Kangaroo Point Green Bridge creates platform for student learning

Brisbane City Council’s Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project, being delivered by Connect Brisbane – a consortium led by BESIX Watpac, has opened opportunities for students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to get involved in a significant infrastructure project.

The project, located on the doorstep of QUT Gardens Point, has become a valuable learning opportunity, with students benefitting from guest lectures, cadetships, site tours and work experience programs – in addition to QUT alumni working on the bridge.

These activities have all contributed to making this iconic project a tangible and valuable learning opportunity to complement the studies of QUT students in construction-related fields.

Transforming the project into a vehicle for engaging with future construction professionals was an initiative BESIX Watpac pursued early in the project.

Tim Lyne, Workforce Training and Development Manager at BESIX Watpac was the driving force behind the engagement, and the project team has put the plan into action.

BESIX Watpac’s Tim Deere has been instrumental in facilitating this engagement through his talks at QUT as well as his efforts on site.

Tim said it was a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers and construction professionals with the bridge and university in proximity.

“Kangaroo Point Green Bridge is a high-profile project and being in the vicinity to the Gardens Point campus means every student would be interacting with it in some way, both throughout construction and once it is complete,” Tim said.

Sophie Cameron and Matthew Chaseling are both QUT students who have joined the project as Building Cadets.

Starting on the project in February this year, Sophie said she’s making the most of the hands-on learning environment.

Sophie and Matthew have been joined by two other students – Justin Suh and Mathew Chai, who will be completing work experience on the project as part of their course requirements. With career goals including working on superstructures, this program has had a perfect synergy for these students.

The project has also provided the backdrop to QUT’s ‘Engineer Your Future Event’ targeted at students in grades 7 and 8.

Tim spoke with students about the project and culmination of the even was a green bridge-building activity where students constructed extremely well planned-out bridges made from LEGO. Overall, Connect Brisbane and BESIX Watpac’s engagement with QUT at the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project is a shining example of how industry and academia can work together to create opportunities for the next generation of professionals.