"The next 28 years will be the single most politically, technologically and financially exciting time in the history of the Australian power industry, as we progress toward a net-zero nation in 2050."
I want to be there to see that change. I want to be there to lead that change.
Cassidy Chellis
API Bursary Recipient (Graduating 2023)
WHO ARE THEY: I approach engineering with a three-pronged approach. My years of leadership experience, having led groups and organisations of anywhere between 6 and 1700 people, allows me to contextualise my decisions within the wider sphere of the institution. My extensive history in the physical trades allows me to have realistic and refined expectations of the speed and quality of construction, while giving me a thorough and fundamental intuition for safety. Finally, my engineering experience has given me the confidence to pursue projects of any scope, whether solo or working in a team, and to quickly, efficiently supplement my knowledge where needed.
KEY STRENGTHS: Leadership, Adaptivity, Autodidacticism
WHY CHOOSE THIS DEGREE?
My Journey
Where it all started for me
Completed High School
What did I end up studying?
Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering from Monash University
Entering the industry
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My previous work experience
As an 18-year old undergraduate, fresh out of my first year of university, I got an internship at a small-town solar firm. I was given one of their more unusual projects: the design and tendering of a floating solar array, the largest ever to have been built in Australia. Over the next six weeks, I designed every aspect of that solar farm myself, learning as much as I could about solar design, grid protection, international procurement, automation processes, financing, risk management, construction processes and the unique challenges of building offshore. I learned more in those six weeks than ever I had before, and perhaps even since.
Though it was for but a short time, I continue to use the skills I learned in those six weeks on an almost daily basis, whether through my design automation work at Aurecon, or through my industry research and modelling with Marsden Jacob Associates.
My work placement experience
What I'm doing now
I want to continue to develop my three-pronged approach, gaining ever more experience in leadership, in the physical side of electrical systems, and in the techno-economic aspects of both power system design and energy market regulation.
I want to help lead the Australian transition to net-zero, but I cannot do that without an intimate understanding of all the constituent markets and technologies of the energy industry. So, for now, I explore, I learn, and I advance.
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Abby Biles
"As we confront Australia's national skills shortage and the pressure to achieve Net Zero, the inclusion of women in the power industry becomes even more crucial. By leveraging diverse talents and perspectives, we can address these challenges. There are so many incredible women out there who's skills are needed in this space they just need the industry to support them in return."
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What can I do next?
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