The ongoing Burwood Highway Upgrade have recently provided the perfect opportunity for civil engineering intern Fariha Chowdhury to hone hands on experience and more as she worked with Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) for an internship.
Chowdhury worked on the Burwood Highway Upgrade throughout 2023 and also worked on the Berwick project for a couple of months before she completed her internship in January 2024.
“I’ve found immense enjoyment in my experiences at MRPV,” she said.
“These experiences have been instrumental in shaping my perspective as a future civil engineer and have equipped me with practical knowledge crucial for launching my career.”
Women helping women to grow within construction is an incredible wave of change sweeping across the industry at the moment and Chowdhury has been able to get amazing support and mentoring working alongside the MRPV Project Manager Erin Ross.
“Erin’s role as my manager has been incredibly inspiring,” Chowdhury said.
“I’ve seen firsthand her expertise, extensive knowledge in road projects, and exceptional leadership qualities,” she said.
“Her unwavering support for my learning and opportunities, coupled with entrusting me with various responsibilities, has been invaluable.”
It’s a holistic shift as more women are encouraged to study in STEM fields and are given opportunities as female engineers within the construction industry.
For Chowdhury, creation and construction go hand-in-hand as it’s the next step in a lifelong journey admiring the world around her.
From an early age growing up in Bangladesh, her love of architecture and the buildings in her neighbourhood laid the first foundation for her life in engineering to come.
Chowdhury has taken plenty away from her time embedded in MRPV and its team-first mentality.
“What stood out in both the Burwood Highway project and the Thompsons Road Intersection project is the remarkable display of teamwork,” Chowdhury said.
“Achieving success wasn’t solely the effort of a group of engineers; it involved the collaboration of various teams such as the Communications, Environmental, Surveillance, Engineering and Safety teams to name just a few,” she said.
“One significant lesson learned is that despite our expertise and field knowledge, there’s always room for things to not go as planned. However, the beauty lies in the collective capability of a team to address and resolve any challenge that arises.”
After spending time at MRPV and seeing the impact an incredible array of female engineers can offer construction, she wants to continue to develop and grow in this field.
From her own internship experience to the goal of starting her own firm, a life spent building not only the impressive infrastructure of the future but also the career opportunities of aspiring female engineers like herself is in her sights.
“Looking ahead, my goal is to become an entrepreneur by establishing my own firm, specifically focusing on fostering the involvement of women in engineering,” Chowdhury said.
“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented and intelligent women engineers, highlighting the need for more representation of women in our industry – I aim to create opportunities and support to encourage more women to pursue and thrive in engineering roles,” she said.
