WATER SITE ENGINEER 18
ENGINEERING SHAPES THE FUTURE
ENJOY MAKING A DIFFERENCE writer SARA CARBERY // photo ALAN STEVENS As a water site engineer with Downer in Tauranga, KUMEROA WHITE (known as Cooms) gets immense satisfaction making a difference to the local communities she works with in the Bay of Plenty. It’s one of the many things the 28-year-old lists when asked what she most enjoys about her job. “Working in a team, the outdoors, seeing individuals grow and adding value that benefits the community. I also really enjoy the variety of work, as no day is the same.” Her job involves carrying out quality checks to ensure projects are being built to contract specifications, site audits, site inductions, liaising with engineers and clients, and the planning of works. “It’s a whole lot of learning and fun!” After completing a Diploma in Civil Engineering at Wintec in Hamilton, Cooms did a three-year cadetship with Downer, rotating around 10 business units. In the last year of her cadetship, having enjoyed working in the water side of the business, and putting in the mahi, she was offered a fulltime role. “Downer has many career avenues and you’ve got room to move until you find your niche,” she says. “It’s such a diverse sector – you can find your area to shine.” While she doesn’t feel she is treated differently because she’s a young woman working in a male-dominated industry, Cooms admits it can be quite intimidating to speak up. “It takes an enormous amount of courage but the more you do it, the easier it gets.” In her final year at Tokoroa High School (Year 13), Cooms took Maths, English, Geography, Earth Science and Gateway. In Gateway, she completed work experience at the South Waikato District Council, once a week for six weeks. She says NCEA Maths and English have proven to be the most useful subjects. “Maths is pivotal in engineering to do calculations on site, and communication is a crucial part for liaising with clients, subcontractors and work colleagues, whether that be in person or by email.”
THE DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING IS RECOGNISED ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND THE PAY ISN‘T TOO BAD EITHER. KUMEROA (COOMS) WHITE
In hindsight, studying NCEA Graphics and Physics would have been useful and helped her out a lot. The diploma took Cooms longer than the usual two years because she had to pick up studying physics from scratch, “but grit and determination made me succeed and it was worth it!” Through a partnership Downer has with Volunteering Services Abroad, Cooms volunteered in the Solomon Islands for three months during her cadetship – an experience that has inspired her to one day work for a non-profit organisation specialising in water and wastewater engineering services in developing countries. If you’re considering a career in engineering, Cooms recommends approaching companies like
Downer who offer cadetships or apprenticeships, as they allow you to earn while you learn on-the-job. “Engineering is a great industry to get into if you enjoy working outdoors, working collaboratively in a team, and building and maintaining infrastructure that shapes New Zealand. “The Diploma in Civil Engineering is recognised all around the world and the pay isn’t too bad either!”
KEY FACTS ■ KUMEROA (COOMS) WHITE HAS A DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM WINTEC. ■ SHE THEN COMPLETED A THREE-YEAR CADETSHIP WITH DOWNER, ROTATING AROUND 10 BUSINESS UNITS. SHE WAS OFFERED A FULLTIME ROLE WITH THE COMPANY, AND WORKS AS A WATER SITE ENGINEER IN TAURANGA. ■ COOMS TOOK MATHS, ENGLISH, GEOGRAPHY, EARTH SCIENCE AND PARTICIPATED IN THE GATEWAY PROGRAMME IN YEAR 13. SHE HIGHLY RECOMMENDS ALSO STUDYING PHYSICS AND GRAPHICS FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN A SIMILAR CAREER PATH. LEAVINGSCHOOL.CO.NZ
| LEAVING SCHOOL ISSUE #23
For more information on studying engineering, visit www.vee.nz For more information on career opportunities with Downer, visit https://people.downergroup.co.nz/ roles-for-everyone
