What our people say?

 

What were your first few months like at SVT?

Graduate:

When I started off I let everyone know I liked to be thrown in at the deep end, and I wasn’t disappointed! Within the first four months I had the opportunity to work independently on-site and this helped me to find my own feet.

Graduate:

My first few months at SVT were pretty challenging... I was lucky enough to be put under the supervision of a mentor who made my transition from university to the work place a smooth process, as he encouraged me to question the way things were done which assisted me both in learning more efficiently and becoming more comfortable when settling into the working environment. I feel that although the work given to me was quite technically challenging, it was nothing that I couldn’t handle, working with an experienced team who are always amiable and willing to offer guidance.

Graduate:

I have already worked on projects in two different departments (Acoustics and Rotating Equipment) and have worked alongside senior staff who have guided me and helped to give a kick start to my career...there are also many graduates who share a similar experience to me who I can turn to for support and guidance or who may need help from me.

Team Leader:

A blur, exciting and nerve racking at the same time, it was great.

Principal Consultant:

Autumn (hey it was a long time ago :-))

 

How would you describe the culture at SVT?

Graduate:

...I have found the environment to be very healthy and nurturing towards my development as an engineer. Although naturally, self sufficiency in problem solving and performing set tasks is encouraged, everyones' door is always open when it comes to asking for help. The help and feedback that I have received when faced with challenges has been enthusiastically given and I have found that staff at SVT will always try to accommodate others no matter how busy their schedules may be. (The smell of bacon wafting from the kitchen also makes SVT feel even more like a warm and nourishing environment!)

Team Leader:

SVT culture is unique and I would believe one of a kind in our industry. It is always a pleasure to come to work.

Senior Consultant:

Friendly, helpful and supportive. If you don’t know something there are always people around willing to help you out.

Technician:

SVT is a great organisation to work for. They really do support their workers. People understand the importance of professionalism and hard work yet balance this with a relaxed, cheerful atmosphere. It is awesome to be working with a bunch of people who know their stuff. They come from all walks of life; academics to personnel with a strong practical background, and from a variety of cultures. I can honestly say I look forward to going to work.

Consultant:

Family. Despite the significant growth seen at SVT in recent years, SVT have always maintained a focus on it’s employee’s. It is this understanding that every person matters, and every situation is unique that each employee’s roles and responsibilities are determined, providing a planned career path to benefit both the employee and SVT.

 

Have you had the opportunity to get practical "hands-on" experience?

Graduate:

Not only do you get the hands on experience, you also get it in places like the biggest gas plant in the southern hemisphere or an oil and gas rig offshore while working on some impressive machines including jet engines and heavy duty compressors and motors.

Consultant:

After my induction and a week of training, I was on-site at a steel refinery in Kwinana within my first week at SVT, with my first month also bringing experience in a Gas Plant in Qatar, and soon after an offshore FPSO on the North West Shelf. Since then I have worked at numerous sites in the oil and gas, mining and power generation industries, both national and international in roles requiring technical troubleshooting, mechanical analysis and instrumentation of machinery.

Team Leader:

Yes I have had the opportunity to work on some really interesting assignments...exhaust stack vortex shedding, positive displacement pump vibration, permeate flare tip and platform vibration...all of which involved getting out into the field, talking with clients and seeing their problems first-hand.

 

What projects have you worked on recently?

Graduate:

Elevated noise levels on a RB211 gas generator (jet engine) and high vibration levels on run pipes in a gas plant to determine if the structural integrity was compromised.

Graduate:

I’ve just completed an alignment inspection on a 20 metre pump drive shaft in order to determine if the shaft alignment is the cause of increased bearing failure. Through the technology of the laser equipment we use, we’re able to gain a full ‘picture’ of where the shaft sits.

Consultant:

Recently, I have been involved with the Woodside Cossack Pioneer and Northern Endeavour Condition Monitoring Programs, as well as the TCSU Instrumentation Upgrade at the Karratha Gas Plant, development of training materials for implementation, and have recently taken on a role as a project manager for a number of projects with a partner company. On top of this, I am involved on a regular basis with troubleshooting for additional facilities, as well as projects within SVT to assist the growth and development of our company and its employee’s.

 

Have you had the opportunity to travel?

