Our work is quite specialized, which means that a significant amount of guidance is needed during the early stages of professional development in this role. While the training isn't highly structured, I have received valuable support and mentorship from my colleagues, and I truly appreciate the time they have invested in helping me reach my current level.
When I joined Ascent as a graduate, they had prepared a graduate program for me to complete. This ensured that I would be ready as a fully-fledge engineer upon completing it. I was also given opportunities to travel to different locations to further develop my professional knowledge and experience, including courses, excursions and site visits. I receive regular and frequent feedback on the work I complete and have an annual performance review where we discuss further opportunities.
Nobody studies what we do at university, so almost every piece of technical knowledge required for this job is taught by seniors (and peers when appropriate) on the job. This manifests through formal graduate programs such as weekly seminars, through informal coaching and peer mentoring, and through a wide variety of ad hoc opportunities such as site visits, and trade shows.
