Hannah Berlingeri (Civil Engineer)
"I graduated from Curtin University of Technology in 2001 with Honours in a Bachelor of Civil & Construction Engineering. On graduating I knew I didn't want to do structural design, but beyond that I was not sure what part of the big wide world of civil engineering I wanted to be involved with.
Straight out of uni I started work with a consultancy firm. It didn't take long for me to realise that I wanted to get out in the 'real world' and build things.
I started with Ertech in 2003 as an Estimating Engineer. It was the first time I had laid hands on an A1 drawing and then started doing quantity take-offs and pricing tenders. After a short while I took on the role of Project Engineer and looked after numerous Perth metropolitan subdivisions.
Early in 2005 I became Project Manager and now look after all our work in Kalgoorlie and surrounding regions, ranging from subdivisions to mine site civil works.
The progression through the ranks has been invaluable. Whilst I still have a lot to learn, I have a sound understanding of how to price projects and then manage them.
Working for Ertech and its great team of people has been truly awesome. The wealth of experience we have in-house ensures that you never have to go it alone. This is especially important to a new graduate."
Dan Chittick (Civil Engineer)
"I Graduated from Curtin in 2000 – Bachelor of Civil and Construction Engineering.
Whilst studying, I worked part time on Construction sites including the Kwinana Freeway and Roe Highway in Perth. After graduation, I spent the next 12 months supervising for a Concrete Formwork company before starting with Ertech.
Starting off as a Project Engineer in Port Hedland, I progressed to Subdivisional works in Perth, Main Roads work in Tammin and then numerous Perth metropolitan Subdivisions and Earthworks projects.
Since then, I have become a Project Manager and am currently looking after projects in Karratha, the Goldfields and Perth.
The opportunities that I have had since commencing with Ertech have been great and have allowed my learning and understanding of Project Management to expand and continue to grow. I have been exposed to a wide variety of work which allows for a good wide knowledge base that will enable me to work through future projects more effectively."
Christian Guerrero (Student - Civil Engineer)
"I first encountered Ertech at the end of my second year of
studies where I was endeavoring to start VAC work, which is a
requirement of my degree. I am currently studying at Curtin University,
taking on the ‘Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Construction
Engineering)’ degree.
My main role within Ertech consisted of gaining on site experience by
working on the ground with mainly drainers and machine operators. This
took place at ‘The Village’ in Wellard in which Ertech is currently
involved with housing developments.
During my summer at Ertech, I worked for a total of 411.5 hours from
the 3rd of December 2007 to the 8th of February 2008. Any
given week would consist of work from 7am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
The Christmas holiday break and certain other days were an exception to
this.
During my time on site, I was involved in many tasks. Most of which are
noted below...
- Installing gas, water, power,
reticulation and Telstra services
- Operating light machinery (e.g.
Compactors)
- Installing water drainage and sewerage
- Installing tap connections
- The welding of gas pipes
- Aiding diggers to bone trenches with
laser instruments
- Being present for the duration of a
Project Managers and Consultants meeting
- Becoming familiar with power, gas,
reticulation, Telstra and drainage plans
- Becoming familiar with various
connection such as those used on main water and gas pipelines.
Working on site has given me a greater depth of understanding in
relations to my studies, especially in regards to geotechnical themed
units. Also, I definitely left fitter than when I arrived due
to the good dose of manual labor that was required of me!
All work was paid for and even though I was new to the company, I had
most of the same entitlements as other Ertech staff. Also, safety
practices are very highly stressed at Ertech, and it was made sure that
I had the necessary training and equipment to safely perform tasks and
navigate around site.
Overall, it was a very rewarding experience as it introduced me to the
practical side of Civil Engineering design and management as well as
exposing me to real world working conditions and to the people that are
involved."
Cameron Maher (Student - Civil Engineer)
"Time Completed: 377 hours from 03/12/07 to 15/02/08
Summary of Tasks Undertaken:
In my time at Ertech I learnt a great deal about engineering practices
and gained very valuable experience in the workplace. Ertech was a very
different experience for me, as I have previously worked in an
engineering consultancy. My work experience here allowed me to see what
really happens after the plans are drawn up and construction has begun.
I spent the majority of my time working on site doing a great variety
of work and working with many different people, which allowed me to see
how the design plans of a project are put into practice. I worked with:
Drainers - Laying water, gas, sewer,
power, reticulation and Telstra
pipes. I was assisting in pressure testing the water and gas, and
checking for
leaks in the lines, and fixing any leaks.
General Ground Workers - Compacting
behind retaining walls, cleaning and
tidying
Surveyors - Helping surveyor mark exact
lines of where kerbing is to be
installed.
And many other tasks such as; helping the grader driver with road level
markings, making sure the excavator operator was digging trenches to
correct heights and widths and also transferring levels and positions
of pegs marking where the trenches were to be dug, wetting soils to
appropriate amounts so that compaction would be quick and efficient,
removing existing fencing from residential housing and putting up
temporary fencing until new fences could be put in, and some block
paving to replace where the ground had moved from underneath the
existing paving.
I was also fortunate enough to gain some experience on machines such
as; the excavator, moving some earth around to get a feel for the
machine; the backhoe, using the forks to move a compactor and the back
excavator to dig and fill holes and move certain objects; and the
multi-tyre roller, compacting limestone and road base to create
residential roads.
All this work allowed me to gain much greater appreciation for the work
that is done on construction sites and to see how skilled the people
are who actually make the engineering plans come to life. It gave me
invaluable experience in a different field of civil engineering to
anything I have done before, and gave me practical knowledge that I
will be able to apply to my studies."
Hayley Aldridge (Student - Civil Engineer)
"I am a Civil Eng student at Curtin, and have been employed as
an Engineering Cadet by Ertech since late June 2007. Since then, I have
been exposed to a wide variety of construction conditions and
processes, which have helped me to obtain an insight into the
contracting world. As I much prefer hands on learning to theoretical
concepts, being able to learn about construction processes by taking
part was a huge boost to my interest in and commitment to completing my
engineering degree. The first project I took part in was a subdivision
in Burns Beach, where I worked for five weeks. Here I was encouraged to
work with the different crews on various parts of the project, covering
everything from drainage to retaining walls, bulk earthworks to gas
pipe and so on. I even had opportunity to operate some of the heavy
machinery onsite, including excavators and loaders- don’t be fooled,
it’s much harder than it looks!
After having seen how a metro project worked, I asked HR if they could
“send me regional” for the summer break. They obliged, and as a result
I spent the better part of 3 months in Mt. Barker, a small town just
north of Albany. Here the project was a highway bypass, the client Main
Roads WA- and as I quickly discovered, road building has a lot more
pressure attached than subdivisions! The same hands on learning was
applied here, though as I absorbed more about the methods involved I
was given sections of the job to supervise on my own. This has been the
most interesting and rewarding aspect of work experience so far, as I
had to plan the work process around limited resources and tight working
spaces. Having a team of workers expecting me to provide safe and
efficient solutions to work place problems was a great challenge, and I
look forward to doing something similar in future work placements with
Ertech.
During my time on each project, the importance of time management,
lateral thinking and a desire to learn have been impressed upon me time
and time again. No-one expects you to know what you are talking about
immediately, but over time if you show some initiative and demonstrate
willingness to pull your weight, roles that attract more responsibility
will be passed your way. And of course, not only do you learn about the
industry while having a Cadetship with a Civil Contractor, you are well
paid for your time there too!
Overall, I have been most impressed by my reception into the Ertech
family, and would recommend them as employers of choice to any other
Civil Engineering undergraduate."
