Work Integrated Learning
Each of the school's Bachelor of Engineering programs requires students to undertake a minimum of sixty (60) days industrial training.
The objective of industrial training is to prepare you for future employment in your chosen engineering discipline. Industrial training enhances the academic material studied at university by allowing you to practise what you have learned and to develop key professional attributes, providing an opportunity for every student to:
- experience the discipline of working in a professional engineering organisation
- develop understanding of the functioning and organisation of a business
- interact with other professional and non-professional groups
- apply engineering methods such as design and problem-solving
- develop technical, interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
It is also an opportunity for employers to make early assessments of potential future employees – a demonstrated commitment and ability to take responsibility, make sound decisions and apply technical skills could set you apart from other candidates for the job.
Refer to Engineering students industrial training before making arrangements, to ensure the industrial placement complies with the requirements of the degree program. All industrial training must be approved prior to starting to ensure that the work undertaken is relevant to your degree of study.
Enquiries: ENG.WIL@unsw.edu.au
Acceptable areas of industrial training
Students may be employed in any capacity associated with the development, design and/or manufacture of products including: production, quality control, chemical analysis, plant maintenance, design office duties or research in materials processing, materials engineering and materials characterisation. It is desirable that the student be assigned to some member of the technical staff in the plant who will give general guidance on the work to be undertaken. Whilst difficult, it is desirable to obtain experience in a range of activities including design, analysis, experimentation, production and other on-site activities. It is important that students make the most of their industrial training by soliciting varied and challenging projects from the employer. Research and development is valid training for an engineer and such work is done in companies, research organisations (such as CSIRO and ANSTO) and universities. Projects associated with the Taste of Research Summer Scholarships in the Faculties of Science and Engineering may be acceptable as industrial training.
Student Stories
The second half of the year took me to Rio Tinto Aluminium, where I worked with the Carbon & Reduction team in Brisbane. This role was incredibly diverse, allowing me to collaborate with multiple teams across carbon emissions, information & technology, operational efficiency, and even marketing. One of the most fascinating aspects was my research into the carbon footprint of aluminium and exploring potential ways to reduce emissions through power modulation. Additionally, I was able to automate a manual auditing process using Python, which was a fantastic learning opportunity, made possible through the support and mentorship of my team.
Olivia Lloyd, Co-op intern at Rio Tinto in 2024
Rory Vallejo, Co-op Intern at BlueScope Steel in 2022
My first placement was with BlueScope Steel, based in their innovation labs. The pure scale of the environment in Port Kembla is both confronting and exciting. One of the most memorable days was the tour of the steelworks. Most of the work I was involved in revolved around developing corrosion protection technologies, of which previously I had zero experience. I found that this was of little significance as I was surrounded by technical experts who were willing to share their time and experience. I learnt the importance of being confident to reach out to various teams and utilise their skills.
I spent the summer at CSIRO at Lucas Heights working with Dr Joel O’Dwyer, right next to ANSTO and the nuclear reactor. This project involved working on novel X-ray diffraction technologies, it was exciting and physics-y and fun. I would continue this project into my third year, working at the CSIRO during breaks between terms. My time at CSIRO was extremely rewarding and taught me the most out of my degree. I was able to learn MATLAB and python languages, as well as X-ray radiation safety. I got hands on experience in the lab arranging X-ray sources and detectors. It is an experience that I will be forever grateful for.
