Diversity, equity & inclusion
At Aurecon, people at the heart of all we do. Learn more about how we are building a workplace where everyone is heard, and feels valued and connected.
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From fixing a broken sink at Year 7 school camp to designing structural elements for energy projects, Thomas Thorpe’s path into engineering has been shaped by problem‑solving and curiosity.
Thomas joined Aurecon’s Energy and Industrial team as a graduate in 2025, and since then, he’s been developing strong technical foundation while working on real-world projects and learning what it takes to deliver quality work and grow as a consultant.
"One of the cool parts about working for a big company like Aurecon is the opportunity to work across a range of projects."
After completing my studies in civil engineering at The University of Sydney in 2024, I started as a graduate at Aurecon the following year. While university gave me a broad set of technical skills, my time at Aurecon has allowed me to get a deeper understanding of specific skills related to my work. The opportunity to collaborate with experienced professionals has helped me to refine my skillset and get valuable feedback on my performance.
Collaboration is essential to how we work at Aurecon. In my role as Structural Engineer in the Energy and Industrial team, I've gained heaps of experience collaborating with electrical engineers and drafters on projects.
Aurecon's flexible work environment and focus on learning has meant I was able to pursue several unique opportunities. For instance, I was able to attend the National Leadership Forum last year and balance my responsibilities as a grad with tutoring at The University of Sydney and University of New South Wales.
My interest in engineering started during my Year 7 school camp, where our cabin sink kept breaking. I fixed it each time and jokingly became the 'resident engineer'. At the time, I didn’t realise that repairing a sink was closer to plumbing than engineering, but it planted the seed.
Over time, engineering began to stand out as a prospective career option, particularly because it aligned well with my strengths in maths and science. In Year 11, I joined a week‑long Engineers Australia program that exposed me to different engineering disciplines. Civil engineering resonated with me the most because its outputs are tangible. From there, continuing into civil engineering at university felt like a natural next step.
One of the cool parts about working for a big company like Aurecon is the opportunity to work across a range of projects. I’ve worked on large, community-shaping projects which have allowed me to see firsthand the transformative impact of my contributions, as well as smaller projects where I could be more hands-on as an early career professional and take ownership of a larger share of the work.
Most of my work has been on substations, where my role has involved ensuring that the steel and concrete components perform safely and reliably. Over the last few months, I have presented at a lunch and learn session and in a learning spotlight session for the energy team.
The best part of my job is Aurecon's people-centric culture. We are truly valued as individuals, not just employees. We have the freedom to determine how we work best. This has been particularly helpful for me balancing my time as an academic tutor at uSyd and UNSW alongside my role as a structural engineer.
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is the importance of delivering high-quality work, especially given Aurecon’s strong emphasis on quality. When I started, I had the misconception that I should finish my tasks as quickly as possible, so that I could do more. Now I’ve come to see that dedicating more time to complete tasks thoroughly results in better quality outputs.
Limelight, Aurecon’s early career network, has played a significant part in my transition from an engineering student to a grad. It provided me a community where I could connect with people at the same career stage and those slightly ahead of me.
Coming together with all the graduates on the first day and learning about Aurecon gave me a helpful grounding to find my place. Here, I got to meet my buddy who is a few years ahead of me, and other energy grads, which really helped me settle in. We were later placed in small groups called pods, where we regularly checked in on our progress.
The graduate program has helped me apply university learning to real projects and refine my skills through hands-on experience.
I’ve also discovered that soft skills are developed more organically compared to technical skills, but both are essential to becoming an effective consultant. I’ve built these skills by working through my daily tasks, learning from senior colleagues, collaborating with others, and getting to know my team as I grow more specialised in my role.
I remember feeling nervous before starting full‑time work. There was so much anticipation about entering this next stage of life and I didn’t know exactly what to expect or how my transition would go. Looking back, I’d tell myself not to worry. I am now very grateful for how the transition has gone.
Aurecon’s Graduate Program has shown me a range of career opportunities and the chance to work on impactful and interesting projects. It also gave me valuable insights into how to learn effectively as an early career professional.
It is hard to say where I will be in the next few years, but I am confident that the opportunities I have here put me in a solid position for the future. Above all, what makes Aurecon a great place to work is that it truly cares for its people. If you're considering applying, I highly recommend it – you have nothing to lose.
At Aurecon, people at the heart of all we do. Learn more about how we are building a workplace where everyone is heard, and feels valued and connected.
Flexible work practices help Aurecon’s teams maintain better mental health and performance, and supports an adaptable working environment.
Aurecon surveyed a network of its millennial and graduate workforce to assess their views on skills and employability in the engineering industry.
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