biggest challenges facing young student engineers is obtaining work experience. Most universities around Australia require engineering students to complete at least 12 weeks of engineering-related work experience. Many companies want to employ graduates that have some engineering experience, and preferably experience in their company’s engineering field. Yet, very few companies seem to be willing to offer students work experience positions, and those who do, only seem to want students entering their final year of engineering study. Once upon a time, when a number of utility companies were still in public hands, vacation work placements, apprenticeships and internships were much more common than they are today. Today’s engineering students are not as fortunate as the generation before us was. Why is there such a shortage of companies willing to take on student engineers? Is it a liability issue, company bottom lines or just lack of foresight? The beginning of the tertiary academic year is a perfect time to investigate positions for a work experience placement during the summer or winter university breaks. With only a few advertised vacation work placements it is worth being creative in the quest to find a placement. There is no set way to ensure you will get the work experience position you want, but as the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it! Here are some suggestions:
Please share your tips and tricks for gaining work experience or comments about the lack of availability of work experience placements. Carla Cher is chair of the Young Engineers Australia National Committee. |
YOUNG ENGINEERS ONLINE COMMUNITY Victoria Division: |
Why students choose engineering Five students won tickets to the Big Day Out music festival as part of Engineers Australia’s Make it So campaign to promote engineering. The students were asked to explain succinctly why they decided to study engineering. These are excerpts from the winning submissions: Elsa Burnell, SA – When I was younger (primary school age) one of my friends and I would spend most afternoons after school building various contraptions in my backyard, using anything we could find. Among our proudest achievements were a working swing and flying fox, as well as a cubby house which is still standing (despite a pronounced lean). From this time on I thought of becoming an engineer and as I moved through high school, with maths and physics as my favorite subjects, my conviction was confirmed. When the time came to choose a uni course the only question was what branch of engineering I wanted to study. Gitanjali Pradhananga, NSW – I chose to study engineering because I love making things happen. People generally perceive engineering to be monotonous and mechanical, but that’s far from the truth. In my degree, the creative juices are continuously flowing. The interaction among lecturers and students is great, and there is never a dull moment. I love how engineering is so practical and hands-on, and I strongly believe that even for those who branch off on other career paths later on, the critical skills and knowledge they gain from an engineering degree will always be of great use in any walk of life. Madalyn Thompson, NSW – I liked the thought of creating the world rather than studying it. Leigha Ingold, NSW – I was unsure of what I wanted to study at university. So I listed what I would like in a job – being outdoors; not cooped up at a desk all day; being able to see progress; seeing something new (technology or technique); something challenging but still enjoyable. Once I had listed these, one of my teachers suggested engineering and although I did not really know what it was I thought I would give it a go. Since then I cannot imagine studying anything else. Mark Augello, Vic – In kindergarten, before I knew what competitive motorsport was, I wrote: “When I grow up, I want to drive red cars!” That dream has changed little since then. Not to drive, but to engineer them. Ferrari epitomises everything I love about engineering. Uncompromising excellence achieved through little but hard work. Thousands of ideas from hundreds of individuals. But it is the result that is truly amazing. Through Ferrari, engineering excellence is able to be appreciated by everyone. Engineering is, quite simply, the tool of excellence. The Make it So campaign, which is being launched publicly this month, is designed to promote engineering and highlight engineers’ contributions to society. |
Singapore recognises more Australian degrees Singapore has recognised all four-year engineering degrees in civil, mechanical or electrical engineering accredited by Engineers Australia. The new regulations came into effect on 30 December 2009. Previously, the country’s government only recognised degrees from 14 of Australia’s 32 universities that offer engineering programs. Engineers Australia chief executive Peter Taylor was pleased with the result and said the organisation has been pushing Singapore to change its regulations for many years. However, Taylor said there may still be restrictions on degrees awarded before 1989 or undertaken by distance learning or from an overseas campus. |
