CQU graduate turns industry experience into mining success
When Angus Wilson attended a CQUniversity Open Day as a Year 12 student, he wasn't entirely sure what career path he wanted to pursue.
Today, the CQUniversity engineering graduate is helping keep some of Australia's largest mining equipment operating safely and efficiently as an Asset Engineer with BUMA Australia, proving the power of practical industry experience and a willingness to tackle complex challenges.
Growing up in Yeppoon and attending school in Rockhampton, Angus said CQUniversity was the natural choice for his studies.
"Physics and maths were my favourite subjects at school, and I'd grown up working on cars and boats, which involved a lot of problem solving, so engineering made sense."
"Once I started my second year and began my industry placement, I knew engineering was for me."
Now working as an Asset Engineer for BUMA Australia, Angus is responsible for improving the reliability and performance of heavy mining equipment including excavators, haul trucks and dozers.
His role involves implementing maintenance improvement projects, monitoring machine health data, identifying preventative maintenance requirements and managing major equipment shutdowns.
One of his most significant achievements came recently when he led the planning and execution of a major excavator outage, a project that had never previously been undertaken by the company.
"I was responsible for the planning and execution of multiple work packages on site," he said.
"The outage was completed under budget, within the original timeframe and safely, with no injuries or incidents."
"It carried a high risk of delays if problems occurred, so seeing everything go to plan and the machine return to operation as scheduled was incredibly rewarding."
Angus credits CQUniversity's industry placement opportunities and Diploma of Professional Practice with helping him build the confidence and skills needed to make a smooth transition from study to full-time employment.
"The industry placements were the best experience I had in preparing for a career," he said.
"They were a really good stepping stone to full-time work because you could continue building your skills while studying.
"The placements made the transition from student to employee seamless."
After relocating to Brisbane in 2021, Angus secured an undergraduate position with Downer Mining, now BUMA Australia, while completing his studies.
He believes his previous placement experience played a major role in helping him secure the opportunity that launched his professional career.
Reflecting on his time at CQUniversity, Angus said the University's practical learning environment and supportive teaching staff made a lasting impression.
"The engineering facilities were excellent and I always found the lecturers approachable and supportive," he said.
"Dr Rolland Dodd was someone I found very knowledgeable and always willing to help."
Working in the mining and resources sector, Angus sees engineering playing a critical role in improving safety and innovation across the industry.
"What I notice every day is the development of new tools and equipment that remove people from hazardous areas and allow tasks to be completed remotely," he said.
"For example, maintenance checks that once required workers to stand underneath operating haul trucks can now be completed wirelessly using specialised monitoring tools.
"These innovations significantly reduce risk and create safer workplaces."
Looking ahead, Angus plans to build on his technical engineering experience by pursuing further qualifications in project management.
"I see project delivery and project management as one of my strengths," he said.
"Long term, I can see myself moving into a role focused on leading major projects once I've further developed my technical capabilities as an Asset Engineer."
For current CQUniversity engineering students, Angus has one clear piece of advice.
"Take full advantage of the placement and co-op opportunities offered by CQU," he said.
"They give you an early insight into what an engineering career is really like and allow you to explore different areas of the profession while you're still studying."
"Those experiences are invaluable and can make a huge difference when it comes time to start your career."
Kickstart your career like Angus with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Diploma of Professional Practice (Co-op Engineering).
