Graduate immersed in freight business, on track for chartered engineering status
Published on 19 March, 2013
CQUniversity graduate Geoffrey Voss has joined Australia's largest rail freight operator Aurizon and is on track to achieve his 'chartered engineering status'.
Mr Voss credits the project-based learning (PBL) structure of his Engineering degree as being the most helpful in preparing for professional work.
"While the PBL projects were not the same as working in the professional environment, PBL provided good practice for approaching challenges, defining a problem and working in a team to reach a goal," he says.
"The Engineering degree co-op program also provided the opportunity to get some practical engineering experience before graduating. I undertook an eight-month placement with Aurizon's Coal Business Group in 2008/2009 and an eight-month placement at Stanwell Power Station during 2010/2011, along with vacation work at RoadTek at the end of my first year of university.
"My final-year thesis was an industry-based project to develop automatic test programs for testing generator and main transformer protection."
Mr Voss says great features of the Aurizon graduate program include specific graduate development days with rotations to different locations and working teams and self-paced learning modules, as well as a tour of a number of Aurizon regional operations as part of the 'GradTrek'.
"All parts of the development program ensure that graduates receive a solid grounding in the business and their chosen discipline (i.e. engineering, accounting, HR, business etc) which helps to clarify an individual's career path within Aurizon," he says.
"This has helped me develop a better understanding of the Aurizon business and where my current role fits within the company as well as my future career opportunities. I am also being supported and mentored to work towards achieving a chartered engineering status."
Mr Voss, who is currently on a six-month rotation at Aurizon's Forrestfield Deport in Perth, aims to work in the Engineering Services electrical and control systems department when he completes the graduate program.
"I have previously worked in this area and enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with the design, installation and trial stages of a wide range of projects," he says.
When not at work, Mr Voss enjoys playing the guitar, riding his motorcycle or driving his classic car.