Download - Eng Environment Careers
Environmental Engineering 1
Overview
Environmental Engineering offers you diverse career options in areas including climate change, sustainable systems, bushfire protection, energy systems, water resources, and waste water or waste solid treatment.
environmental engineeringCareer Pathways
industries• Civil
• Energy
• Infrastructure
• Manufacturing
• Mining
• OilandGas
• Minerals
• Pharmaceutical
• TertiaryEducation
• WasteManagement
• WaterManagement
Specialisinginthefieldof:
• Air
• Chemicals
• Freshwater
• Sea
• Soil
Youmightworkonprojectssuchas:
• ContaminantRemediation
• ImpactAssessment
• ResourcePlanning
SpecialisationsAsanenvironmentalengineer,youwilluseyourexpertiseintheassessmentandmanagementoftheeffectsofhumanandotheractivityonthenaturalandbuiltenvironment.Youmaywork,consultorengageinresearchanddevelopmentinthepublicorprivatesectorsinareasincluding:
2 Environmental Engineering
engineering Pathways (environmental)School leavers
Melbourne Model degrees (3 years)
Master of engineering (2 years)Specialisations:
Bachelor of BiomedicineMajors include:
Bioengineering Systems
BiomedicalBiomolecularChemical
Any Bachelors DegreeMust include Linear Algebra and Calculus 2 or equivalents, along with science relevant to intended specialisation.
Note: Duration of Master of Engineering will vary from 2-3years depending on amount of credit obtained from prior study
Bachelor of environmentsMajors include:
Civil SystemsGeomatics
Physical systems
Bachelor of CommerceSequences in the following Engineering areas:
Chemical SystemsCivil SystemsComputing and Software SystemsElectrical SystemsMechanical Systems
Physical Systems
Bachelor of ScienceMajors include:
Bioengineering Systems Chemical SystemsCivil SystemsComputing and Software SystemsElectrical SystemsGeomaticsMechanical Systems
Exit to employment with professional accreditation
Exit to employment (without professional accreditation)
School leavers
Note:Whilethestudystreamhighlightedaboveisconsideredthetraditionalpathway,alternativecourseplanscanachievethesamequalificationoutcome.PleasespeaktoaUniversityofMelbournecourseadvisortodiscussyouroptions.
Choosinganoccupation,gettingthatfirstgraduatejob,andgrowinginyourjobwillrequireplanning,selfawareness,flexibilityandaforward-lookingattitudetohelpmanagethepersonaltransitions,aswellasthetechnologicalandeconomicchangesofthefuture.Withsomanyfactorstoconsideraneffectiveemploymentplanwillincludestrategiesforenhancingcareerawareness&selfawareness,andcanbedoneina4-Stepprocess,startingwith:
1.Doingsomeself-assessmenttoclarifyinterestsandstrengths
2.Gatheringinformationandexploringcareersthatappealtoyouandmatchyourinterests,abilitiesandvalues–using
myFuture(accessibletothepublic)orAdultDirections(viaOnline Career ToolsforcurrentUniversityofMelbournestudents)
3.LearningaboutthejobmarketbyinvestigatingWork Experienceopportunities,browsingcompany/industry websites andtalkingtolotsofpeopleinyourfieldofinterestusingtheinformational interviewingtechnique
4.Developingjobsearchskills–preparingyourjobapplicationsandpreparingforinterviewsusingtheOnline Career ToolsorbookingaCareerConsultationthroughCareers Online(bothservicesavailabletocurrentUniversityofMelbournestudents).
CivilElectrical
environmental
GeomaticsMechanicalMechatronics
SoftwareStructural
Career PlanningForuniversitystudents,careerplanningisaboutchoosingacareerpathrelatedtoyourfieldofstudyandpreparingforemployment.Whileengineeringcanleadtospecificoccupationsitcanalsogiveyouthefoundationforavarietyofcareerpaths.
Environmental Engineering 3
employers AsampleofemployerswhoactivelyrecruitourElectricalEngineeringgraduatesincludes:
Foramoreextensivelistingincludingcurrentemploymentopportunities,UniversityofMelbournestudentscanvisitCareers Online,ouronlinejobsportal.
