Frequently Asked Questions - Vacation Engineering Program
What does the Vacation Program consist of?
Each year we aim to offer students in their penultimate year of study an opportunity to do a 3-month vacation placement at a CitiPower/Powercor site during November, December and January. Our program is designed to give a valuable insight into working processes within the state's largest electricity distribution business and an opportunity for students to put the theory they have learned into practice.
Based on performance, vacation students may be offered casual or part-time work during their final year of study, which may lead to an interview opportunity for the Engineering Graduate Development Program.
How many vacations students do you employ each year?
Dependant on business needs, we aim to offer at least 3 vacation program opportunities each year.
What type of vacation students are you looking for?
We seek Electrical Engineering students who will be going into their final year of studies who have a passion for power or communications in the utilities sector.
Our vacation students are energetic, well-rounded and able to contribute innovative ideas and enthusiasm as part of a team. Ideally, our vacation students will be interested in potentially securing further employment with CitiPower/Powercor after studies have been completed.
What are some of the typical opportunities as a Vacation Student?
Opportunities generally exist in the following disciplines:
- Protection relay application and secondary systems (protection and control) design
- SCADA design and application
- Load flow studies
- Primary systems design (66 and 22kV switchyard design, earthing design, electrical plant installation designs such as circuit breakers and power transformers)
- 66 and 22kV electrical plant maintenance strategies
- 66 and 22kV electrical network standards development.
What salary and benefits can I expect?
The hourly rate during the vacation program is around $21 per hour (including 25% casual loading). This rate will increase if further casual or part-time employment is offered.
If employed on a permanent basis after the vacation program, annual bonuses and annual salary increment increases are paid pending performance. We are happy to provide further information on salary at the time of interview.
As an employer, we recognise and value the importance of offering flexible work practices that strike a balance between work life interests. We offer awards such as our Business Innovation Cup and Spirit of Excellence to encourage employees to excel in their everyday work life. Other benefits that we offer to permanent employees include generous leave allowances, income protection, service awards, health and wellbeing programs and social club membership.
How do I apply?
Applications are available online from July each year.
Do I have to wait for an advertisement to apply?
Yes, applications are only accepted during the period that positions are advertised..
What does the application process involve?
An online application will generally take about 30-60 minutes to complete and applicants will be asked to answer some general questions and provide a resume, cover letter and copy of their most recent academic transcript.
Once applications have closed we undertake a thorough screening process and if short-listed you may be contacted for a brief telephone discussion. Further selection activities may involve psych testing and a face-to-face panel based interview.
After I apply when should I expect to hear from you?
Once applications have been submitted, we will send an email to confirm receipt. Applicants will then be contacted after the closing date has expired, once all applications have been reviewed. Please note, due to the large number of applications that we receive, those that are unsuccessful in the initial screening stage will be notified via email only.
Where are you located?
Powercor's head office is located at 40 Market Street, Melbourne CBD.
CitiPower is located at Rooney Street, Burnley (near Richmond).
Our regional offices are located in Ardeer, Bendigo, Ballarat, Colac, Echuca, Geelong, Horsham, Kyneton, Mildura, Shepparton and Warrnambool.
Do you employ overseas applicants?
You must be a permanent resident of Australia at the time of application in order to qualify for the program.