Four engineering students are completing a six-month industry based learning placement with Hobsons Bay City Council as part of their Deakin University Bachelor degree.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding with Deakin University, the council has committed to annually support students to provide work placement opportunities.
Mayor of Hobsons Bay Councillor Angela Altair said the partnership between local government and universities demonstrates the council’s willingness to mentor young people in the workforce.
“As a leading metropolitan council, we have the ability to offer valuable opportunities for students to apply their learnings in a real world situation,” Altair said.
“While on placement, students gain valuable practical experience, as well as contribute to the planning and delivery of Council projects that benefit our community.”
The students are paired with Council officers and gain exposure across Council’s entire Infrastructure and City Services directorate. Some of the activities the students are involved in include: preparing project briefs; data validation; audits; program planning; designing and constructing sportsground floodlighting, and developing procedures and systems.
Third year Bachelor of Civil Engineering Hoai Huynh from Geelong said the experience has been very productive.
“The placement has given me the opportunity to learn in a professional work environment and problem solve local infrastructure issues such as tree root damage to storm water pipes and building structure movement due to change in soil conditions,” Hoai said.
“Working in local government will give me an edge over other graduates and will provide valuable networking opportunities.”
Work Integrated Learning Manager Mark Tolson from Deakin University said these full time roles allow each of the students to be immersed in Council’s engineering projects and day-to-day operations.
“These roles allow the students to both learn from a group of highly experienced Hobsons Bay City Council professionals and to further develop both their engineering knowledge and their interpersonal skills,” Tolson said.
“Employers are seeking students who not only have the discipline specific knowledge they can apply in the real world of work, but also well-developed interpersonal skills such as the ability to work in diverse teams, highly developed verbal and written communications, problem solving and global citizenship skills, to mention but a few.”
Other Deakin students undertaking the program include: fourth year Bachelor of Civil Engineering student Matthew Di Santo; third year Bachelor of Civil Engineering student Philip Dunbar and third year Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Predrag Simic.
A fifth student, Lakhveer Singh, in his fifth year of Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Civil and Infrastructure) and Bachelor of Business Management at RMIT, is also undertaking work placement with Council.
Image: Matthew Di Santo, Lakhveer Singh, Sanjay Manivasagasivam, Director Infrastructure and City Services, Hobsons Bay City Council, Hoai Huynh and Pedrag Simic.