Thomas Fallon has been working for major specialist defence providers on internationally significant research and design projects as part of his Co-operative Engineering Program studies. He’s discovering there’s a world of career opportunities out there for him when he graduates.
A love of surfing and the ocean drew Mr Fallon to pursue maritime studies and he chose AMC for its unique course offerings. From the central coast of NSW, he says he’s appreciating living and studying in Launceston, which he describes as “a part of the country that many others haven’t yet discovered”.
The Bachelor of Engineering (Ocean Engineering) student held a seven-month placement with Serco Defence in Sydney in 2015 and a year-long contract within the Maritime Division of Defence Science Technology (DST) Group in 2017.
Mr Fallon believes the reputation of AMC as providing industry-relevant training put him in good stead for both placements.
Both these roles required a regular application process, however, industry familiarisation with AMC’s Co-op Program ensured that I had an edge over other prospective student candidates,” he said.
The structural integrity of degrading surface ships was the focus of his most recent placement at DST.
An internationally collaborative project, Mr Fallon was part of a team developing and implementing numerical tools to conduct ultimate and fatigue strength assessments of naval vessels.
The co-op work placements have provided Mr Fallon with technical and professional skill development opportunities.
Earlier this year, he presented at the Defence Science Student Conference in Adelaide to students and industry leaders about his experience. The conference also heightened his understanding of the commitment by the Department of Defence to expand Australia’s naval industry.
“Defence is an area of continuous technology development so it will provide for exciting work for engineers, like me, in the future.”
He is due to complete his degree in 2019.
Published on: 17 Jan 2019
