GDH hits top gear for new engineers

ENGINEERING and construction group GHD is looking to the future with the appointment of 11 graduate engineers across offices in Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns.

GHD North Queensland manager Jose Foruria said the recruits were mostly educated at James Cook University and Central Queensland University, and came from a range of disciplines.

“We have a strong connection to communities in Central and Northern Queensland, so it’s important for us to support graduates from our local universities and give them a chance to gain employment and remain in the region,” Mr Foruria said.

“Homegrown recruits have a vested interest in the communities in which we operate and they understand the challenges of working in North Queensland, like wet seasons, cyclones and the logistics of accessing remote sites.”

Mr Foruria said the 2015 intake included civil, electrical and mechanical engineers in line with its service offerings across the water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation sectors.

“While this represents a significant investment both in terms of recruitment and onthe- job inductions/ training, we are confident that the calibre of these graduates will pay dividends in the long run,” he said.

GHD is also in the process of recruiting for high- level leadership roles in North Queensland.

“At present, we are seeking a highly experienced and wellconnected senior professional to lead our transportation sector in North Queensland, along with a senior hydrologist to join our water team,” Mr Foruria said.

In late 2014, GHD was awarded the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency in Australia – one of only two companies in the engineering and technical consulting services sector to achieve this.

“Through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, our ability to embrace the breadth of thought, background, skills and experience of both women and men is critical in developing imaginative solutions for our clients and the community,” Mr Foruria said.

“Our 2015 graduate intake includes four female engineers, so we’re backing up our strategy with real and tangible actions.”

The three graduates joining the GDH Townsville office are Nina Zuchowski, Nick Hansen and Jessie McCormack.

Ms Zuchowski was awarded the prestigious CN Barton Medal from James Cook University last year for the Best Female Engineering Thesis Award.