Kevin Hagen works in the plant and process industry; he is the principal engineer at GHD Consulting Engineers. He works in hazardous areas; grappling especially with flammable gases and dusts.
He studied for his Advanced Diploma in Applied Electrical Engineering through EIT, in 2011. After his graduation he joined the Institute of Engineers Australia (IEAust) and is now pursuing his chartered status as an engineering associate.
Kevin says that his EIT qualification formalized many years of practical experience. Furthermore, despite his significant experience in the field, he found that the course was instrumental in expanding his practical knowledge; something other tertiary education institutions hadn’t been able to provide him in the past. He said:
“I have found the practical, technical, knowledge acquired during the course to be of significant value in my work. I have previously undertaken non-vocational tertiary study and found it to be of little practical value.”
March 2018 will signal 40 years of service in the engineering industry for Hagen. However, he isn’t finished just yet. He is determined to pass on whatever knowledge he has amassed to the next generation of engineering professionals – he will be making this a priority. It is a commendable ambition and we wish Kevin well; young engineers learn more from passionate, experienced mentors than from any amount of book learning.