Student Journal - Adelaide Student Chapter - Chemical Engineering and Computer Science Students Vacation Work
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to undergo a vacation student placement as a metallurgist at Nyrstar Port Pirie.
This experience has been one of the highlights of my engineering journey so far and has helped shine a light onto what a potential career in the resources sector may look like.
Heading into this placement, I had no idea what to expect; and what struck me the most when I first walked through the gates was the sheer size of it all. Coming from university where your perception of a reactor is a square drawn on a piece of paper, to standing next to one that is the height of a small building really gives you a whole new perspective on what you’re learning.
During my 10-week stay at Nyrstar, I was given a project to complete. This project was an excellent opportunity to gain plant familiarisation though spending time with operators and plant metallurgists to learn how the process works.
To further my understanding and plant familiarisation, I was given comprehensive plant tours through every part of the smelting process. These tours were some of my favourite experiences; and it was amazing to see the full scale of the facility and how much work has been put in by very talented people to keep a plant running that has been operating since 1889.
At the end of my time as a vacation student, I had to present my project findings to the relevant stakeholders; this experience was new for me and something I learnt a lot from. What I took away most from this presentation was the feeling of genuine interest from the teams I was presenting to; this really helped validate my time here and give me confidence in moving forward with my career.
As I transition back into the university routine again, I enter this year with increased knowledge and experience that has helped broaden my perspective on what I am trying to achieve at university and I am excited to continue down this path.
I would like to conclude with a huge thanks to everyone at Nyrstar for having me over the summer and being so welcoming and supportive, as well as answering my endless questions.