A Graduate journey to an Engineer role

Hi, I'm Ashlyn!

I finished the Graduate Program at the end of 2024 and am currently the Process Support Engineer for Utilities on site, looking after short-term projects and optimisation of the Air, Flare, Demineralised Water and Steam systems.

I studied a Bachelor of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. At the end of my degree, I really wanted some hands-on practical experience in Chemical Engineering, so I decided to work at the Ampol Lytton Refinery.

As a Process Engineering Graduate, I completed 3 rotations: development engineering (working on capex projects), process support (working on short term projects and optimisation) and process safety (working on incident classification and safety workshops). Each of these rotations was really interesting and I learnt a lot of technical skills in designing and operating process systems, both optimally and safely. One of the highlights of my Graduate Program was being involved in a Turnaround and Inspection, where I got to enter equipment that had been shut down for cleaning and maintenance. This experience taught me about how the equipment works and let me experience the hands-on work that I was looking for.

Another highlight was being a part of the Graduate Committee at Ampol, organising both social and career events and meeting new graduates across the business.