Alternative pathways into engineering professions; A student perspective

This article details my experiences studying mining engineering externally with CQU Australia, as part of the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Cadetship program at Saraji Mine. It is written mainly in the first person, to allow the communication of my personal experiences more effectively. The aim of the paper is to highlight the benefits of such programs to employers in the engineering fields, as a partial solution to the shortage of professional staff. The paper also serves to illustrate the difficulties encountered during the course of running the program, by both employers and participants, and how these difficulties were overcome. The topics of discussion include a short biography on myself, detailing my work history and how I came to be employed by BMA on the cadetship program. An explanation of the program development, structure, selection processes and vocational training is expanded upon, detailing my personal experiences along the way. Towards the end of the paper, I address the difficulties in achieving a balance between work, study and personal time, as well as the company and university support I received. The paper finishes with details on how I maintained enthusiasm throughout the course of the program and highlights the future career prospects available on completion of the cadetship as well as benefits to industry.