Local engineering graduates find it hard to gain the vital hands on work experience they need to complete their degrees to then progress to jobs in the resources sector.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-07/local-engineering-students-struggle-to-gain-work/4416304

I found this coming through. I applied with every resource company you can think of.

I currently have a student geologist under my care.

What these reporters fail to recognise is that being a student engineer your value is sweet bugger all. There are HUGE issues with safety and insurance for these kids. That's just the start. I have almost 3 years experience and I have enough trouble getting onto sites.

The next issue is that a lot of these big resource companies don't actually do the work themselves. They operate the mine and have many mining engineers, but general work is often subcontracted out to civil, structural, mechanical, geotechnical and hydraulic (to name a few) firms from major cities. These firms are often specialized and private.

Then there's the cost. Not only do they have to pay these kids, they also have to allocate a senior engineer (even a CPeng) to help these kids along. This reduces productivity and productivity = $ lost. When I started in my undergrad experience I worked for free, observing what the senior engineers and engineering geologists did and how they did it. Kids these days are far too precious, they want to get paid and paid well to essentially do bugger all. It's simply not feasible for a lot of these mining operations to run large cadet-ships. There is a lot involved (insurance, paperwork,recruiting etc.) to get this going.

I find it amusing that there is a young girl there. Women in engineering is hugely important and I do not know one that has struggled to get an undergrad or a grad position. These big wanks for firms are all about diversity and equality and safety (and only a little bit about engineering).

The first kid that comes up on screen strikes me as strange. He needs a haircut and a shave. You're going to be an engineer mate not a hippy. If you're going to do mining your hair is going to get caught in lord knows what and you're going to have fun cleaning tailings and core out of your chin bush.

I worked at subway to survive uni and also worked as a soil technician within an engineering firm to get my foot in the door. I did over 100 hours free work to gain experience. Kids these days have a very narrow view of how things work. They expect big salaries and an easy door to their careers. They need to wake up.

Interesting video, chilly.

This is pretty much what is happening here as well. I applied for about a milion places for work experience and only 1 place got back to me and if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be able to graduate.

One of my mates who I went to uni with won't be graduating with the rest of us as he hasn't found work experience. He even offered to work for free and still couldn't get a gig.

Btw chilly, did you manage to score some work experience?

No, not yet. Still applying everywhere. A couple have replied this week wanting more information. Hopefully I will an interview/s next week.

I've offered to work for free at some places too. The thing with non-paid work experience is that a lot of companies can't take you because they have to take out insurance for you but they can't insure you without having to pay you under fair work legislation.

Good luck mate. When is your graduation ceremony scheduled?

About the free work thing, most places are reluctant to do it because of what you've described. It's less of a hassle for them to pay undergrads.

I haven't yet applied for graduation because it would just be turned down on account of me not having completed work experience. My uni has graduation ceremonies at the end of July and start of December so it won't be for a while.

If I didn't get a job I was thinking of enrolling in some subjects on sustainable transport and buildings that they were apparently going to introduce this year but they all seem to be scheduled for the spring semester.:cry:

Just completed first year chemical engineering, does not sound promising. Hear already from those in 3rd and 4th years how difficult it can be

I'm keen to try for any type of work experience as soon as I can get it, don't have a problem not being paid as an undergrad

Edited by jparraga: 26/1/2013 01:14:50 AM

What sort of jobs are you guys going for? Have you looked at smaller firms who often need a helping hand with the lesser tasks?

What do your respective universities do to get you jobs? Do you have an industry relationship program?

Have either of you actually been into a consulting office and spoken face to face with a prospective employer? Or did you send 6 trillion emails?

yeah, chem students @ newy always scrap over the smallest whiff of a job offer.

join mechanical - we got too many jobs to apply for!

Your all going about it the wrong way

I'm at the University of Sydney, but that doesn't surprise me

yeah? that's interesting, was pretty close to doing mechanical engineering when applying for university

yeah, there seems to be barely any chem jobs going, all the time.

disregarding this current lull because of the coal price, we used to get up to 3 emails a week from our program coordinator with job offers from local business/mines/etc. obviously the semester isn't on now, and this industry-wide slowness has halted it all a bit, but it'll pick up again & it'll be just as crazy as before for mechanical.

My mates a 2nd year (I think) UON mechanical engineer graduate. Currently employed but hasn't worked on a project in 3 months and has been looking for another job since. Admittedly I don't think he's been looking outside the Hunter.

if he's genuinely after a job get him to get in contact with me. we'll be looking at hiring locals pretty soon, i think.

The mining industry is a rort, it's a case of 'who you know' as opposed to 'what you know' to get in. Like the ALP, blokes on $200k per year don't let any Tom Dick or Harry in on their little rort.

from experience, the only people who have this philosophy on the mining industry are the ones who are on the shit end of the stick themselves, and spend more time whinging about it than making something happen for them.

This. People bitch about the industry because they don't stand out from the crowd and their resumes get filed. Thousands of people apply for hundreds of jobs. Then you take out the diversity jobs(disadvantaged people and women generally) and there isn't much left for the rest. Industry experience is highly competitive and students seem to go for the big names only and complain when they get rejected.

The way I see it is that students want the title of being an engineer and what they think they do as opposed to what they will actually do for a job are two very different things. It can be a very easy way to trip up students in an interview process.

If people need jobs go to prospective companies and put a face behind the resume. Make phone calls and arrange to speak to people. Bug them if you have to. An email is very easy to delete where as when you're in someone's face they at least have to listen to you.

All makes sense, thanks

Fuckwit.

no worries

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Went through something similar when I was still studying Mechanical in Adelaide a few years back - there really should be a way to better open up interstate opportunities to help resolve these issues. Since moving to QLD it's evident how much easier (still not "easy" but easier) it is for current mechanical students to get it. Half of my Adelaide friends moved to Sydney/Melbourne etc. as soon as they graduated anyway due to job offers so what's the harm in trying to get interstate work experience students in my mind. Obviously logistical factors need consideration but I feel like there's an opportunity being missed.