By Eric Ye

On the 16th of May, forty students and a handful of academics and transport professionals came together for the Careers in Transport Seminar held at Sydney University. Guest speakers from both public and private sector provided their insight and experiences to a range of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Civil Engineering students following the introduction of the Transport Engineering major at Sydney University last year. This was a great opportunity for these students to learn more about various professions in transport.

The evening began with an introduction from Sam Linke, vice president of ITEANZ, on the role of ITEANZ in the community and how students can explore a career in transport. Three guest speakers then shared their experiences working in transport and anecdotes from their various roles. Alison Lee, Team Leader of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering at GHD, kicked off the presentations with her experience in urban planning and passion for research in cycling and active transport. Aaron Hargraves, Systems Assurance Engineer at Metro Trains Sydney and ITEANZ Executive Board Member, followed with his learnings in the various roles he held throughout university and after graduating. Fraser Johnson, Manager of Network Performance Development at Roads and Maritime Services, concluded the speeches with his experience working in the government sector.

 

After the speeches, students had the chance to network with the guest speakers and ITEANZ representatives over pizza and drinks. This event also sparked the beginnings of the ITEANZ Sydney Student Chapter, a new initiative following the success of the student group TEM (Transport Engineers Monash) at Monash University. Over a third of the attendees expressed their interest, a great start for both the students for their professional careers and a great opportunity for ITEANZ to expand into in New South Wales and broaden their student outreach.

The next meeting for the ITEANZ Sydney Student Chapter will be in early August. Stay tuned for updates.