Student project powers Vanuatu community For his final-year engineering thesis project, Chris McGrath from the University of NSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering designed and built a hydroelectric power system for the Imaki community on the southern coast of Tanna Island, Vanuatu. By installing a turbine, McGrath adapted the 2km pipeline that supplies water to the community to also generate electricity. The village previously relied on two diesel generators to power the church and part of the secondary school. However, McGrath said the generators broke down often, and getting spare parts and diesel to the island was difficult and expensive. “Importantly, the payback period for the system’s implementation is less than eight years in comparison to the existing diesel generators,” he said. “In fact, the cost of energy from the hydro system is almost half that of the existing diesel systems.” McGrath first visited the community with his supervisor in April 2009, staying for ten days to identify the people’s needs and assess the available resources. “After we investigated a number of alternate resources for the system, including solar, wind and even geothermal, we identified hydro as the most appropriate resource to deliver a reliable and sustainable energy source to the community. It was the most cost effective option that resulted in the greatest energy production capacity,” he said. After returning to Sydney, he had two months to research and design a power system, order all the parts and ship them to the island. As the community had no hardware shops, McGrath had to take all the necessary tools with him. He returned to the island, accompanied by his supervisor and his father, in July, overcoming logistical challenges in transporting equipment to the island. “In the course of trying to actually procure the necessary equipment for the system we experienced two boat breakdowns, one plane breakdown and had some equipment impounded by customs. However once the customs official realised the purpose of the equipment, and the fact that he was family to members of the Imaki community, a clearance was forthcoming,” McGrath said. There was also a delay with batteries being regarded as dangerous goods, as well as a weight discrepancy on a flight. McGrath was prepared to leave his father behind, so that the cargo could take up the unused seat weight. “Thankfully a number of no-shows on the flight enabled dad to join the flight with all our cargo and we were on our way,” he said. “The equipment itself arrived just two days before the end of the project but a couple of days and nights of hard work was enough to see its completion.” McGrath chose this project because he was interested in development, having previously worked in Laos and the Philippines. Another motivation was his supervisor, who had previously carried out a project on the island. “This was a project for the Imaki community, so it was imperative to understand and respect their wishes from conception through to completion,” McGrath said. The project was sponsored by sustainable design engineering company Cundall. The company is sponsoring a follow-up project with the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering this year.  Chris McGrath (centre) and members of the Imaki community point to the intake of the pipeline that delivers water to the village and generates electricity. |
Newcastle student wins wind power competition University of Newcastle electrical engineering PhD student Chris Rowe has won the international Winnovation competition organised by wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. Rowe’s proposal to combine wind and hydro power won him a place in the finals in Denmark last December. Wind turbines placed on top of skyscrapers would be connected to bi-directional generators. In off-peak times, the generators would store the energy produced by the wind by pumping water to the top of the skyscraper. When electricity usage was at its peak, the operation would be reversed and the water would be used to produce electricity. Once in Denmark, he competed in three rounds, teamed up with business students, to devise new ideas for increasing wind power penetration. Aside from a cash prize of US$10,000 in travel funding, Rowe also won an opportunity to meet Vestas’ president of technology research and development, which he intends to take up later this year. Rowe said he decided to enter in the competition to gain a glimpse of cutting-edge wind power research, meet like-minded people and travel to Europe. His PhD research is in power electronics, focussing on control of inverters. It is being carried out in conjunction with the CSIRO’s Energy Centre in Newcastle. University of Toronto MBA student Josie Fung is a co-winner of the competition. Another postgraduate engineering student from the University of Newcastle, Chris Townsend also made it into the finals. |
