Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice, 2016
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology Award
It hasn’t taken Jaime Cheuk long to make a huge impact on how Sydney looks, feels and operates.
The seeds of her impressive engineering career were planted early. Growing up in Baulkham Hills, Jaime found herself gravitating toward maths and science classes in school. After spending her day with facts and figures, she would walk home past construction crews building impressive new developments. Those two factors, and a love of LEGO, helped trigger her interest in civil engineering.
These days she does much more than admire from the footpath. As a Project Engineer for John Holland Group, Jaime has helped bring some of Sydney’s biggest mega infrastructure projects to life. The gratification of being involved from initial permit approvals through to handover is something she doesn’t take for granted.
Before she helped transform the city, Jaime studied a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at UTS. She points to two six-month internships during her degree as pivotal steppingstones that let her experience how engineers problem solve. These experiences equipped her with the tools to play crucial on-site roles, including planning and managing the operation of a slurry tunnel boring machine while working on the Sydney Metro City and Southwest projects.
Jaime doesn’t see herself as a trailblazer in the traditionally male-dominated fields of engineering and construction. But she does appreciate the importance of having a diverse range of people and voices in the industry. As somebody who was introduced to the profession by women, Jaime points to strong females in the sector for inspiration. She knows more representation increases the chances of people finding their passion for engineering and building.
UTS helped me realise the importance of continuous learning. Sites are filled with new knowledge and experience – there’s always new technology and techniques being used. And being willing to learn encourages innovation. Engineers are problem solvers, and a diversity of ideas from people of different backgrounds is vital for doing that.