ItisalsoimportanttoattendeventsliketheGraduate Careers FairinSemester1andstudent-runIndustryNightstobecomefamiliarwithwhothekeyemployersareandthedatesoftheirrecruitingcampaigns.
resources TheCareers and Jobs GuideontheLibrarywebsitehasbeendevelopedforcurrentUniversityofMelbournestudentsinconjunctionwithCareers&Employment.Thisguidewillhelpyoufindqualitylibraryresourcestohelpwith:• Career planning
• Researching industries
• Researching employers
• Employability skills
• Job hunting
• Resumes and job applications
• Interview preparation
Types of employmentwork experienceTherearemanyformsofworkexperience.WiththeintroductionoftheFairWorkAct2009,allworkexperiencemustbepaidunlesstheplacementformspartofauniversitycourse.Forengineeringstudents,workexperiencecouldtaketheformofanindustry-basedfinalyearprojectorapaidplacement(suchasthoselistedbelow).Voluntaryworkfornot-forprofitagenciesisanotherwayofgainingvaluableworkexperiencebuttheseplacementsmustadheretotheVocational Placements & Student Volunteering Policy.
vACATiOn PrOgrAMS
Aredegree-related,structuredpaidworkplacementsusuallyundertakenbystudentsattheendoftheirpenultimateyearofstudy.Thesecanoftenleadtoagraduateposition,socompetitionforplacementsisintense.Wintervacationprogramsareavailablefromtimetotime.
inTernShiPS
Internshipsaresupervised,paidworkplacementsarrangedbetweentheemployerandstudent,sometimesbrokeredbytheuniversity.Rangingfromafewweekspart-timetomultiplesemestersfull-time,internshipsoccurinafieldrelevanttothestudent’squalification.Applicationopeningandclosingdatesforinternshipsarevaried.
CO-OPerATive PrOgrAMS
Enablestudentstoalternatestudytermswithpaidworkandofferhands-onexperiencecontributingtoarealproject,skillsdevelopmentandachancetonetworkwithprofessionalsinthefield.Applicationopeningandclosingdatesforco-operativeprogramsarevaried.
CADeTShiPS
Employedpositionsofferedtostudentsorgraduates,designedtoprovidespecifictrainingormentoring.Cadetshipscanbefull-orpart-timeandvaryfromformalised,structuredschemestoinformalarrangementsbetweenanindividualandanorganisation.Applicationopeningandclosingdatesarevaried.
graduate employment ProgramsIncludesubstantialtraining,developmentandsupport.Someprogramsincluderotationsthroughvariousdepartmentswithintheorganisation.Usuallyofferedbylargeorganisationsandgovernmentdepartments,anincreasingnumberofsmallerorganisationsarenowofferinggraduateemploymentprograms.Manyorganisationsofferanumberofprograms–someforspecificortechnicalroles,andotherswhicharebroaderbased.Graduateprogramsvaryinlength,from1-3years.CompetitionisstrongandfinalyearstudentsmustapplyinMarchorAprilforcommencementinJanuaryorFebruaryofthefollowingyear.
Opportunities to get exposure to industry through the Melbourne School of engineering:Connectwithindustrythroughthecurriculum,via:
• studentprojectsthatarepartneredwithindustry
• guestlecturesledbyindustryleaders
• sitevisitshostedbykeyorganisations
• careermentoringprograms
AECOM
Alluvium
BHP Billiton
BP Australia
Coffey Environments
GHD Pty Ltd
Gloucester Coal Ltd
Golder Associates
Melbourne Water
John Holland
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Shell
Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)
Thiess Australia
Vic Roads
4 Environmental Engineering
As an environmental field engineer for Golder Associates, Jacob White is responsible for coordinating and supervising environmental site investigations for contaminated land projects. These projects range from remediation studies on refineries and manufacturing facilities to environmental testing to meet EPA guidelines for land development and infrastructure projects:
“Being a field engineer means being able to think on your feet and solving problems on site, which can be very rewarding. You have the independence and responsibility of coordinating and running a worksite, while gaining hands-on technical experience”.
Jacob studied environmental engineering at The University of Melbourne and enjoyed the guest lectures and site visits within the course:
“We had a number of guest lectures and courses run by past and present industry professionals. Environmental engineering at Melbourne involved a number of site visits and field trips, which provided invaluable experience and a glimpse at what a career in those industries would involve.”
During his candidature, Jacob served as Vice President of the Environmental Engineering Students Society. He also participated in a one- year exchange program at the University of Toronto.
