by Fulton Hogan
This year Fulton Hogan Utilities (FHU) were again the proud Education Sponsor at the Ozwater Exhibition that gave a group of students the opportunity to connect with water professionals and understand more about the Australian water sector. It also gave them a great opportunity to learn about water industry career pathways.
As part of the new STEM Program that was launched this year in Queensland, Year 7 students from Marsden State High School were given a real life industry challenge involving delivery of works at Urban Utilities’ Woodlands Street Pump Station Bypass Site. These students attended Ozwater’22 to meet with FHU’s engineers and other industry volunteers, providing them an opportunity to test their proposed solutions and refine their ideas with industry specialists.
The students, who were halfway through their STEM Program, used this as an opportunity to present their solutions. The Woodlands Street Pump Station Bypass Project involved the decommissioning of the existing pump station, with FHU responsible for the design and construction of the new infrastructure. While the pump station was to be demolished and bypass pipes connected, we were required to divert sewer flows. As the sewer simply could not be stopped, the students needed to develop a solution that provided a safe, compliant flow control plan to keep the sewer running.
The students were also given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the exhibition, taking time to explore the exhibitor stands and learn more about the water sector. Getting the students to leave the trade hall became the biggest challenge of the day, such was their interest and enjoyment.
Gemma Graham - Educator and Hope Laaiva - Educator, Head of Department, said about the experience:
“It was empowering to see our Year 7 Science students taking ownership of their own learning and engaging in critical thinking to unpack complex real-world issues in their local community. As educators it was rewarding be a part of a project where students walked away with improved confidence in their ability as a learner to tackle the unknown.”
Day 2 of the conference saw FHU host over 150 secondary senior students and teachers who were provided the opportunity to attend a specifically designed student industry immersion experience. Students were able to learn about the range of industries and occupations linked to the Australian Water Sector and related career pathway opportunities. A panel session was also held to facilitate a Q&A Session with a range of Water Industry Professionals to discuss pathways across a range of areas including building and construction, civil construction, engineering, digital engineering and management.
FHU’s Queensland STEM and Industry Immersion Program was also recently recognised at the AWA State Awards, receiving the accolade for Organisational Excellence.
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