Engineers Australia’s WA Overseas Qualified Engineer (OQE) work program connects potential employers to overseas qualified engineers struggling to secure a professional career that matches their technical expertise and experience.
The program provides networking opportunities, helps applicants to match with companies and supports engineers to tailor their resumes and succeed in interviews.
After running for eight months the program has delivered many successful outcomes and Engineers Australia is now looking to expand it in WA.
If your company is looking to fill roles or if you are an overseas qualified engineer looking for work, you can contact us at [email protected]m.
Sha Yuanyuan (Sophia) is a hydraulic engineer with more than 10 years’ experience in the building and infrastructure sectors in China. In pursuit of a different lifestyle, Sophia moved to Perth early this year and faced challenges finding a senior engineer role to match her experience.
By working with Engineers Australia in Western Australia, she was provided with valuable advice on resume details, interview skills and was connected to a wide range of engineering organisations with strong demand for experienced engineers. Sophia now works as a senior hydraulic engineer for Forth Consulting and will continue working towards her Chartership.
“Relocating to a new country is undeniably challenging. I am immensely grateful for the invaluable guidance and connections provided by the Engineers Australia team as well as the exceptional support offered by the leader in Forth Consulting, Dennis Preston,” Sohpia said.
Zhang Li is an experienced telecommunication engineer and project manager who had more than a decade of professional experience before she came to Australia for further study. Zhang Li completed a degree in history from UWA as her career break but struggled to get back into the engineering industry.
Through Engineers Australia WA’s OQE program, Zhang Li gained confidence by obtaining practical interview skills and being connected to potential employers. She now works as a Project/Engineering Administrator at Australian Control Engineering (ACE).
“I truly appreciate the invaluable support and connection offered by the Engineers Australia team through OQE program and am extremely grateful for the trust placed on myself from the team in ACE. It was a wonderful opportunity to re-join the engineering industry and start the new chapter of my career in Australia, which means so much to me and my family,” Zhang Li said.
Forth Consulting and ACE’s management have seen great value in the OQE program. Associate Dennis Preston commented Sohpia has fit in to the new office environment extremely well.
“We are impressed with her strong work ethic and commitments to become well-versed with the specific local codes and guidelines within short timeframe,” he said.
Similarly, ACE’s Managing Director Jordan Zhao said he strongly advocates for promoting career opportunities for overseas-qualified engineers.
“The strong work ethic, relevant skills and diversified perspectives that overseas qualified engineers bring address the industry's challenge of skilled workforce shortage, but also improve productivity and sustain the long-term growth of the economy. Engineers Australia's support for this program is not merely a stopgap measure, it's a long-term investment that benefits everyone in the engineering industry.”
Jordan shared his story of starting a career in Australia with a full house last Wednesday at the overseas qualified engineers networking evening hosted at Engineers Australia’s Perth venue.
Participants also heard from speakers Bita Charehjoo, Network Operations Planning Manager at Main Roads WA and Adel Khodayari Contract Compliance Specialist at Western Power. A number of representatives from industry were there to inform the attendees about the current job market in WA and potential career opportunities.