Secondary students in Mentone have discovered careers in infrastructure are not limited to engineering.
As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, 40 senior students had the opportunity to discuss study and career options with experts working on the level crossing removal projects along the Frankston Line.
Fifteen specialists from the Level Crossing Removal Project talked about their qualifications and roles before taking questions from the interested students over breakfast.
Safety Manager Kirsty Baxter told the students – from Mentone Girls’ Secondary, Kilbreda College and Mentone Grammar – that Victoria’s construction industry is booming, meaning skilled professionals will continue to be in high demand.
'The massive overhaul of our transport network is creating thousands of jobs – in everything from planning, design and engineering to human resources, communications and finance,' she said.
Engineers, project managers, communications experts, an urban planner and a human resources specialist mingled with the students and their teachers to chat about the benefits and challenges of working in infrastructure.
The breakfast was the first of a series of events engaging students in Mentone and Cheltenham.
With over 14,000 students in the area – 6000 of them using Mentone Station each day – students are an important stakeholder in the project.
Works to remove level crossings at Balcombe Road in Mentone, and Charman and Park Roads in Cheltenham start later this year.