Brodie Turvey is a project engineer who volunteered at a Power of Engineering school event with the support of his employer, Seymour Whyte Constructions. We asked him to tell us about his experience.

Can you tell us about yourself and your company?

I’m a project engineer at Seymour Whyte Constructions. Seymour Whyte specialises in building complex and challenging infrastructure such as tunnels, roads and bridges. Our projects are delivered sustainably, on time and on budget, while looking after our people, the environment, and the community. We work with a wide range of stakeholders in the deliver of these projects. Seymour Whyte supports the Power of Engineering as we want to encourage people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences to join the engineering profession, particularly women. This will improve the diversity of our company, and the industry as whole.

WHY did you volunteer to be involved in an event for Power of Engineering?

I volunteered with the Power of Engineering because I love my job and want to share the joy I experience with the next generation of engineers and influence female students to pursue studies that will allow them to study engineering. I originally came from a rural area where opportunities in engineering and other STEM careers were not communicated very well to students. By volunteering with the Power of Engineering, I hope to correct this and influence future engineers!

WHY is it important for school students to meet real-life engineers?

It’s important to meet real-life engineers because the engineering profession is extremely diverse. I’m a civil engineer, but there are also mechanical, aerospace, electrical, and structural engineers – just to name a few. It can be difficult to visualise what engineers from all of these different specialisations actually do in their jobs. This means it’s extremely important for students to engineers to hear about their experiences and provide opportunities to ask lots of questions.

WHY is it important for students to see what real engineering companies do?

One of the most common questions I get asked by anyone outside of engineering is what I actually do for my job. Engineering is not very well understood by the general public and we often get misunderstood as a result (both in positive and negative ways). Understanding how engineering companies work and what they do helps everyone understand how important engineers are to the community.

WHY would you recommend volunteering with Power of Engineering to others?

Volunteering with Power of Engineering gives volunteers an excellent opportunity to help the next generation understand the importance of engineers to society. Also, the events are a lot of fun, and it’s great to talk to the next potential generation of engineers and spark the same love that I have for my profession.