On Wednesday evening the ATSym headed to the University of Sydney to give undergraduate engineering students an idea of the what tunnelling is and where it can take you. Our presenter, Scott Connor of CPB Contractors graduated from USyd in 2003. His presentation “When I grow up I want to build a tunnel” covered his journey from studying in Campderdown to his current position as a Project Manager working tunnels of all shapes and sizes. Approximately 65 students from second year to fourth year undergraduate courses attended the presentation. Thanks to SUCE and the University of Sydney for hosting the evening.

The evening is part of the ATSym’s plan to increase the viability to the various tunnelling professions as students are making choices regarding their potential future career paths. The event was sponsored and funded by the ATS. It is widely acknowledged throughout the broader tunnelling industry (designers, contractors, clients, consultants) that the future is bright, with a glut of tunnelling projects either in planning, design or delivery phases. This amazing pipeline of work requires fresh new faces for these projects to map excavated tunnel faces, determine rock support types, pull rockbolts, plan construction methods and determine tunnel geometry.

If you have any upcoming opportunities to engage with young members, or you are a young member yourself, please get in contact by emailing or via twitter.

Cheers
ATSym

 

Who are the ATSym?

  • ATSym is a subcommittee of the Australasian Tunnelling Society
  • Young Members are considered to be 35 years and under
  • ATSym has representatives across the Australian Eastern seaboard, as well as a position on the ATS national executive
  • The ATSym National Representative also represents Australasian interests at the flourishing peak international body for young tunnellers, the ITAym
  • ATSym are tasked with ensuring that the knowledge of the collective “grey haired” tunnelling community is able to be passed on to a new generation of professionals to ensure the collective improvement and development of the industry