Civil Engineers and Drafts people help create the spaces where people live, move, and work. They design, build, operate and maintain all sorts of structures, including roads, ports, railways, mines, dams, structures and more.
What type of person would this job suit?
- You need to be creative, with an eye for design and strong attention to detail
- Strong maths skills, and a love of making things line up
- You should be self-reliant, and able to manage multiple projects at once
- Good organisational habits
- Ability to work well in a team, as engineering projects are always team-based
Industries where you find civil engineers:
- Science
- Technology
- Public Safety
- Construction
- Aviation
- Transport
- Environmental Science
- Sustainability
Pathways
If you’ve got a passion for any of these industries and you think you’ve got the necessary attributes, then you have some choices.
You can choose to head to university and gain a degree, which will make you competitive for the Professional roles. There are also lots of cadetships and paid internships on offer for engineering students, which could help pay for your degree and provide a salary plus work experience.
Study Civil Engineering at UNSW and graduate with honours (GE rank for 2020: 93)
The 3 + 2 Engineering Pathway from UWA is a good example of a comprehensive course that would give you all the qualifications you need (and then some).
Alternatively, you can start out at TAFE and gain a Cert III or IV, then work and gain experience before deciding if you want to go to uni later on.
The Cert III in Manufacturing Technology from TAFE Queensland is a good example of an introductory course that could get you started. You can even study online.
Levels
Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians
Most jobs require a Cert III or IV
Draftspersons and Technicians assist Civil Engineers by preparing sketches, taking samples, assisting on site, estimating material costs, inspecting works and organising construction.
You will usually be working alongside and possibly under the supervision of a degree qualified engineer.
You could expect to earn over $80,000 per year at this level (but we’ve seen jobs offering well over $100,000 for experienced drafters)
Jobs:
Mechanical Engineer or Draftsperson in Toowoomba
Civil Engineering Professionals
Minimum requirement Bachelor Degree
You could be responsible for preparing a site for a build, including taking rock and soil samples, determining safe loads and adjusting design to suit conditions, or you could design structures from bridges to shopping centres, airports to schools, to make sure they can stand up to the elements and remain safe for everyone.
At this level you could expect to earn over $100,000 per year.
Jobs:
Structural Engineer in Canberra
Civil Construction Engineer in South West Victoria
Civil Engineer in Dalby, Queensland
Growth in this industry is strong and expected to remain so.
