Young engineers given boost to careers through grant program
Council is building a solid base of talented young engineers, with three team members securing grants to attend the state’s top public works conference in Canberra.
Recipients of the IPWEA Young Leaders Grant Program, Jake Summerell, Hannah Crockford and Kobi Roberts Thompson at the IPWEA conference in Canberra
31 March 2022
Bega Valley Shire Council is building a solid base of talented young engineers, with three team members securing grants to attend the state’s top public works conference in Canberra.
Engineering Cadets, Hannah Crockford and Kobi Roberts Thompson and Engineering Design Coordinator, Jake Summerell each received grants as part of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia’s (IPWEA) Young Leaders Grant Program.
Acting CEO, Anthony McMahon said the IPWEA Conference was a great way for engineers at the beginning of their career to learn from established and experienced teams working in the same field.
“Successful public works engineering requires equal amounts of innovation and collaboration and the IPWEA Conference is a great way to see both in action,” Mr McMahon said.
“I was personally fortunate to receive the same grant opportunity early in my own career and I am certain it helped develop my own knowledge by drawing on the experiences of others across the industry.
“By encouraging our young engineers to apply for these programs we are paving the way for future leaders to develop their skills and apply engineering solutions in the place they call home.
“We already have a strong base of talented people working as cadets, apprentices and trainees, and our goal is to inspire and support these staff by enabling connections with experienced people inside and outside our organisation.
“Having just committed to employ a further three cadets to join our Assets and Operations team, it’s a great motivator for new staff to see their peers rewarded with career-boosting grants and opportunities.
“Everyone who calls the Bega Valley home, knows how special a place this is and with increasing career opportunities for young people, we’re able to provide a reason to stay while boosting the shire’s skills base.”
Engineering Cadet, Hannah Crockford said travelling to the IPWEA Conference was a great addition to on-the-job training provided by Council’s Water and Sewerage Services team.
“It was such a good opportunity to learn from some of the country’s best engineers and I’m bringing back all I’ve learned to apply to my job here in the Bega Valley,” Ms Crockford said.
“Cadetships have a big focus on information sharing—taking what I learn on-the-job and applying this to finding engineering solutions that help everyone in the community.
“We also run programs for future engineers through working with local schools on educational tours of Council assets like sewage treatment plants. Being a young cadet, planting seeds for students who may not have considered a career in engineering is really powerful.”
To learn more about cadet, apprentice and trainee programs, visit Council’s website.
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