NSW Chapter Archives - Engineers Without Borders Australia https://ewb.org.au/blog/category/local-chapters/nsw-chapter/ Creating change through humanitarian engineering Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:09:45 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 Creating opportunity for migrant and refugee engineers https://ewb.org.au/blog/2022/04/12/creating-opportunity-for-migrant-and-refugee-engineers/ Tue, 12 Apr 2022 03:11:42 +0000 https://ewb.org.au/?p=18024 ​​The professional qualifications of migrants and refugees arriving in Australia are often buried by the obstacles that come with settling in a new country. EWB’s NSW Chapter and Metro Assist […]

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​​The professional qualifications of migrants and refugees arriving in Australia are often buried by the obstacles that come with settling in a new country. EWB’s NSW Chapter and Metro Assist are creating opportunities to address these challenges.

English as a foreign language, and differing industry regulations create a daunting barrier to finding employment in Australia. In 2018, EWB’s NSW Chapter partnered with Metro Assist, a community organisation that provides a range of services to support migrants and refugees settling in NSW. Their services include migrant settlement, family support, early intervention, and emergency relief. The NSW Chapter is working with Metro Assist’s SkillME Program to support migrants and refugees with engineering and IT backgrounds to find employment in Australia. This support involves industry mentoring, information packages and workshops. Participants come from many different countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Colombia and China.

Supporting international talent

Jonathan Posniak is an EWB volunteer and coordinator of the SkillME partnership with Metro Assist. For his day job, Jonathan is a mechanical engineer for Nous Group in Sydney. Jonathan began volunteering at EWB to use his professional skills to improve the lives of others. Jonathan coordinates EWB NSW’s partnership with SkillME via a mentorship program that assists participants navigate their job search in Australia. Alongside mentorship, participants receive industry information pamphlets and tips from HR representatives of engineering firms.

“The mentorship program provides participants with moral support and encouragement during the application process. It can be very challenging for a person to apply for these jobs and get lots of rejections,” says Jonathan. “This can have a big impact on self-worth, so the mentors are there to be a sounding board and help them through the process.”

The mentorship program

The EWB NSW Chapter sources mentors from engineering and IT firms, who individually support a participant for three months. The mentors chat weekly with participants to educate and provide feedback on their application process. Furthermore, mentors gain experience working in a pro-bono environment and see the impact that their work can have at a community level.  The program runs four cycles each year, with 14 mentors and 24 mentees partaking in the program since 2018. There have been some unforeseen benefits of the program that Jonathan didn’t envision when it started.

“Within the mentoring program we developed a mentoring manual to provide mentors information for best practice,” explains Jonathan. “The volunteers of these projects were primarily migrants and refugees, which developed their knowledge of the field and gave them local experience to put on their CV.”

Moustafa’s story

Moustafa Al Esali has now landed his dream job

Moustafa Al Esali grew up in Syria. Where many Australian high school graduates move onto university studies nearby home, Moustafa’s school graduation coincided with the beginning of the Syrian war.

“I wanted a safe place to live, rather than waking up to the war in Syria,” says Moustafa. “Electricity was out for 20 hours of the day, and we couldn’t use a generator in fear they would bomb our house.”

Always maintaining his appetite to study, even when restricted to candlelight, Moustafa fled to Malaysia in 2012. Moustafa studied the Bachelor of Civil Engineering at the University of Malaysia Perlis. Completing the degree in 2017, he moved to Australia on a recognised graduate visa in 2018.

“I knew of Australia’s excellent quality of life index, healthy economy and beautiful warm weather.”

Moustafa fell in love with Sydney instantly, making friends quickly whilst learning more about Australia and his new local neighbourhood. However, he faced difficulties in his job search as a fresh engineering graduate.

“It was hard to find an engineering job because my visa conditions did not include permanent residency,” explains Moustafa. “I did not have local experience or understanding of the market, which is a big thing when it comes to finding a job in Australia.”

In his persistent job search, Moustafa found the SkillME website. Soon after, Moustafa began the three-month EWB mentorship program under the guidance of an engineer, Yingying.

“Yingying’s guidance developed my understanding of the Australian market and the job application process,” explains Moustafa. “I learnt how to write a resume and cover letter based on Australian standards.”

The support boosted Moustafa’s confidence in job interviews and responding to frequently asked questions.

“Yingying was very helpful and understanding. I hope she is reading this to say thank you again!”

Upon completion of the program, Moustafa participated in TAFE Digital’s SkillMax program. The program gave Moustafa the chance to meet people from different cultures and share their employment experiences. Participants also practiced mock job interviews and phone call etiquette, and spoke with recruiters. Moustafa’s participation in SkillME and SkillMax assisted him in securing an internship at Sydney-based contracting company, Fortis Group PTY LTD. As Moustafa finds his feet in the Australian engineering industry, his long-term vision highlights an inspiring drive to improve the lives of others. 

