Nathan Brennan

What is your background? 

Growing up, like most children, my curiosity and interests stemmed from trucks, cars, excavators, aeroplanes, helicopters, in fact, all types of machinery. Fast forward a numbseveral and I found myself studying a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at Griffith University, eager to keep my childhood dreams alive. Applying practical knowledge learnt at university to my BMW E30 project car, I was keen on seeking a position to gain real real-worlds-on experience.

What was your Vacation Placement like with Anglo American?

I was placed at Anglo American’s German Creek CHPP, located in Middlemount, Central Queensland. My project as an undergraduate Mechanical Engineer was to increase the reliability of the module 5 process pumps. Leading this project, I was responsible for investigating the current system, researching optimal operating conditions, liaising with contractors and OEMs, and finally offering an engineered solution to combat premature failure. I was given a lot of autonomy to select and apply appropriate materials, components and devices for the redesigned system, which would increase reliability and ultimately promote plant uptime.

Weekends in Central Queensland were eventful, with vacation students planning regular trips to Airlie Beach, Day Dream Island, Eungella National Park, Blackdown Tableland National Park, Yeppoon, and Emerald.

One or two highlights of your Vacation program placement with Anglo American

The highlight for me was the strong emphasis Anglo American, and all its employees put on safety. Working around large, in fact massive, equipment, makes you realise just how crucial and critical it is to prioritise safety. Seeing the senior leadership team highlight this above ALL other aspects, was an extremely attractive quality. Amongst the safety focused work style, other highlights involved mining exposure, guidance and support, kindness, involvement, and last but not least, a fun workplace.

1 or 2 pieces of advice to other university students

Advice I could offer to future employees, of any employer,

• Develop your communication skills. High-paced environments benefit greatly from concise and neutral toned interactions. Being able to communicate and explain technical information clearly will save confusion, improve productivity and engagement, and ultimately lead to satisfaction.
• Ask questions and seek clarification, don’t worry about being judged by people if you don’t know the simplest of things. Once you start asking questions you were previously afraid to, you’ll be flooded with all sorts of benefits.