What is it like to be a Graduate Civil Engineer?

Alan - Graduate Civil Engineer

Alan- fourth year Graduate Civil Engineer

"In my first year as a Superintendent's Representative I was involved with the project management of major infill sewerage projects in the Perth metropolitan area. The infill program involved the installation of sewerage pipes and pump stations to remove the need for properties to use septic tanks.

In my second year I continued to pursue my interest in project management by taking a role as a Project Leader in the Karratha Regional office where I was involved from beginning-to-end of the construction of minor works projects in the North West Region. These projects covered all aspects of the water industry, and varied from projects such as the roof replacement on the water supply tanks in Port Hedland, to refurbishing the dam gates in Kununurra. Working in the region allows you to have great flexibility and versatility and I was able to carry out the planning, design and construction on most of the projects.

In my third year I took on a role as a planner in wastewater conveyance. This involved flow and population projects, consulting key stakeholders (such as the designers, environmental branch, heritage and indigenous affairs, and operators), site visits, creating a hydraulic model using Microstation, and preparing a report based on the results.

My fourth and current role is as a Design Manager for Water Supply and Drainage. Although a majority of our designs are outsourced to consultants, we are increasing our in-house capacity. The designs are varied, and I've been involved with tanks, road bridges over drains, compensating basins, and major trunk mains. We not only design new assets but carry out investigations to maintain and assess our existing infrastructure to ensure safe water supply for the long term."


David - Graduate Civil Engineer

David - second year Graduate Civil Engineer

"I am now into my second rotation and the Graduate Development Program has allowed me to experience a wide range of opportunities.

My first role was as a Planner in Wastewater Planning. It involved planning for the long-term future of the Wastewater Conveyance Systems (sewers) in WA. I was given control over several projects which required me to assess the capacity of the sewer network for the next 50 years. This role was both challenging and interesting as I was required to forecast potential problems with our sewer network and come up with solutions that were suitable not only economically but also satisfied the community’s needs. This involved anything from upgrading pumps in Wastewater Pump Stations to retrofitting existing tanks for additional storage.

I also worked with the team on Wastewater 2060. This project was aimed at providing direction in servicing Perth's wastewater needs to 2060. It was an interesting project as it allowed me to be involved in decisions that would impact not only our generation but future generations.

My current role is as an Asset Planner for the Goldfields and Agricultural Region. The role allows me to get a more hands-on experience and see a lot of assets, such as Water Tanks, Pump Stations and Treatment Plants. The size of these can vary from a small service tank in Salmon Gums to the Perth to Kalgoorlie pipeline.

My role involves assessing the capacity of these assets and recommending when they require upgrades. This job also involves fixing issues that require immediate attention. One example has been the gridmesh program, where we are inspecting all the walkways in the region. This has enabled me to travel the region, get a greater understanding of what type of assets we have in the state, as well as getting to know a wider range of people.

I've found that both these roles have allowed me the freedom to use my imagination and initiative to solve problems while providing a service that benefits the community."