“My dream job is working for one of the biggest international civil engineering companies in the world,” says Moustafa. “I would like to contribute to the most iconic projects to shape a better world around us.”

Alongside career aspirations, Moustafa equally wishes to use his knowledge to support the repair of Syria.

“One of the main reasons I studied civil engineering was my complete fascination with ancient Roman monuments that stand to this day.”

Currently, Moustafa is settled in Australia, yet he will always have a yearning to travel back and support his home country. “Hopefully one day I can be part of the rebuild of my beautiful country Syria. However, for now, I plan to stay and work in Australia as this country has given me a great opportunity, new life and lots of hope.

Update from Moustafa:

“On the 11th of October, 2021 my job search journey came to an end and I landed my dream job at SMEC Australia. I felt very welcomed from the very first interview. My team is very helpful, they always answer my questions with the same enthusiasm whether it is my first or tenth question of the day. It is a great workplace with lots of interesting projects going on around the country. A big thanks to my managers Andrew Pettig & Rob Lee and my team leader David Sananikone for their outstanding help and endless support. It has been a great ride so far and I am so excited to see what the future holds to me within SMEC!”

EWB and SkillME maintain a strong partnership that will continue to support and promote the professional skills of migrants living in Australia. The mentorship program will continue to unveil new engineering talent and provide a fulfilling experience for mentors in the program. To become a mentor, keep an eye out through Engineers Without Borders NSW Chapter for updates on mentorship openings that occur several times a year.

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Wenqian’s way: From inquisitive kid to challenging the status quo https://ewb.org.au/blog/2021/04/28/wenqians-way-from-inquisitive-kid-to-challenging-the-status-quo/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:47:58 +0000 https://ewb.org.au/?p=14572 Picture yourself as a kid, watching your parents clean the house. If you’re like most people, you couldn’t think of anything more uninspiring.  If you’re like Wenqian Gan, this is […]

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Picture yourself as a kid, watching your parents clean the house. If you’re like most people, you couldn’t think of anything more uninspiring. 

If you’re like Wenqian Gan, this is exactly what inspires a career. Growing up, Wenqian would watch her parents do chores with interest. Her parents would discuss the user-friendliness of the tools they used, and Wenqian would join in. 

This nurtured mindset for user-centred design shaped Wenqian’s future. She wanted to take action on these first-hand learnings and create user-friendly household products. Not one to sit on her hands, she enrolled in engineering at the University of Sydney (USYD).

Challenging engineering’s status quo

 

Wenqian discovered that engineering’s dominant image as a technical, problem-solving profession was actually just one side of it.

When she developed a workshop that taught human-centred design through a research project with EWB, Wenqian saw the light. She discovered that engineering could be social and problem-defining. This was a side to the profession that fit with Wenqian’s desire for a better world for marginalised people. It changed her idea of engineering, and would inspire her future research.

Challenging the status quo of engineering has been a theme throughout Wenqian’s education. That theme has continued in her current PhD in engineering education research. Having grown up in Malaysia, Wenqian has first-hand experience as a female international engineering student in Australia. That experience made her reflect on the interplay between social identities and perceptions about engineering, and the diversity in pathways to engineering. Inspired to interrogate engineering identity further, she started her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2019. 

As though completing a PhD isn’t enough to have on her plate, Wenqian is the 2020/2021 EWB NSW Region President. Which, she says, gives her a great excuse to meet, work with and learn from inspiring people.

“Being involved with EWB gives me an extended network to collaborate with and an additional window of perspectives, which are extremely useful as a researcher.

As Engineering Education is a significant part of EWB’s work, it complements my research on Engineering Education perfectly (in fact, I started doing research in this field because of EWB!). 

There is such a huge overlap in the community I engage with and the topics I am interested in that it doesn’t feel like I’m doing two separate roles.”

Opportunity through shared vision

Wenqian’s first involvement with EWB came when she discovered the USYD Chapter in mid-2015. She didn’t know much about the organisation, but was excited to find a group of people that shared her values. 

That discovery kick-started a busy journey with EWB. Wenqian’s involvement has included a trip to Cambodia for EWB’s Humanitarian Design Summit in 2016 and volunteering in EWB’s National Office. She is also four-time EWB Challenge Showcase attendee, where she has been a volunteer, a participant, and a two-time guest speaker.

In her first EWB role, as USYD Chapter Connectivity Coordinator, Wenqian worked to reduce the digital divide within the community. That role involved providing technical support with computer software and mobile applications for asylum seekers. This is when Wenqian first saw how she could apply her skills to make positive change in the community. 

“As I got to know the organisation better, I was compelled by the organisation’s vision to create sustainable, lasting change. I could elaborate further, but essentially the organisational values and the people are what kept me engaged!”

