As competition in the engineering sector continues to heat up, it is comforting to know that engineering graduates are leaving IVE equipped with not only comprehensive subject knowledge, but also a wealth of practical training. These qualities stand them in great stead as they take their crucial first steps on the job ladder. Ko Cheuk Yin, a recent IVE graduate, shared her work experience at China State Construction Company Limited (CSC)—one of the largest construction companies in Hong Kong with construction projects also running in mainland China and overseas.
At CSC Ko works as an Assistant Engineer on a wide range of civil engineering projects including rock drilling, blasting and rock slope engineering. The huge shift from academic life to full-time employment in engineering takes time to adjust to. Ko explained, “This is my first job after graduating and it is a very demanding job that requires plenty of outdoor work—six days a week and up to 10 hours a day—working to very tight schedules.” She added, “As a female engineer, working with a group of mainly male co-workers can be challenging at times in terms of viewpoints, but we have no real issues working together.” Ko noted that the courses and knowledge gained at IVE had helped her immensely in her current role. “My IVE studies relating to geotechnology, rock slope engineering, design software and engineering calculations have been instrumental in empowering me to take up my current role,” she emphasised.
Great employment prospects
Eva Leung, Deputy General Manager (Human Resources) for CSC pointed out that employment prospects look great for local engineering graduates. She commented, “With the continual rise in the number of construction and development projects in Hong Kong, there has been a growing demand for construction engineering professionals in the region. There will certainly be continued demand for this type of work in at least the next five years. Although it is a male-dominated industry, it’s interesting to note that more and more female students have chosen this profession in the last decade.”
To meet the increasing need for staff, CSC has built a close and long-term relationship with IVE. Leung pointed out, “Between 2006 and 2009 we witnessed high levels staff turnover in the construction industry as a whole, and very few were willing to work in the industry at that time. Thus, we sourced a specific number of fresh graduates from different universities and vocational colleges to help maintain our talent pipeline. 50 IVE graduates were recruited last year, and so far 20 have been recruited this year. We now have a considerable number of IVE graduates in our company.”
What counts when it comes to staff selection?
Staff selection is critical to ensuring business success and the screening process must be carefully designed to help highlight the best potential candidates. According to Leung, excellent academic results are important, however, personality type and working attitudes of fresh graduates are also key focus areas in the CSC staff selection process. She advised, “The right candidates should have developed a critical and independent mindset to help cope with different challenges each day.”
Leung pointed out that CSC offers scholarships, and training programmes for IVE students to help them achieve their greatest potential through their studies. Moreover, the company’s regular participation in career fairs at different universities and vocational colleges also provides additional opportunities to communicate with soon-to-be graduates.
On what makes IVE graduates stand out from the crowd, Leung added, “The reason we employ a large number of IVE graduates is because they tend to be more hardworking and willing to learn more than other university graduates. Moreover, they’ve all gained some practical training and field studies during their programmes at IVE—which helps them get familiar with their new working environment relatively quickly. In addition, we are extremely satisfied with the ability and overall performance of IVE graduates we’ve employed to date.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
