On Friday April 4, the first Western Australia Power of Engineering event took place at Curtin University in Perth, where female high school students will be inspired about engineering. They participated in a selection of workshops, site visits and empowering speakers.
Power of Engineering Co-Founder and President Felicity Briody said the Perth event is the first of many events and workshops planned for Western Australia that aim to squash the perception that a career in engineering is all about maths and hard hats and prove that it has the power to creatively change the world.
“Many perceptions are attached to engineering that often discourage people to consider it as an exciting career, so we have designed these events to help challenge the perception, showcase what engineering is really about and prove that it’s an innovative and creative profession that can shape the world,” she said.
“We’ve held over 20 events throughout Queensland and Victoria in the past two years and are thrilled to be expanding Power of Engineering events to launch in Western Australia. Western Australia’s engineering environment is very similar to that of Queensland, and we see it as a key part of our growth plan.”
The Perth event will commence with a welcome address to students by Western Australia’s Former Chief Scientist Lynn Beazley, who was recently inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame and holds over 30 years of experience.
The event will also feature site visits to two locations, including the GE Information Centre in Perth where students will be exposed to real life day-to-day engineering, as well as participate in interactive workshops where they can try problem solving in areas such as civil and water engineering.
Two empowering industry guest speakers address the students, including Woodside Energy’s Environmental Engineer Katrina Bukauskas who will discuss her experiences as an environmental engineer in the oil and gas sector and the opportunities she has encountered in her career such as volunteering in Engineers Without Borders.
Bukauskas said she is passionate about Power of Engineering and understands the importance of encouraging people to consider engineering as a career path is significant.
“When I was a high school student no one ever told me what opportunities I had to consider but I chose engineering after my physics teacher made the suggestion in the second half of year 12. I’m passionate about Power of Engineering because it gives girls just like me the opportunity to fully appreciate their options so they can make informed decisions about their future,” she said.
“Women offer diversity of thought and operating styles, which help to balance out teams making them more effective and efficient. Also engineering is a well-paid, challenging and diverse career option that provides numerous pathways for anyone to follow and young women should not be missing out.”
Thank you to the whole team in Perth who made this event a success! We are looking forward to more events in Western Australia later this year and beyond.