• The Charles Sturt Engineering program is an emerging leader in engineering education with 50 engineering cadets currently in paid work placements
• The program offers a world-class engineering education opportunity in regional NSW, provides a boost to the regional workforce, and addresses rural skills shortages
• Cadet placements with regional councils gives young engineers a wide range of experience, a good overview of engineering, and knowledge of a range of projects

Charles Sturt University Engineering cadet Mr Rhys Nicholson has been appointed to Orange City Council, a foundation industry partner of the internationally recognised engineering program.

Charles Sturt Foundation Professor of Engineering, Euan Lindsay, said Mr Nicholson is just one of 50 Charles Sturt Engineering cadets currently on placement, with 100 per cent of eligible students placed.

“All Charles Sturt University Engineering cadets are in paid placement employment, despite COVID-19, and this is the first year that all four levels of placement are available,” Professor Lindsay said.

“We estimate that around a third of our cadet engineers are in positions that would otherwise be going unfilled at their employers, and thus we’re fulfilling Charles Sturt Engineering’s vision of providing engineering capability to the regions.”

The Charles Sturt Engineering program is an emerging leader in engineering education and consists of three semesters of on-campus projects, followed by four paid one-year cadet placements.

Twenty-one-year-old Mr Nicholson (on right in photo), from Wagga Wagga, is the fourth Charles Sturt Engineering student to undertake a cadetship with Orange City Council and joins its water and sewer engineering team.

Orange City Mayor Councillor Reg Kidd said he was pleased to see the partnership with Charles Sturt University offering the next generation of young engineers the ability to live and learn in regional NSW.

“It’s great to see this world-class educational opportunity offered in our region,” Councillor Kidd said.

“This program will provide a huge boost to the regional workforce, as well as addressing the skills shortage in rural areas.”

The engineering cadets are placed with mentors in different sections of the Council’s Technical Services Department each year of their work placement, starting with water and sewer, and moving on to roads and transport, design and major projects.

The students do not have to spend their whole work placement with one employer; however, so far they have all chosen to stay with Council because it gives young engineers a wide range of experience and a good overview of what engineering encompasses, plus knowledge of a range of projects.

Though he has not decided which direction his future career will take, Mr Nicholson said the variety of work is one of the reasons he applied for a cadetship with Orange City Council.

“I’m still in the early stages of my career, and there are many areas of civil engineering expertise, so I’m getting a feel for it,” Mr Nicholson said.

“I also like the region, Orange is a beautiful city, and the council is very supportive.”