As an EWB Research Program participant, Wenqian developed and ran a Makerthon for EWB’s Queensland Chapter. The Makerthon was designed as a local, refined version of EWB’s Humanitarian Design Summit, with the aim of encouraging human-centred design for community benefit. The workshop resulted in the generation of solutions to address challenges faced by people with cerebral palsy.

Strong personal foundations

Wenqian believes that appreciating life’s journey is important. Her personal philosophy centres around accepting that mistakes are part of learning and knowing that it’s okay to not be perfect. She says the Robert Louis Stevenson quote “judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant” best sums up her approach to life.

“It reminds me of the importance of celebrating small successes and persevering for a long-term goal. These values are applicable to most aspects of my life – for example, taking small steps to write each week gets me closer to completing my PhD, and doing food prep at the beginning of each week saves me from running out of food and time mid-week!”

With a powerful social conscience at her core, Wenqian is passionate about inclusion and supportive communities for all.

“I am hopeful for a future where safe spaces are normalised for the marginalised (both physically and online), not because racist people or sexist remarks cease to exist, but rather because they are always surrounded by allies who will stop racial violence or call out sexist remarks.”  

Wenqian’s biggest fear is not making the most of what she has right now – making time to catch up with family and friends, using her voice to speak up against injustice, and activating her power and skills to bring positive change.

Given her determination and vision, we don’t think she’ll have any trouble continuing to use her skills to create a more equitable world.

If you’re interested in challenging the status quo like Wenqian, and would like to volunteer at EWB, you can sign up here.

 

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Uni Chapters collaborate with ‘Big Design EWB’ online challenge https://ewb.org.au/blog/2020/09/22/uni-chapters-collaborate-with-big-design-ewb-online-challenge/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 02:14:52 +0000 https://ewb.org.au/?p=13104 The post Uni Chapters collaborate with ‘Big Design EWB’ online challenge appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

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In a time of unprecedented social isolation, where in-person events are unviable, five NSW EWB university chapters collaborated to take their annual Inter-University Design Corner competition online, for the first time ever! 

“[I loved about this event…] Getting to work and socialise with my friends via Zoom on an interesting topic, especially at a time when socialising is still not what it was before and uni life doesn’t exist.”

Big Design EWB Participant

A passionate team of EWB Chapter members from UTS, USyd, Macquarie University, UWS and UNSW re-designed and adapted the event, previously known as ‘Design Corner’ hosted at UTS,  into a week-long design challenge titled ‘Big Design EWB’, aiming to increase understanding of the importance of deeply understanding community needs in design. 

Over 5o student teams participated, dedicating a week of their July holidays to design and pitch solutions to improve health and access to medical supplies including sanitary items, disease prevention and telemedicine, in remote communities.

Big Design EWB’s Interactive Online Delivery 

Big Design EWB kicked off with an address via Zoom by the organising committee and a Design Thinking Workshop run by University Innovation Fellows (UIF).  Throughout the week, participants were supported via a Facebook group where they had access to the organising committee and were fed tips and tricks regarding prototyping and tutorials on topics such as ‘How to pitch your idea’. There was even a movie night run toward the end of the competition, giving participants some time to chill out and sit back before putting the final touches on their designs. 

“We wanted to provide a creative but purposeful outlet for all the engineering students who wanted a chance to experience tackling real-world engineering problems in the comfort of their own homes. We centred our design problem around accessing healthcare since it seemed so relevant to our current situation. Our goal with this year’s design challenge was to invoke a sense of empathy from our participants, so that the motivations behind the solutions would be genuine and that’s exactly what we saw,” said a representative from the organising committee.

Event supported by academics, industry and community development professionals

Online delivery of events such as this are providing more and more opportunities for academics and industry professionals to get involved in EWB Chapter events. Finalists pitched over Zoom to an impressive array of judges from academia, industry and community development professions, including UTS Rapido, Engineers Australia, the Australian Water Association and the Department of Defence.

Key Takeaways

Community needs, humanitarian engineering, teamwork, fun

EWB Chapters play an important role in providing opportunities for their peers to explore engineering as a mechanism for positive change. Of participants surveyed, 63% included “Increased awareness of importance of deeply understanding community needs in design” as one of their top 3 takeaways from Big Design EWB. Other top key takeaways included “Greater appreciation for humanitarian engineering” and “Importance of collaboration and teamwork in engineering.” 

And let’s not forget enjoyment and fun! Asked what they loved about the event, participants responded with key themes of friendship, fun and a challenge, the “opportunity to meet new people”, “having fun with teammates”, “the challenge” and “enthusiasm from the organising committee” to name just a few.

“I learnt that there is a very large number of economic, cultural and social factors you need to take into consideration when trying to solve a problem”

“This event gave a chance for me to improve my teamwork and leadership and most of all, having fun with teammates. I love how balanced my team is.”

– Big Design EWB Participants

Team Gumpad from the University of Sydney reflect on their experience in Big Design EWB 2020.

 

Find out more about EWB’s Chapter network.

*43 participants completed the post event survey

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