Graduate:

Within my first 2 months of work I was regularly travelling interstate and working only five minutes drive from the Twelve Apostles! I’ve also travelled up to the North West Shelf and had the opportunity to fly on a helicopter out to one of the offshore facilities

Technician:

I was promised a balanced mix of field and office work and I haven’t been disappointed. I spend on average a week to ten days away a month. This routine is an excellent balance of work and home (it gets my wife’s seal of approval!) I have traveled interstate and offshore – places you normally would never see, plus helicopter rides thrown in for free.

Graduate:

I was working at a plastics plant (out of Vienna, Austria) commissioning a brand new safety and protection system. The good news is I was told I was well prepared and did a good job and the customer has ordered another system and has asked if I can help with the management of the new project – more trips!

Team Leader:

Yes! Georgia, Azerbaijan, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai this year.

 

Do you think you have made a difference to our clients?

Graduate:

Definitely. Part of our role is to pick up machinery problems and this in itself is a huge benefit to the client as they gain information on the running state of their machines. We don’t stop at identifying the problem though, we work out a solution to resolve the problem and without this our clients would be running equipment outside of their integrity envelope and this has all kinds of implications with regards to reliability and safety, so we have a real opportunity to make a difference.

Graduate:

Recommendations I have made have prevented unnecessary down time on critical process equipment ... a big difference to production at the end of the day.

Consultant:

At SVT, we strive to maintain excellent client relationships. This allows us to understand the client better, and provide them with solutions that actually solve their problems, as opposed to relying on guess work to determine what is required. It is by being involved with the clients we are able to receive constant feedback, and tailor ourselves to perform at our best for every job we undertake.

 

What type of exposure have you had to industry?

Team Leader:

Where do I start...the most memorable was seeing the Bayu Undan offshore processing facility be bolted to its home in the Timor sea.

Senior Consultant:

Rust, dust, oil and gas – you’ll see it all with SVT. From the operators in the field to the engineers on the Terrace, you will get to see a wide range of perspectives on the operation of some of our industry’s largest operations.

Graduate:

I’ve completed work for six different clients in my 9 months at SVT and as many as four different facilities for one of these clients.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role at SVT?

Graduate:

I enjoy being able to come to work every day to a comfortable work environment where I enjoy solving problems with my colleagues and where I DON’T wake up dreading about going to work.

Consultant:

Learning new things everyday and creating strategic relationships. Working in a medium size company has given me the opportunity to be involved in many key areas of the business and to apply the knowledge that I’ve gained in my Masters degree.

Administration:

At SVT I feel I have become part of a great team, where I have been given the opportunity not only help them to achieve their goals but also to achieve mine!

Senior Consultant:

It is very rewarding to know that you are having a tangible and measurable input into the safe and continued running of our state’s energy and resource infrastructure.

Consultant:

At SVT, people are all valued, and know that if they have an idea, it will be listened to. Management are committed to making this company as good as it can be, and they understand that the best ideas come from those who see the problems every day, and they can take those problems, and turn them into solutions.

 

What has been the highlight of your time at SVT to date?

Graduate:

Working on the Goodwyn and North Rankin Platforms for commissioning projects, trouble shooting/problem solving, and performance testing has been a great experience. Being able to work on the impressive structures while getting the hands-on experience complements the office and technical work and has also been really enjoyable.

Graduate:

Flying to East Timor, then taking a helicopter ride across the island nation to an offshore gas rig to collect noise and vibration data on a Rolls Royce jet engine all in one day has to be the highlight of my stay at SVT so far.

Graduate:

While I was on one of the offshore facilities the client had a problem with a machine vibrating excessively. Through the troubleshooting techniques I have learnt as well as the support from back in the office I was able to reduce the vibration by about 20 times, ultimately avoiding failure of the machine and contributing to the ongoing reliability of the facility.

Technician:

There have been many highlights.My first visit to a gas plant, HUET (Helicopter escape training), my first visits to an offshore installation, and a variety of interesting courses. Above all however I would have to say my biggest highlight has been the people I work with.

 

How do you see your future at SVT?

Graduate:

There is great potential for me working at SVT to develop rapidly as an engineer and to acquire a wide range of skills and experiences which will be invaluable to me in the future.

Consultant:

I can become an expert.

Technician:

I am planning for a long and prosperous career at SVT. I look at the senior people at SVT and I intend to strive to replicate their knowledge and attitude. I have worked with several other employers, both public and private, and I have come to realise I have never been happier than I am now at SVT.

Consultant:

If you can dream it, you can do it! – Walt Disney