Gaining experience in their chosen engineering field as part of MidCoast Water’s vacation employment program has provided two university students with a practical introduction to the water and sewer industry.
MidCoast Water is a county council that provides water services to the Manning Great Lakes community on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.
Engineering students Ben Cook and Tyler Hamilton spent their work experience at the organisation’s Bootawa Water Treatment Plant site, gaining valuable exposure to a large scale construction project. The Bootawa project involves the construction of a membrane filtration plant to treat the water supplied to the region.Both Ben and Tyler are required to undertake 12 weeks of industry placement as part of their engineering degrees.
MidCoast Water’s Planning and Development Manager Brendan Guiney oversees the vacation employment program and recognises its many benefits – both for the student and for MidCoast Water.
“Any student who aspires to study engineering needs to leave our area to attend university, so it is great for us to be able to provide them with an opportunity to return home during the summer break for local employment,” Brendan Guiney said. “The students are able to work in their chosen engineering field, achieve the industry experience required by their universities and earn some income.
“From our point of view, MidCoast Water benefits by getting some valuable engineering work done and we become acquainted with up and coming student engineers who are the future of the industry – and may just come and work for us again one day.”
MidCoast Water has been running the vacation employment program since its formation in 1997.
Ben Cook is a final year civil engineering student at Griffith University on the Gold Coast and returned to MidCoast Water over the summer for his third placement. Ben worked on a variety of tasks involved with the construction of the water treatment plant under the direction of project engineers Mitchell Stace and Michael Hazelwood. Ben has also organised to complete his final year project in consultation with MidCoast Water.
Tyler Hamilton, from Dunbogan, is a third year Mechatronics student at the University of Newcastle. During his time with MidCoast Water he worked with integration supervisor Chris Gilbert and also gained additional experience by spending time in the field and on different sites.
For further information contact General Manager Neil Hanington on (02) 6592 4802.
