Engineering a better future

Kevin Manalo was a mechanical engineer in aviation for almost 10 years until the global financial crisis of 2008. With work being outsourced overseas, stable work and income was scarce for many, including Kevin who had a family to support. It was time for a change.

Kevin studied at Unitec, studying a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Civil) part-time while raising a family and working full-time at civil engineering solution firm Pipeline & Civil. During the day, his classroom is a construction site, providing construction solutions for water projects across Auckland. Kevin says the integration of theoretical and practical learning that Unitec offers has enabled him to contribute immediately to his workplace.

“There was a building boom around 2011, so I decided it was time to pursue a career that would allow me to change the world for the better – civil engineering is my way of doing that.”

“There are certain dynamic factors involved with civil engineering that just can’t be taught on paper. When you’re looking at a drawing from an aerial view, you can’t see or feel what the terrain is like, for example, the extent of vegetation for removal, whether wildlife needs relocating, how you’ll need to manage sediment erosion and traffic control. It’s that kind of stuff you can’t adapt to without being on-site.”

Kevin explains that the world of civil engineering operates on three different levels; client, consultant and construction. Clients are usually government agencies or large-scale property developers, consultants design solutions for clients, and construction deals with building the designs of consultants. Each plays its own part in this ecosystem, but Kevin says by exposing you to all aspects of civil engineering, Unitec prepares you for the realities of the industry and supports you to become a more well-rounded civil engineer.