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Unconventional pathway leads to career success

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Simon Little’s pathway to university study has been somewhat unconventional.

Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, he’d always had a passion for diving and an equally deep aversion to hitting the books – so much so he skipped his Year 12 English exam and missed out on receiving a tertiary entrance score.

Mr Little relocated to Albury, NSW with his partner at the time and secured employment at a mechanics workshop. Following a half-hearted attempt at a mechanical apprenticeship, he decided to reassess his options and explore the idea of a career in engineering.

However, to gain entry to a university engineering degree without having achieved an ATAR score required an alternate route.

Mr Little was accepted into AMC after knuckling down and completing the pre-requisite mathematics and chemistry foundation subjects. In 2011, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Ocean Engineering).

His thesis in computational fluid dynamics led to employment, initially in mining with Tasmanian-based manufacturing and engineering support business Southern Prospect, and later in utilities and renewables.

A career highlight was working on Hydro Tasmania’s world-leading King Island Renewable Energy Integration Program (KIREIP). The diesel conversion program developed a groundbreaking hybrid off-grid power system for the island’s population, which is capable of 100 per cent renewable operation.

Mr Little credits the industry-specific AMC ocean engineering course with providing the skills to adapt to different engineering disciplines.

The degree is well-rounded, encompassing structural, civil, instrumental and mechanical components which have all been useful in my career,” he said.

An experienced project manager, Mr Little has recently left employment with Elphinstone Pty Ltd (an international mining and heavy equipment manufacturer, headquartered in Tasmania’s north-west) for a new challenge with Simplot Australia.

He’s project managing a multi-million dollar production line process upgrade at Simplot’s potato manufacturing plant at Ulverstone, also in north-west Tasmania. He’s found the transfer into the fast-moving consumer goods and food manufacturing space interesting.

“The project is centred on upgrading the conveying technology. Working as an engineer you are always learning, always trying to do things differently or better, so it is always challenging, no matter the industry,” Mr Little said.

In addition to his maritime engineering qualifications, Mr Little holds a post-graduate degree in management and diplomas in both leadership/management and project management. He also teaches first-year engineering subject Materials at the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast campus.

Published on: 17 Jan 2019