Minto resident Mohammad Atiq‘s desire to work on a large scale project led him to apply for a Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) internship.
As a result, the 21-year-old gained a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree with honours at the University of NSW.
Atiq said that he was an airport planning and design intern.
His duties included site inspections within the airport infrastructure, supporting design layout modifications and compliance checks, compiling construction progress reports and assisting to develop a project scope.
“I received a wide exposure to different parts of the project and business while being part of the WSI internship program.
“This early broad exposure equipped me with the skillset and mindset to tackle any hurdles in the future.
“I had a rise in confidence, professional networks, and a greater understanding of how the different engineering concepts within the WSI project interlink with one another,” he said.
Currently there are more than 4,000 people working on site at WSI. Half of the project’s workforce live in Western Sydney and around a third are learning new skills on-the-job.
Once the airport becomes operational in late 2026 there will be significant new job opportunities directly with the airport and with local businesses supporting the new airport.
Katy Hannouch, general manager – community engagement and social impact at WSI – says that the internship program equips students with practical skills combined with formal education to build capability and employment pathways for the community in Western Sydney.
“The program is aimed at university students in their second or final year of study and the interns work in a six-month paid program, part time.
“WSI supports the student’s academic studies, and the interns work on specialist projects along with a staff mentor.
“Interns are provided with practical skills and experience in a supportive and collaborative environment, with significant networking and professional development opportunities.
“The intern program connects WSI with educational institutions such as Western Sydney University and the University of NSW and provides pathways for employment.
“The program also provides WSI with a recruitment pipeline and the students in the program provide the opportunity to diversify our workforce by attracting individuals from various backgrounds.’’
Mohammad Atiq says that he enjoyed being able to learn from different people and to pass on the learnings to others.
“Solving problems together as a team is such a great learning experience,’’ he said.
“The WSI internship has provided me with invaluable skills and practical experience, which are transferrable.
“These acquired skills assisted me in securing a full-time graduate engineering role with CPB, the contractors responsible for the construction of the runway and airside facilities for the Western Sydney International Airport project.”
