Industry Experience

Engineering Professional Practice and Workplace Learning

Why do I have to do work experience before I graduate?

Engineers Australia, the Bachelor of Engineering accrediting body, states that “exposure to professional engineering practice is a key element in differentiating a professional engineering degree from an applied science degree” and that “professional practice exposure must be considered as an integral learning activity within the educational design process and make a significant contribution to the delivery of educational outcomes”.

UQ upholds these elements through the requirement for all engineering students to complete a minimum of “12 weeks of full time exposure to professional practice” as part of their studies. This requirement is included in the Bachelor of Engineering Rules and the Integrated Bachelor/Master of Engineering and fulfillment of this requirement is compulsory prior to graduation.

What constitutes 12 weeks of full time exposure to professional practice

Out of the 60 days engineering experience which is required, no less than 30 days should be carried out assisting, or under the immediate direction of a professional engineer. This period of employment will provide you with an insight into professional practice and is best carried out after the second or third year of the course. The other 30 days of engineering experience may be any work, including work of a manual or trade nature, carried out in an engineering environment.

• In order to ensure equity and fair treatment of all students, the following guidelines are used to determine if the duration of the professional practice has been met –
• A work day is defined as 7.45 hours or more subject to the following.  Students who are working extended shifts as part of non-standard working week will need to include an employer statement of the equivalent full time work arrangements   
• Students who have undertaken industrial attachment or work experience as part of previous engineering degree or diploma studies may be exempted.  Enquiries and applications for exemption are to be directed to the EAIT Faculty Academic Office.
• Student undertaking the equivalent of an #8 industry placement as part of the integrated Bachelor/Master of Engineering will be deemed to have met the professional practice requirement.
  

Where do I find work?

You can find opportunities for vacation work on UQ CareerHub which is a free online employment service where UQ students and alumni can search for:

• All types of local, national and international degree-related employment opportunities, including  
• Upcoming career and employment events/workshops
• Online career resources and planning

You should also visit the Student Services website for more information on the employer visits program and free employment preparation workshops.

What are the restrictions on where I can work?

You cannot count work done in a business owned or managed by a family member or close associate and you cannot be supervised by a family member or close associate as this would be seen as a conflict of interest.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of a position, please speak to the staff in the Faculty Office.

What do I do if I have problems finding suitable work?

You should discuss repeated failed attempts to find work experience with your academic adviser.

If you have completed all BE requirements apart from professional practice the EAIT faculty will provide a written statement certifying completion of all coursework requirements and other milestones. 

Am I covered by insurance?

Students undertaking engineering professional practice to satisfy the Bachelor of Engineering requirements are covered by the University's insurance policy unless they are in receipt of payment for the work undertaken in which case the employer’s insurance covers.

What are the requirements for the report?

For each instance of professional practice, you need to submit your report and certificate to the Faculty Office within 4 weeks of the start of the semester following the completion of the professional practice.

Information about what to include in the report is set out in the Engineering Professional Practice Report Guidelines. You also need to include a Professional Practice Certificate, which contains the comments of the owner or manager of the place where the practice was undertaken.

Submission deadlines for Professional Practice reports

Please note that the engineering professional practice requirements must be fully satisfied no later than the start of the examination period in the semester in which you hope to graduate. If these requirements are not met, you will not be eligible to graduate. 

2012 dates:

• Semester 1 - 1 June 2012
• Semester 2 - 26 October 2012

EQUIP Industry Placement Program

EQUIP is the UQ Chemical Engineering industry placement program. It is a work-based learning programme that allows top final-year UQ chemical engineering students to spend six months in industry while still gaining full academic credit. Placements run from December to June each year.

Placements can be with private companies, the public sector or with research organisations.  More>

The Cooperative Education for Enterprise Development (CEED) Placement Program

The CEED Placement Program integrates industry-based training with the Bachelor of Engineering by allowing students to complete their final year thesis project in industry. Students are given the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to a real life project being responsible for the planning and management of a project to completion to gain a meaningful industry experience. CEED students typically work on-site for three to four days per week throughout the semester and are co-supervised by a mentor from industry and an academic advisor at the University.

Vacation Work

You can find opportunities for vacation work on UQCareerHub, which is a ‘one-stop-shop’ connecting UQ students, graduates and prospective employers to degree-related employment opportunities, including information relevant to vacation employment, work experience and industry placements.

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