Asian studies for engineering students As part of a federal government effort to encourage high-achieving students to work and study overseas, 50 university students from Australia and Asia have received the Prime Minister's Australia Asia Endeavour Award. Three engineering students, Susanne Sugiarto, Katrie Lowe and Matthew Griffith, were included in these awards. Curtin University of Technology School of Electrical Engineering and Computing PhD student Susanne Sugiarto, a 24-year-old currently studying to find more efficient and cost effective wind energy technology methods, is set to further her research by travelling to China in July to spend a year at Beijing’s Tsing Hua University. She is reseraching fixed speed wind energy conversion systems that incorporate the cheap and robust induction generator. Also set to go to Tsing Hua University is University of Technology undergraduate Katrie Lowe, a fifth-year engineering and international studies double degree student. Since starting her degree she has completed two internships within Australia and has been overseas twice, for study in China during 2008 and for an exchange trip to Hungary last year. University of Wollongong Intelligent Polymer Research Institute PhD student Matthew Griffith will be using the opportunity to develop his research in nanotechnology at Japan’s ShinShu University. The Prime Minister's Australia Asia Endeavour Award provides 20 postgraduate students and 20 undergraduates from across Australia with up to $63,500 to undertake an international research, study and internship experience in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, or Vietnam. Ten international postgraduate students will also be funded to study in Australia. The federal government has committed $14.9 million over four years to establish this scholarship program, which was announced as part of the response to the 2020 Summit. Starting this year, the awards will form part of the Australia Awards initiative, which will attempt to better coordinate and promote existing Australian scholarships.    Engineering students Susanne Sugiarto, Katrie Lowe and Matthew Griffith accept their award from the federal Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations’ manager of the Higher Education Group, Colin Walters. |
Learning from archaeology Engineering students could learn a lot from archaeology and vice versa, according to a paper presented last month at the annual conference Australasian Association for Engineering Education, a technical society of Engineers Australia, in Adelaide. Archaeologist James Knight and University of Adelaide education lecturer Dr Linda Westphalen said building links between engineering and archaeology departments in universities could achieve some of the graduate attributes set out in the Engineers for the Future report prepared for the Australian Council of Engineering Deans in 2008. Archaeology would equip engineering graduates with “an understanding of the historical contexts and social, political and economic aspects of technological innovation”, while archaeologists would benefit from engineers’ technical expertise. “I don’t know of anywhere in the world that does it,” Westphalen told Engineers Australia. Universities are reluctant to include archaeology courses in an already intense engineering curriculum, she said, but the barriers are not insurmountable. One of the ways to achieve this could be for engineering students to work with archaeologists to reconstruct ancient devices, such as siege engines, and analyse how they work. Helping engineering students appreciate the effect of new technologies throughout history would improve their understanding of professional responsibilities and raise the profile of engineering, Westphalen said. |
More students choose engineering The study of engineering has become more attractive in the past five years, according to figures from the federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Analysing the available data, economist Andre Kaspura found that in 2009 there were 15,555 eligible applications for engineering degrees, amounting to 6.8% of all eligible applications, compared with a low of 5.4% in 2004. Engineering applications have been rising significantly since 2006, he said. Of those who finished school in 2008 and accepted into engineering courses in 2009, 12.9% had tertiary entrance scores of 90 or higher. Given the duration of engineering courses it will be another two to three years before these trends result in increased numbers of engineering graduates, he said. However, men continue to dominate enrolments in engineering degrees. According to Kaspura’s calculations, 20% of male school leavers applied to study engineering compared to 3.5% of females. Kaspura is a policy analyst at Engineers Australia’s International and National Policy Directorate in Canberra. A more detailed analysis appeared in the February issue of Engineers Australia magazine. |
Call for most inspiring young engineers The deadline for nominations for inspiring young engineers has been extended to 1 March. Young Engineers Australia is looking for motivated, inspirational young engineers who display technical excellence, creativity or exceptional leadership or mentorship; or have made an outstanding contribution to the profession or society. The aim is to highlight the breadth of talent of Australia's young engineers and celebrate their achievements. The winners will be announced at the Engineering Leadership Conference in Brisbane on 5-7 May. To find out more, or to nominate yourself or someone you know, visit www.engineersaustralia.org.au/yea |