JACOB WHITE
Environmental Field Engineer, Golder Associates
Study Area: Environmental Engineering
Graduate 3-5 years experience 10 years
Career Progression (trajectories) – Environmental
Graduate Environmental Engineer
Junior Environmental Engineer
Lead Environmental Engineer
Principal Environmental Engineer
Project Manager
Senior Environmental Engineer
Air Pollution Control Engineer
Civil/Environmental Engineer
Environmental Design Engineer
Environmental Engineer/Hydrogeologist
Environmental Engineer/Scientist
Environmental Field Engineer
Environmental Remediation Engineer
Environmental Engineer – Contaminated Land
Environmental Engineer – Infrastructure and Mining
Environmental Engineer – Land and Groundwater
Environmental Engineer – Manufacturing
Environmental Engineer – Mine Closure
Environmental Engineer – Oil and Gas
Environmental Engineer – Renewable Energy
Environmental Engineer – Transport and Drainage Planning
Environmental Engineer – Water Resources
Environmental Engineer – Waste/Landfill
Hazardous Waste Management Control Engineer
Project Environmental Engineer
Risk Assessor/Environmental Engineer
Tailings Environmental Engineer
Waste Management Engineer
Wastewater Treatment Engineer
Environmental Engineering 5
Careers in ResearchIf you are passionate about a certain field and would like to advance your research skills, enrolling in a research higher degree (RHD) may be a great option for you. RHDs enhance your ability to problem solve, think autonomously and creatively, and analyse. Careers in research are diverse and may include: academic positions at universities; policy-making or research positions at public sector organisations; private sector research and development projects; and self-employed consulting positions on technical or policy issues in your area of expertise.
Alternative CareersAn engineering degree offers you excellent technical and design expertise, but also equips you with the foundations for a diverse range of positions. Over a third of our graduates choose to move into non-traditional engineering roles, including:• Managementconsulting• Finance,economicsandbanking• Marketingandcommunications• Businessanalysis• Projectmanagement• Technicalwriting• Government,policyandintellectual
property management.
ForcurrentUniversityofMelbournestudents,Careers Online advertises numerous ‘generalist’ graduate jobs during the peak recruitmentseason(March-Aprilofyourfinalyear). You will often find that many state and federal government departments and defence agencies will actively recruit for engineers as they value their high-end problem-solving and analytical abilities.
Salary InformationAccording to a survey conducted in 2011 by Engineers Australia, gross mean base salary figures for environmental engineers across the private and public sectors are as follows: New graduate: $59,611
2-3 years: $75,613
4-10 years: $91,648
10-15 years: $116,538
Over 15 years: $148,857
Job OutlookAccordingtotheAustralianGovernment’sJob Outlook website*:
• Job Prospects for Environmental Scientists/Engineers are good.
• Employmentto2015-2016isexpected to grow very strongly. Employment rose very strongly in the last five years, and in the long-term (ten years).
• Theinternetvacancylevelforenvironmental engineers is very high.
• ThemixofindustriesemployingEnvironmental Scientists/Engineers is favourable for employment growth prospects.
* The Data on Job Outlook is updated on a yearly basis and is compiled from national statistics which may not reflect either regional variations or more recent changes in employment conditions.
Graduate Attributes for EmploymentAs a graduate environmental engineer you will have:
• Opportunitiestointeractwithindustryprofessionals through guest lectures, field and project work.
• Asoundfundamentalunderstandingofthe principles underlying Environmental Engineering, and the ability to apply them to complex, open-ended engineering tasks and problems.
• Genericskills,includingmanagement,communication, problem-solving and design and innovation in Environmental Engineering.
• Theeducationalandprofessionalstandardsof Engineers Australia with which the course is accredited.
• Understandingofprofessionalandethicalresponsibilities and commitment to them.
• Generalknowledge.
• Understandingofthebusinessenvironment.
• Abilitytocommunicateeffectively,with the engineering team and the community at large.
• Abilitytofunctioneffectivelyasanindividual and in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, as a team leader or manager as well as an effective team member.
• Abilitytomanageinformationanddocumentation.
• Capacityforlifelonglearningandprofessional development.
PENNY ROGERS
Environmental Engineer, GHD
Study Area: Environmental Engineering
As an environmental engineer specialising inriverhealth,PennyRogersspendstimeon the field collecting samples, assessing river conditions and understanding the ecology of environments. She works for GHD, one of the world’s leading engineering, architecture and environmental consulting companies.
