You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Meet Kent Evans
Job:
Graduate Site Engineer.
Job description:
As a graduate site engineer I spend my days planning, overseeing and checking works. In my job I work as part of a team of people, each with different strengths. We take ideas from the design engineers in the form of drawings and make these into reality. I spend my time figuring out problems in a logical way, using the maths and physics I learnt in school to make informed decisions on how to build bridges in a way that is safe, good value for money and will last longer than either you or I will be alive.
Work background:
After finishing uni last year this is my first year in a full time role as an engineer.
Favourite part of job:
Using the maths and physics I learnt at school and uni to work out real life problems and see the numbers I work out actually equate to something which I can see being built.
Least favourite part of job:
There is a bit of monotonous paperwork that has to be done in order to make sure all our boxes are ticked, this can be a bit confusing and boring at times.
What I am working on now:
At the moment I am working on a range of jobs. After just 6 months out of uni I am being given a huge amount of responsibility taking over the building of the decks, diaphragms and barriers on the bridges. I am currently overseeing the construction of the first bridge expansion joint on the job, although a much smaller job this is proving to be just as difficult, if not more than what seem like much bigger jobs.
A quick story about a job well done:
As an intern on the project last summer I had a few moments where I used my freshly learnt engineering knowledge from uni to prove useful. In one instance I was left alone by the site engineer looking after me to level up a 70 tonne concrete crosshead on a crane. This involved calculating the angles and lengths of rigging gear so that the crosshead sat at a 6% crossfall. I managed to get it on my first try which I was pretty stoked about.
Qualifications:
BE(Hons) Civil Engineering from the University of Auckland.
Interests outside work:
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Surfing
- Tramping
- Working on my car
- Rugby
- Netball
- Basically anything outdoors
Meet Kent Evans, a Graduate Site Engineer with the Well Connected Alliance. Image: NZTA.