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What a difference a grad makes

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Having made their mark on projects and operations around our global business, the 2018 graduate program intake will soon meet to close out their two-year development program and find out the winners of the 2019 Graduate of the Year Award.

From the get-go, these 224 graduates have stepped up to responsibilities and challenges. They’ve built outstanding skills and, leveraging the support of the technical experts and mentors around them, made a much-valued contribution across the Group.

Congratulations to all our graduates. The importance of each of you to the business cannot be overstated, and all of CIMIC Group wishes you well in your future. The new ideas and methods, enthusiasm and talent which you bring are vital to evolving our operations and projects. Strive to continually deepen your knowledge base and remain flexible in your career journey. Thanks for your efforts and keep up the good work.

Michael Wright CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer

Meet the 2019 Graduate of the Year finalists

Ahead of the group’s well-earned graduation event next month, Pulse puts a spotlight on the capabilities, energy and ideas our graduates bring, by profiling our 13 Graduate of the Year award finalists.

The annual Graduate of the Year Award recognises the exceptional achievements of our graduates, in engineering and other professional disciplines.

Our thirteen finalists have been selected for their leadership and commitment to learning, building their professional experiences, delivering outstanding outcomes and living our Principles. Well done.

Michael Wright CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer

A win-win

Managers talk about the graduate program and the difference graduates make to their teams.

“Graduates at EIC Activities are offered engineering training and development, as well as an opportunity to contribute professionally from day one. The CIMIC Group graduate program ensures that graduates, no matter which project they are working on, can acquire key transferrable skills in technical, leadership, and communication areas. The graduate rotations broaden our graduates’ knowledge of project and business areas, and expand their professional networks.” Geoff Sewell, EIC Activities Managing Director (L) with Jackson Blacker, EIC Activities Graduate Engineer (R).

“The CIMIC Group graduate program is a great way for graduates to experience different areas of the business. By the time two years have been completed they generally have an idea on where they would like to take their career.” Phillip Millan, Broad Project Manager (L) with Henry Fitzgerald, Broad Site Engineer (R).

“The program is designed to be two years with one year working in the design office and another on the project. Graduates then obtain both design and construction experience.” Man-Yin Cheng, Leighton Asia Engineering Manager (R) with Kin Shing (Aaron) Tsang, Leighton Asia Graduate Engineer (L).

“The program provides practical opportunities for graduates to apply and improve their skills in a structured and guided environment.” Bradley Weisse, Sedgman Senior HSE Advisor (L) with Alex Gannon, Sedgman People and HSEQ Graduate (R).

“Having a graduate in our small team has created an inclusive learning environment, where all team members have the opportunity to review their skills and knowledge during the training and mentoring of graduates and coworkers.” Gareth Evans, UGL Project Engineer – Manager (R) with Cristina Hernandez Montilla, UGL Graduate Mechanical Engineer (L).

“Graduates are full of energy and enthusiasm. They always boost the team spirit. Amalgamation of their passion and our experience brings efficiency and new dynamics to our design and construction works.” Kam Tong Cheng, Leighton Asia Design Manager (L) with Kit Kwan (Jenny) Lo, Leighton Asia Building Graduate Engineer III (R).

“The CIMIC Group graduate program is a proven career launchpad, providing opportunities to discover, develop and demonstrate skills in multiple disciplines and across different operating companies.” Lee Hayes, Thiess Manager Spatial Services (L) with Long Dinh, Thiess GIS & Spatial Systems Specialist (R).

“The CIMIC Group graduate program offers graduates a unique opportunity to work across several projects to gain a wider, more varied understanding of their discipline. The program offers graduates the necessary foundation on which they can achieve success in their careers.” Renee Barker, CPB Contractors Human Resources Manager (R) with Brittany Bell, CPB Contractors Human Resources Graduate (L).

“The graduate program exposes engineers to different parts of the company quickly, providing broad experience together with a comprehensive understanding of the mission and vision of the company.” Russell Lang, Leighton Asia Project Director (L) with Ka Lok Chan, Leighton Asia Graduate Engineer (R).

“The program, through its rotations, gives a good perspective of how the larger organisation works in different parts of the business. It also ensures specific technical abilities are obtained to help graduates proceed further in their careers.” Owen Chilmeran, UGL Business Controller (R) with Anita Battocchio, UGL Finance Graduate (L).

