Careers News
- Chisholm Engineering Experience
Chisholm Engineering Experience
Students: Jackie Hong, Raymond Dang & Niza Young
The Year 11 and 12 Physics and Systems Engineering students had an amazing day at the inaugural Chisholm Engineering Experience Day. Many thanks to Dr Tharshan Vaithianathan, Head of the engineering degree program at Chisholm Institute, for organising this day. In fact, Tharshan and I have been trying to arrange this collaboration between Westall Secondary College and Chisholm Institute for many years!
On the day, students were taken in groups to the various specialist laboratories, where lecturers guided the students through the use of the scientific apparatuses and training setups designed to teach many key engineering and physics principles used by industry.
Students learning about centripetal balance mechanisms
A learning station investigating torque and harmonics
Power generation using steam turbines
The students also interacted with some truly advanced technology in the Automated Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratories. Many of our students got first hand experience programming their state-of-the-art-production robots.
Student, Alexandros Balatsas-Kartsiounis, programming advanced manufacturing robot
We can be very proud of how our students engaged with the day’s activities, and while the students were undertaking their investigations, we got to meet and discuss future collaborations with Benjamin Allitt, the Dean of Higher Education at Chisholm. He highlighted that Chisholm represents a new style in tertiary administration that now other institutions are starting to copy.
Chisholm focuses on a personalised hands-on approach to study, not requiring ATARs or a strong result in the normal prerequisites, such as maths. Chisholm provides the opportunities to learn the required basics, including maths from the ground up that suit the needs of the chosen courses. The facilities are very much set up to provide practical experience over the more traditional theory, heavy courses that other universities provide. The practical experiences gained at Chisholm are in great demand by industry, hence students in their final years, are actively sought out by employers.
Benjamin Allitt discussed how one way the Chisholm and Westall can collaborate in future, is with the establishment of a school-based VET program, teaching a certificate in electronics. This could be taught at Westall and be certified by Chisholm. Such a certificate could also count towards a later degree qualification.
The venue gave our school an opportunity to view displays of students' work and to talk with these students. There were also many stalls with displays from vendors, selling educational scientific and engineering apparatus, along with Industry representatives looking to recruit engineering graduates.
Tharshan introduced Jasvir Singh, the operations manager at Hilton Manufacturing Pty. Jasvir was impressed with our students and personally invited Westall to visit Hilton’s engineering for a full day tour of their extensive facilities. We look forward to arranging a trip for early 2023.
The day ended with a series of competitions and this is where our students really excelled. The first competition required the students to recall the key engineering concepts that were covered earlier in the day. The first three winners were from Westall scored - Zaine Baker, Marlowe Groarke and Sovan Ly.
Winners: Marlowe Groarke 2nd, Zaine Baker 1st and Sovan Ly 3rd
Next, was the maths competition and Westall again scored 1st, 2nd and 3rd, with students in winning order being Kush Berry, Sovan Ly and Vishnu Hathiwala.
The final, and possibly the most exciting event of the day, was a practical engineering challenge. Here, our students directly collaborated with or competed with Chisholm engineering students. Groups of three, made up from a mixture of school and Chisholm students, competed to build the highest possible tower using a prepared kit of house hold items, including raw pasta and marshmallows. There were groups of Chisholm students, two groups of Westall students with one engineering student and one group of three girls who were all Westall students. In the end, Chisholm engineering students took out 1st and 3rd place but our group of girls, Rahma Bilal, Maani Al Mamari and Jihan Ulil Amri, achieved 2nd place with their amazing tower.
2nd place team: Rahma Bilal, Maani Al Mamari and Jihan Ulil Amri
Again, I would like to thank Dr Tharshan Vaithianathan for the effort he personally put in to creating this inspiring day an experience our students will truly value.
Mr Ralph Richardson - Systems Engineering/Physics Teacher, Ms Kristina Vasilakis - Student Leadership Coordinator, Ms Jenny Phillips - Science Lab Technician and Ms Geraldine Borgonha - Careers & Pathways Advisor