Pennyrecentlycompletedsomeexcitingfield work in the outback around Alice Springs, an experience she counts among her career highlights:
“It was a great trip and I am lucky to be able to work in such amazing and diverse environments.”
BeforecommencingatGHD,Pennycompleted vacation work for both consultancies and government agencies within the field of Natural Resources ManagementandRiverHealth,experiencesthat offered great insights into the river health industry. She also worked for the UniversityofMelbourneasaresearchassistant.
Pennyenjoyedthefieldtripopportunitiesand peer networking:
“GraduatingfromMelbournegavemeanexcellent peer group for when I started working full time.”
Job Search Sites• Careers Online
• Engineer Jobs/Environmental Engineering
• Engineering Career
• Engineering Jobs Australia
• Enviro Jobs
• Grad Connection
• H2Oz
• Job Search Australia/Engineers
• Just Engineers
• MyCareer – Environmental Engineering Jobs
• Seek – Environmental Engineering Jobs
recruiters• Recruitment and Consulting Services
Association’s Member Index
• Seek recruiter search
Professional Associations• APESMA
• Australian Water Association
• Consult Australia
• Engineers Australia
• Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering (a society of Engineers Australia)
Licensing and registrationThereisnoformalsystemofregulationforengineersthroughoutAustralia.EngineeringservicesareregulatedunderavarietyofActsinadhocareas,manyofwhichrelatetoengineersinthebuildingandconstructionindustry.
EngineersinQueenslandarerequiredbylegislationtoberegisteredthroughtheBoard of Professional Engineers in Queensland (BPEQ).
Inotherstatesandterritoriesengineersoperateundertheself-regulatorysystemoperatedbytheNational Engineering Registration Board (NERB).
international Students/graduatesWorking in Victoria: An Engineer’s Guide
Overseas Qualifications Assessment Team (OSQA)Engineers Australia
Useful Links
ShAiSTA POTTAChirA
environmental engineer, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Study Area: environmental engineering
Desalinationplants,powerstationsandwindfarmscountinShaistaPottachira’sportfolioofprojectsasanenvironmentalengineerforParsons Brinckerhoff:
“ThebestpartofmyjobisbeingabletocontributetoconservingtheenvironmentandknowingthatIworkonmajorprojectsthatwillshapeAustralia.”
Shaistaenjoysthediversityofworkthatherroleoffers:
“Idon’thaveatypicaldayattheoffice,whichiswhatmakesitsogreat!Iworkondifferentprojectsandproposalsthroughouttheday;Imaybecalledtogooutintothefieldorattendclientmeetings.IalsoleadtheYoungProfessionalsNetworkfortheMelbourneofficeatthefirm,soamidstprojectworkI’mrunningcommitteemeetingsandorganisingprogramsandevents,whichIlovedoinginadditiontoengineering.”
Duringherstudies,Shaistawasanactive
volunteer,assistingintheVictorianStudents’AidProgramandundertakingvoluntaryworkinBrazilwithglobalyouthorganisation,AIESECaftercompletingherstudies:
“IwentonadevelopmenttraineeshiptoBrazilfor4.5monthswhereIworkedinaswimmingprogramforchildrenfromdisadvantagedcommunities.Iendedupformingquiteclosetiestothechildrenandtheirparents.Theysayyoutrulygrowasapersonwhenyou’vebeenthrownintoacompletelyunfamiliarsituation,andIwantedtochallengemyselfpersonallythisway.”
Thelong-lastingfriendshipsshedevelopedduringherstudiesandthesummersontheSouthLawnremainfondmemoriesforShaista:
“GraduatingfromMelbournegavemealoveoflearningandanopenmindedviewoftheworld.”
EnvironmentalEngineeringPathways.AuthorisedbytheIndustryRelationsManager,MelbourneSchoolofEngineering.PublishedbyTheMelbourneSchoolofEngineering,July2012.
Copyright:©CopyrightUniversityofMelbourne2012.CopyrightinthispublicationisownedbytheUniversityandnopartofitmaybereproducedwithoutthepermissionoftheUniversity.
CRICOSprovidercode00116K.Disclaimer:TheUniversityhasuseditsbestendeavourstoensurethatmaterialcontainedinthispublicationwascorrectatthetimeofprinting.TheUniversitygivesnowarrantyandacceptsno
responsibilityfortheaccuracyorcompletenessofinformationandtheUniversityreservestherighttomakechangeswithoutnoticeatanytimeatitsabsolutediscretion.