Graduates join consulting ranks at GHD

GHD, one of the world’s leading engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services companies, is looking to the future having appointed 10 graduate engineers across offices in Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns, with another due to commence in July.

GHD’s North Queensland Manager, Jose Foruria, says the 11 new recruits were predominantly from James Cook University and Central Queensland University, and came from a range of disciplines.

“We have a strong connection to communities in Central and Northern Queensland, so it’s important for us to support graduates from our local universities and give them a chance to gain employment and remain in the region,” Jose says.

“Home-grown recruits have a vested interest in the communities in which we operate and they understand the challenges of working in North Queensland – like wet seasons, cyclones and the logistics of accessing remote sites.”

“Our 2015 intake includes civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, in line with our service offerings across the water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation sectors.

“Whilst this represents a significant investment both in terms of recruitment and on the job inductions/training, we’re confident that the calibre of these graduates will pay dividends in the long run.”

At the other end of the spectrum, GHD is also in the process of recruiting for a number of high level leadership roles in North Queensland.

“At present, we are seeking a highly experienced and well connected senior professional to lead our transportation sector in North Queensland, along with a senior hydrologist to join our water team,” Jose says.

“GHD is a forward thinking, diverse company and we have a lot to offer potential candidates,” he adds.

In late 2014, GHD was awarded the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) in Australia – one of only two companies in the engineering and technical consulting services sector to achieve this.

“Through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, our ability to embrace the breadth of thought, background, skills and experience of both women and men is critical in developing imaginative solutions for our clients and the community,” Jose says.

“Our 2015 graduate intake includes four female engineers so we’re backing up our strategy with real and tangible actions.”