“Having graduates in our team is a win-win. Our team has been able to assist in building our graduates capabilities and learnings as well as being able to benefit and learn from the different, innovative and diverse thinking that comes with working with the next generation. This has certainly proven true in Emily-Rose’s case.” Mal Edwards, Thiess General Manager Finance (L) with Emily-Rose Ellis, Thiess Graduate Data Analyst (R).

“Graduates are fresh from university, eager to question why and challenge the norms pushing the team to improve the way we work.” Joe Hardwick, CPB Contractors Temporary Works Manager (L) with Simon Diviny, CPB Contractors Graduate Engineer (R).

“Exposure to the diversity of skill sets CIMIC Group boasts early in one’s career leads to a broader awareness and improved focus on developing one’s career.” Jonathon Martin, Sedgman Principal Structural Engineer (R) with Jonas Mandungu, Sedgman Graduate Structural Engineer (L).

A world of opportunity

Finalists talk about their graduate program experience and the CIMIC Group Principles guiding them.

“For me the highlight of the graduate program was applying the technical knowledge I learnt at EIC Activities in a practical and meaningful way throughout my rotations at CPB Contractors.” Jackson Blacker, EIC Activities Graduate Engineer.

“A challenge I enjoyed solving was optimising the reinforced concrete designs of structural elements for the Leighton Asia Kai Tak East and creating value of $1,605,000 for the tender bid.” Henry Fitzgerald, Broad Site Engineer.

“A Principle guiding me is Accountability. It prompts me to be responsible and committed to producing design works of high quality on time.” Kin Shing (Aaron) Tsang, Leighton Asia Graduate Engineer (L).

“A challenge I enjoyed solving was gaining the confidence to speak to crews and by constantly participating in prestarts, toolbox talks and training sessions my confidence has grown.” Alexander Gannon, Sedgman People and HSEQ Graduate (L).

“I had the chance to lead when I needed to meet deadlines for the Pumpkin Hollow Project while on rotation with Sedgman. I engaged new graduates to help me, which involved coaching them and following up on their progress.” Cristina Hernandez Montilla, UGL Graduate Mechanical Engineer.

“It was great being part of delivering the annex building project for Hong Kong’s world-class international airport and having the opportunity to work closely with our client and stakeholders.” Kit Kwan (Jenny) Lo, Leighton Asia Building Graduate Engineer III (L).

“We’ve made a difference for the community/environment by developing and implementing rehabilitation monitoring solutions using multispectral camera technology – a more efficient, accurate and safer method to measure mine rehabilitation success.” Long Dinh, Thiess GIS and Spatial Systems Specialist.

“A Principle guiding me is Integrity. It prompts me to deliver honest feedback to my stakeholders, regardless of how undesirable that information may be.” Brittany Bell, CPB Contractors Human Resources Graduate (R).

“A Principle guiding me is Safety. It prompts me to design and plan for safety before and throughout construction to create a healthy and safe working environment for our people.” Ka Lok Chan, Leighton Asia Graduate Engineer.

“A challenge I enjoyed solving was finalising the month end financials for a project by work day one, while ensuring claims to the client were submitted on time and invoices were raised.” Anita Battocchio, UGL Finance Graduate.

“A Principle guiding me is Innovation. I am always seeking new and innovative ways to improve processes in the business and deliver a solution to implement those innovative ideas.” Emily-Rose Ellis, Thiess Graduate Data Analyst.

“For me the highlight of the graduate program was taking on rotations with CPB Contractors and EIC Activities and having the opportunity to experience working on site in delivery and in a design capacity.” Simon Diviny, CPB Contractors Graduate Engineer.

“I had the chance to lead when I oversaw a project milestone at South Flank Mining Area C, liaising with the client, supervisors, surveyors and other subcontractors for successful excavations and concrete delivery.” Jonas Mandungu, Sedgman Graduate Structural Engineer.

Our 2018 Graduate cohort

  • 224 graduates
  • Completed up to three eight-month rotations across CPB Contractors, Leighton Asia, Broad, Thiess, Sedgman, UGL, EIC Activities, Pacific Partnerships and CIMIC Were located in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mongolia, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore
  • Were located in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mongolia, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore. 

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