Engineers are vital to supporting the planning, design, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance of the infrastructure that enables our communities.
There's also an element of cost, risk and performance implications carried by the decisions that engineers make on a daily basis. Having the right engineering systems, processes, competencies and assurance are all key parts in managing these risks.
As Australia and New Zealand's leading infrastructure services provider, this means qualified and capable engineers are also vital to our ability to deliver service excellence to our clients.
In 2022, Ventia initiated a multi-year Workplace Credentials Partnership with Engineers Australia, which supports our engineers to attain their professional Chartered Engineering credentials.
Organisational Development Manager, Kendall Geelen says that 40 engineers across Ventia have been successfully credentialled under this partnership across civil, electrical, mechanical, asset management, systems engineering and cost engineering areas of practice.
Empowering Engineering Professionals for Success
Employees like electrical engineers Shala Rezai and Nitin Skariah, and structural engineer Rose Wise took up the opportunity and have benefited from having the official credentials.
Kendall says the credentials are based on internationally recognised engineering education and competency standards, meaning the Engineers Australia Chartered credential is recognised in Australia and overseas.
"To gain Chartered status, individuals need to prove and maintain competency in a number of areas across personal commitment, obligation to the community, value in the workplace and technical proficiency," she says.
I'm really pleased that we're able to invest in our engineering professionals in this way, as it's another way we show that people are at the heart of our success.
Meet some of our chartered engineers
Lead Electrical Engineer Nitin Skariah has 23 years' experience across different sectors including oil and gas, petrochemical, utilities, marine and water. He has been working in our engineering services team for the past 13 years.
Lead Electrical Engineer Nitin Skariah
He says his days vary and he could be doing anything from designing electrical systems to overseeing the work of other designers, mentoring junior engineers, estimating cost and time for jobs, or developing new business opportunities for the business. One of the most interesting jobs he's worked on, he says, is the wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Sydney's Quakes Hill.
"The project was interesting because of the many challenges faced due to the brownfield nature of project and the innovation required to overcome them," he says.
Bid Manager for Transport Jaksun Hanna says that becoming a Chartered Engineer wasn't something he'd considered until the offer was made available.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity and supporting me in the Chartered credentialing process with Engineers Australia," he says.
"It's the highest available technical credential for an Engineer and I honestly didn't think I did enough engineering in my role as a Bid Manager, but it turns out my day-to-day activities and focus on Asset Management and Leadership and Management were more than enough to prove my engineering experience and skills."
"Now I have an internationally recognised professional Engineering credential that proves my worth and dedication to my chosen career and allows me to put a lot of letters after my name!"
Bid Manager for Transport Jaksun Hanna
Project Director Tony Curry says he was interested in gaining credentials given the high regard in which they are held by employers, clients and also by him personally.
Obtaining credentials doesn't just indicate an engineer's capability, it also ensures ethical judgement underpins their engineering decisions
"It's a valuable and natural extension for someone having completed an engineering degree and with work experience. Working through the program required engineers to reflect on their experience, their strengths and limitations, and reminds us that with our education and experience comes a social responsibility to do good. I found this really rewarding," he says.
Tony notes that he feels these credentials helped him secure his current role leading the Sydney Harbour Tunnel/Western Harbour Tunnel contract in our Transport business in NSW.
"It improves client confidence in safe service delivery. The program has supported me to become a better mentor and leader. I expect this will continue to support me into my career development far into the future."
Project Director Tony Curry
Cost Engineer Alex Badger says that he found the credentials a good way to communicate his skills.
"It was particularly useful to obtain a Chartered credential, with relevant areas of practice that relate to my current role, to give assurance to our client that an appropriately skilled and qualified person is delivering their services," Alex says.
The Chartered credential will feature on my CV and further bolster Ventia's highly-skilled team in securing future works.
There are many other engineers at Ventia, some of whom are in the early years of their career and are keen to look at chartered credentials in the future.
Maya Schouwenaar is a Process Engineer in our Engineering Services team and joined the organisation as a graduate back in 2020.
Process Engineer Maya Schouwenaar
"Through the graduate program I had a great time rotating through the business, working in project engineering, as well as environmental and bushfire planning," Maya says.
I love that I am always learning something new in my role. Whether it's a brand new process from feed to product, or a new symbol on a piping and instrumentation design! There's always so much more to know.
Certified Engineers for Industry Excellence
The Chartered credential can be earned across 27 areas of engineering practice and includes assessment for registration on the National Engineering Register.
The Engineering Workforce Credentialling program will help Ventia build the most highly skilled and credentialled engineering workforce in the industry.