As Emmanuel College students progress through their university degrees and start considering their future careers, work experience and internships become increasingly important. One of the advantages of college life is being able to tap into professional relationships and connections throughout the broader community.
Emmanuel College Students’ Club Vice President Catherine Gerrard is studying mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Deputy Principal Louise Hallo arranged a placement for Catherine at BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) over the university holidays.
“I spent the summer working for BMA at an underground coal mine called Broadmeadow at Moranbah, about two hours inland from Mackay. I was involved with engineering projects with both the Governance and Technical Stewardship and the Small Projects teams. I gained work experience helping the engineering team with their projects, as well as being the lead on my own project, and saw the design cycle of a product from an engineering viewpoint. The work varied in both mechanical and electrical disciplines, and I even got to spend a bit of time underground in the mine. This experience has taught me a lot about engineering in the real world and more about what my job will entail in the future. I have gained many industry contacts that will be useful. I am grateful to BHP, and to Louise, for giving me this opportunity.”
With more women entering the engineering field, it is encouraging to see a global resource company such as BHP taking action to achieve a gender-balance of employees. An approach that is reflected by giving female students opportunities in their placement program.
