Gaining real-world engineering insights at MIPPS placement

What motivated you to apply for the MIPPS program? 

I felt like it would be a great opportunity to get a feel for the industry, 6 months is a good time frame to work on something meaningful and beneficial.

The fact that it takes up some of the credit points from the degree helped ease my mind about how it integrated into my degree. I had also heard many great things from older students who partook in the program and figured I’d give it a shot.   

What was your experience of the program like? Can you share any highlights?

Overall, enjoyable and unique. I learned a lot about what being an engineer means. The program allowed me to experience firsthand what my future as an engineer could look like. I would consider MIPPS to be among my most memorable semesters of my degree.

The most memorable part of my placement at Visy was the major shutdown of both paper machines. It was great to assist and really see how the machines work. To me, this was like being on an episode of “How It’s Made” or “Mega Factories.” These shows were part of the reason for me wanting to be an engineer and it was great to finally see something like that with my own eyes

What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them? 

The biggest challenge was gathering enough evidence to convince everyone to go forward with my suggestions. I realised in this time that, no matter how strong your hunch is, you need lots of experimental evidence to justify your suggestions. It became a sort of deduction as to the root cause of the issues.  

Additionally,  to justify the need for a new filter screen, I analysed the water quality at different areas of the mill to show that the current filter needs to be decommissioned. I realised that lots of experimental evidence is needed to justify your suggestions.

Thankfully, I did end up gathering lots of experimental evidence through pressure, flowrate and water quality analysis, allowing me to refine my suggestions even further. I also ended up recommending flowmeters and pressure gauges at set points to help improve the process of checking the system. By the end of my project, I calculated that my work would save Visy over $90,000 per year in fresh water usage from a $20,000 investment.

What skills did you develop during your program? 

I honed my general engineering and technical skills, but I would say my biggest improvement was more on the professionalism and social side of being an engineer. 

Learning how to convey ideas and appeal to my managers was vital in my project. I feel that my presentation skills were drastically improved as a result. Additionally, the project itself was like an investigation, which really tested my problem-solving skills. 

How has the MIPPS program influenced your career goals or plans? 

My goals have mostly stayed the same, but I feel the skills that I have learnt will help project me further into any career I choose. Visy gave me a taste of what being an engineer is like, but my passions have always been skewed toward the biochemical side of engineering and science.   

Do you have any advice for other students wanting to take part in the MIPPS program? 

When I applied, I had many backup options and I was not sure if I would be accepted. My advice is to at least put in an application, the worst they can say is no. If you do get accepted and have the opportunity, it will be an experience that you will never forget. You may do better than you think.