When Mark Price immigrated to Australia in 2011, he came armed with an Irish accent and a passion for engineering. He wanted to build on his years of experience as an electrician, and his Bachelor of Engineering degree to pursue a career in consulting.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Mark has gone from strength to strength – he is an Associate/Project Engineer at Wood & Grieve Engineers in Perth, and a graduate of the University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Master of Engineering Practice (Power Systems Engineering). His success was recently recognised at the Engineers Australia National Congress Dinner where he was named the Australia’s young engineering technologist of the year.

“To have won the national award was a really special feeling. Getting called up to stage to collect the award in a room full of wonderful ambassadors for the profession was a great moment,” Mark said. “While this was an individual award, engineering is a collaborative effort. I see this as recognition of the work we’re doing at Wood & Grieve Engineers.” Mark said it was important to recognise the opportunities offered in his adopted country. “There is a culture here that fosters and encourages talent. With this drive towards technology and innovation, young engineers can really make a difference in the shaping of Australia’s future.”

Also at the Engineers Australia National Congress Dinner, Senior Lecturer (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering) Dr Steven Goh was honoured for his six years of service to the group. “As a non-executive director of Engineers Australia, I chaired a working group investigating the roles of engineering technologists and associates within the engineering team,” he said. “I presented recommendations emphasising the need to find opportunities for industries and universities to collaborate and promote the education and workforce planning of technologists and associates.”

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