Mr Brandon Lee

An Engineer working for Water Corporation

"I always liked electronics to some degree when I was young and liked solving problems/finding solutions. In later years, I came to understand that as an engineer, you have the ability to make a real difference to lives in the way that we can effect a change in lifestyle and standard of living for all, but without putting too much strain on the environment and resources."

Brandon Lee graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, along side accounting and finance. He is currently an Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineer with the Water Corporation working on the Perth Seawater Desalination Project.

His involvement began with vacation and part-time employment and he also received a scholarship from the Water Corporation while studying for his degree. "I liked the working environment and the job and hence decided to stay with them upon graduation."

Brandon's first role at the Water Corporation was as an electrical engineer in a maintenance section where projects covered servicing and maintaining all metropolitan area sites, upgrade options and finding solutions sometimes through minor design changes. He has also been involved with plant optimisation work and control systems, including adding functionality and upgrading.

Brandon then moved to a section responsible for providing technical services, mainly for project delivery and commissioning. This involved plant upgrades and commissioning new plants including: Subiaco and Beenyup Wastewater Treatment Plants; Chlorination System Upgrade; and the Merredin and Lancelin Pump Station Projects.

Brandon is currently under a secondment to the Perth Seawater Desalination Project. Initially he worked with Burns & Roe Worley (engineering design consultancy) in Perth assisting with the design of the instrumentation and control system for the plant. He is now at the Kwinana site, assisting with procurement and coordinating contractors, as they implement this design.

"In my current role, the highlight is being able to be involved in a significant project with national attention."

Ms Amra Filipovic

An Engineer working for Western Power

Amra graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) / Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) in 2002. Amra is now a project manager for Western Power.

Amra first started at Western Power in its graduate program spending three years rotating through different areas of the organisation. After finishing the graduate programme, she obtained a Certified Professional Engineer status (CPEng) though Engineers Australia and became a Project Manager.

She says that both engineering and working at Western Power has been hugely satisfying, rewarding and fun, especially as the graduate contingent comprised of nearly 40 people, all between 20 and 30 years in age and they were encouraged to professionally network and socialise.

Amra is now a Project Manager (Works Delivery, Program Delivery) in the Transmission Project Management section. She is involved with large projects upward of $10M which are associated with connecting independent generators into the Western Power network.

"It's fun, always different and the opportunities for creating vast social and professional networks are endless".

Amra is also currently completing an MBA at the GSM at UWA to expand her management skills for her current job and expand her horizons and opportunities for the future. She believes now she might even consider consultancy in the same field one day in the future.

"There is still so much to learn, the possibilities are limitless at this stage".

Mr Graham Ison

An Engineer working for Woodside

Graham Ison graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering /Bachelor of Science in 1999, majoring in Electrical and Control engineering. He currently works for Woodside as an Instrumentation Engineer.

Graham was offered a job with Woodside early in his final year of university. "They are one of the best companies to work for," says Graham. His first role in Karratha was hands-on experience in a standard 2-year graduate rotation. He then moved back to Perth for 18 months as a Sub-sea Engineer. Following this he focused his expertise on instrumentation engineering, working in projects where he has seen his ideas become reality.

Although Woodside is Perth-based, Graham has had opportunities to travel including: training in the Netherlands; overseas equipment testing; and trips to the off-shore platforms in WA's north-west. Next year, he will be spending 6 months in Malaysia for on-site commissioning.

"With the resources industry booming, all engineers are in high demand, particularly instrumentation engineers," he says.

Currently he is working on the $1.6 billion Angel offshore platform project, designed to start producing natural gas by 2008. Their goal is a "not normally manned" platform which, if successful, will be the first unmanned platform of this complexity, so quality is the top priority, not cost.

Instrumentation is constantly changing, providing many opportunities to apply new technology and ways of working. Graham's opportunities involving new technology have included working with: multivariable instruments; a new visual imaging "oil in water" analyser; Foundation Fieldbus digital technology, acoustic leak detectors, nucleonic instruments and virtual metering. Instrumentation in particular requires a strong appreciation of other types of engineering, which he says keeps life interesting.

He is also currently completing an MBA at the GSM at UWA, fully paid for by Woodside.

Mr Reece Lumsden

A Project Manager of Electrical Design Integration for the 787 Dreamliner Aircraft program.

• I majored in the Power and Control streams, finishing my final exams in November 1997 and graduating with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1998.

  I am currently working for Boeing Commercial Aircraft in Everett, Washington. I am a Project Manager of Electrical Design Integration for the 787 Dreamliner program. Basically, my role is to interface with the partners Boeing has contracted with to help it complete the wiring throughout the aircraft. I periodically travel to supplier sites in France, Mexico and within the US to insure that the goals Boeing and its partners have set themselves are being met.

Some highlights of my career have been:

• Witnessing the Airbus A380 conducting flight trials while visiting Boeing supplier sites in Toulouse, France. That is one BIG aircraft!!!
• Being involved with the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Trials in 2001.
• Being a crew member on one of the two week rotations held at the Mars Societies Mars Desert Research Station located in the Utah Desert.
• Sitting on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Systems Engineering Technical Committee and asking questions related to NASA’s handling of Systems Engineering of Dr Mike Griffin, current NASA Administrator.
• Attending the unveiling of the 787 Dreamliner, the most successful commercial aircraft program in history.
• Co-authoring a book on Earth Observation (Athena Global Earth Observation Guide 2005) with colleagues in Canada and Europe, published in 2005.
• Being awarded the Young Engineer of the Year for the ACT Division of Engineers Australia in 2002.
• Obtaining my position with Boeing in the US after over 100 applications stretching over 4 years.

The job opportunities for EECE graduates from my perspective are VERY good.