Early Career CPD: shaping the future of tunnelling

July 1 @ 5:00 am - 6:00 pm AEST

Overview

The tunnelling industry in Australia is experiencing significant growth, and as an early career engineer, now is the perfect time to build a comprehensive understanding of what this sector involves. This session invites three experienced professionals from the tunnelling sector, each at different career stages, to provide their perspective on entering the industry; highlighting the challenges they’ve faced, the skills they’ve developed, and the invaluable lessons they’ve learned along the way. From graduating into the industry to managing complex projects, you’ll hear about their real-world experiences and the strategies they used to overcome obstacles and thrive in this sector.

This session will support young engineers in developing a strong foundation of knowledge for the sector. Attendees will gain practical advice based on lived experiences, develop an understanding of the future trends in the industry and learn what opportunities lie ahead as the sector continues to evolve.

Who should attend?

This webinar is suited to young engineers looking to develop an understanding of the tunnelling sector and gain from industry experiences.

Event series

This webinar is part of the Young Engineers Australia (YEA) Early Career CPD series. Events will take place on the following dates:

Thursday 29 May 2025, 1.00 pm – 1.45 pm AEST, In the Works: sharing stories of skills in practise
Tuesday 3 June 2025, 5.00 pm – 6.00 pm AEST, Early Career CPD: innovative engineering – problem solving in high pressure environments

Previous sessions in this series are available on EA OnDemand.

Learning outcomes

In this presentation, you will:

Learn key lessons from the early stages of a tunnelling career.
Discover effective pathways to building a successful career in tunnelling.
Gain insights into emerging opportunities and future trends in the tunnelling industry.

About the speakers

Dejan Devrnja MIEAust

Senior Design Coordinator – Tunnels, CPB

Dejan completed his Masters of Engineering, Civil, from the University of Melbourne and was awarded the Kinsman Studentship Award. He is currently employed as a Senior Design Coordinator – Tunnels for CPB Contractors at Suburban Connect Consortium (CPB Acciona Ghella) on Suburban Rail Loop Work Package C.

Romy Wolstencroft GradIEAust

Graduate Engineer, GHD

Romy completed her Bachelor of Engineering with first class honours, from Queensland University of Technology, and is currently employed as a graduate tunnel engineer at GHD. Romy loves gaining experience in the Engineering field of either civil, structural or environmental, learning new skills and applying her current knowledge to make an impact on the world.

Aaron Lippett MIEAust

Lead Engineer, Aurecon

Aaron is a lead tunnel engineer with experience in the design and construction of major tunnel projects. Aaron bridges the gap between technical and managerial leadership, working directly with clients to develop coordinated and constructible solutions to technical project issues. Aaron is known for his extended contributions on major projects, often serving through the full project life-cycle from design to construction and completions. Aaron serves as the current ATS Young Members Secretary and NSW Events Coordinator. He is part of the ATS Tunnel Guidelines Working Group as the primary author the analytical and numerical methods chapters.