Construction Internship Provides Valuable Real-Life Experiences

At the start of 2021, AMA Projects launched an internal internship and cadetship program to provide students with on-the-job experience and professional development opportunities, while also supporting their studies to help future-proof their careers and identify the areas they wish to specialise in. AMA Projects are a national leading provider of project and construction management services, responsible for delivering over 500 projects domestically and internationally since being established in 2010 and specialise in delivering construction, infrastructure, fitout and refurbishment projects.

After reaching out to the University of Canberra (UC), AMA Projects joined the Work Integrated Learning Program, as part of UC’s Faculty of Arts and Design Professional Internships Program. This program provides the students with a paid internship that counts towards 12 credit points in their degree.

After being presented with a talented candidate pool, Eisha and Hayden were successfully chosen by AMA Projects as part of the Professional Internship Program, to complete a 12-month paid internship. Both Eisha and Hayden are currently completing a six-month rotation over the year, focusing on project-based functions such as estimating, contracts administration and project management, and site-based functions such as site management and work, health, safety and environment (WHSE) standards.

Hayden has had previous exposure to the construction industry and is currently completing his fourth year of studies at UC. He began at AMA Projects in the site-based rotation of the program acting in the role of a Site Supervisor and has currently had the opportunity to be involved in several fitout, heritage and high-security projects, learning from a number of AMA Projects’ Site Managers. He is currently working alongside the Site Manager on a 4,600m2 bespoke fitout project featuring a number of different construction and security elements, due to wrap up at the end of June, where he will then move into a contracts administrator role.

“It’s been great coming onto projects and seeing them through to the end. Delivering them on time and with a quality finish is definitely the goal,” said Hayden.

In comparison, Eisha is only in her second year of studies and has had no previous exposure to the construction industry. Eisha started as part of the project team, working as a Contracts Administrator which involves working closely with the project manager and subcontractors, assisting the estimating team with retrieving quotes and ensuring all construction documentation is correct and accounted for. She has experienced a number of fitout and high security works as well as new build and civil construction and will be starting her site-based rotation from July.

“Coming from a hospitality background with no construction experience, to then being in a professional company, it’s been really exciting for me applying theory that I’ve been learning in my degree into a practical situation and seeing how that all translates,” said Eisha.

Eisha and Hayden both feel the knowledge they have gained as part of their degree has helped make them career ready; particularly in the standards and codes that must be followed in the construction industry, documentation processes, project management and contract administration application and software use such as Microsoft Project.

Tim Ryan, General Manager ACT, is overseeing Eisha and Hayden’s placement throughout the company and providing additional support when they need it, noting that they have integrated into their placements quite well.

“Since starting with AMA Projects at the beginning of the year, they’ve both displayed high levels of enthusiasm and a dedication to not only delivering their tasks professionally but learning as much as they can. Both Eisha and Hayden have settled in extremely well and we are looking forward to seeing how much they have learnt and grown in six-months’ time when their placement is due to finish.”

Both students have their sights on a project management role in the future. Good luck with the rest of your internship and degree Eisha and Hayden!