EnergyAustralia Electrical Engineering Cadetship - worth it? (1 Viewer)

[hurikai]

http://www.cadetships.energyaustralia.com.au/

I just need people with experience to tell me whether or not I'm being uncomfortable about this for no reason/if this cadetship is a good choice or not.

There's a few things in the T&C (attached at bottom) I don't like:



i. You're forced into things:


1.d) The recipient of the EnergyAustralia Cadetship in Electrical Engineering (“Cadet”) must not hold any other Cadetship, Traineeship, Scholarship or Bursary at the same time.

Locks you out of UTS and UNSW co-ops, which are also excellent although they pay less (10-15k/year)


2. a) The Cadetship shall be in Electrical Engineering (Power Stream) and shall not be transferable to any other area of Engineering.

Your specialisation is chosen for you.

What does Power Stream involve and is it a good choice?




ii. You have to defer your fourth year of uni to do full-time work for them, for 37k


4. Work Experience Schedule
• Year 1 At the end of Year 1 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 2 At the end of Year 2 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 3 At the end of Year 3 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 4 March to February - One year (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 5 Thesis Project (Thesis with EnergyAustralia while attending full time University)
• 2 weeks each year in July (Full time work at EnergyAustralia).

5. Year Yearly Wage (Gross)
Year 1 $18,051.00
Year 2 $19,902.00
Year 3 $21,942.00
Year 4 $37,336.00
Year 5 $38,795.00


I think overall the money is good, with the exception of Year 4, where you get paid 37k for basically a year-round full-time job.

Don't electrical engineers expect 50kish in their first year after they graduate? (This is what I've heard)




This is what really annoys me:


iii. They get to rip your thesis

2. d) The thesis topic chosen by the Cadet must be related to the Electricity Supply Industry and approved by the University, and EnergyAustralia.

Intellectual Property
a) The Cadet assigns to EnergyAustralia all right and title to any intellectual property in the thesis, reports and any other material which the Cadets creates or contributes to during the Cadetship.
b) In relation to all copyright works the Cadet creates or contributes to during the Cadetship, the Cadet consents to EnergyAustralia materially altering those works and dealing with those works without identifying the Cadet as the creator of or contributor to the works.
c) The Cadet shall promptly execute all documents and do all things EnergyAustralia requests to confirm or perfect any of the rights in this clause.


Is the final thesis generally ground-breaking, individual stuff, or is it not that important in terms of industry value?

 

[pottsy44]

2. d) The thesis topic chosen by the Cadet must be related to the Electricity Supply Industry and approved by the University, and EnergyAustralia.

Intellectual Property
a) The Cadet assigns to EnergyAustralia all right and title to any intellectual property in the thesis, reports and any other material which the Cadets creates or contributes to during the Cadetship.
b) In relation to all copyright works the Cadet creates or contributes to during the Cadetship, the Cadet consents to EnergyAustralia materially altering those works and dealing with those works without identifying the Cadet as the creator of or contributor to the works.
c) The Cadet shall promptly execute all documents and do all things EnergyAustralia requests to confirm or perfect any of the rights in this clause.


Is the final thesis generally ground-breaking, individual stuff, or is it not that important in terms of industry value?

im doing my thesis now (construction management), and we choose in consultantion with our supervisor (employer) the thesis question, generally the thesis is meant to be on a topic that can help your company in their STRATEGIC PLANNING (meaning they will use your findings in the thesis to help their business operations). Also, your employer will help you on a week to week basis with the thesis.

so in your case, you will most likely find that you will get alot of help from your employer, however, inturn you will also be helping them. I suppose if you did really well in your thesis that it would help in career progression.

 

[hurikai]

ok, fair enough. thanks.

 

[almost done now]

Is the final thesis generally ground-breaking, individual stuff, or is it not that important in terms of industry value?

hi there!

in most cases, the fourth year thesis is not groundbreaking pioneering research - that's what a PHD is for.

there is simply not enough to time in fourth year (bear in mind that as well as doing the thesis, you also have to do a number of subjects as well) to do anything in enough breadth and depth to worry too much about theft of intellectual property by the company that has sponsored you all the way through uni...

i know quite a few people on this (and similar) cadetships, and they all tell me that the work experience is fantastic.

all the best with your application!

 

[Pezza]

I'll be honest, I'm currently on the EnergyAustralia Cadetship and I'm finding it hard to believe how you can knock it at all. I've met a lot of different people on a lot of different scholarships at Uni, and honestly I've never found another deal as good as the one you get with EA.

In response to specific points:

-------
1.d) The recipient of the EnergyAustralia Cadetship in Electrical Engineering (“Cadet”) must not hold any other Cadetship, Traineeship, Scholarship or Bursary at the same time.

Locks you out of UTS and UNSW co-ops, which are also excellent although they pay less (10-15k/year)
-------

Have you actually looked into either the cadetship or the co-op program? For BOTH programs you are required to work FULL TIME in your holidays. Even if they allowed you to accept other scholarships, you couldn't possibly do both of them. EA is basically a higher paying and more specialised version of a Co-op Scholarship.

-------
2. a) The Cadetship shall be in Electrical Engineering (Power Stream) and shall not be transferable to any other area of Engineering.

Your specialisation is chosen for you.

What does Power Stream involve and is it a good choice?
-------

If someone is offering you a lot of money to do a degree, I think you'd expect for them to have a say in the choices you make. As for if it's a good choice, it's by far the best choice if you actually want to get a job in the field you trained in. It's only 4 courses or so anyway, hardly a large proportion of your degree. I think they're all in 4th year anyway.

-------
4. Work Experience Schedule
• Year 1 At the end of Year 1 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 2 At the end of Year 2 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 3 At the end of Year 3 - (Summer Vacation) - (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 4 March to February - One year (Full time work at EnergyAustralia )
• Year 5 Thesis Project (Thesis with EnergyAustralia while attending full time University)
• 2 weeks each year in July (Full time work at EnergyAustralia).

5. Year Yearly Wage (Gross)
Year 1 $18,051.00
Year 2 $19,902.00
Year 3 $21,942.00
Year 4 $37,336.00
Year 5 $38,795.00


I think overall the money is good, with the exception of Year 4, where you get paid 37k for basically a year-round full-time job.

Don't electrical engineers expect 50kish in their first year after they graduate? (This is what I've heard)
-------

The money is actually the best of any scholarship or cadetship I've seen. They might not be paying graduate wage in 4th year but you might note that after only 3 years of uni, you aren't a graduate! Also if you ad to it the money they have paid you in the first 3 years you will note they're paying you a lot of money when you are of no use to them...

And don't forget as well the experience you are getting for free in that 4th year. Believe me you learn a LOT on placements.


-------
2. d) The thesis topic chosen by the Cadet must be related to the Electricity Supply Industry and approved by the University, and EnergyAustralia.

Intellectual Property
a) The Cadet assigns to EnergyAustralia all right and title to any intellectual property in the thesis, reports and any other material which the Cadets creates or contributes to during the Cadetship.
b) In relation to all copyright works the Cadet creates or contributes to during the Cadetship, the Cadet consents to EnergyAustralia materially altering those works and dealing with those works without identifying the Cadet as the creator of or contributor to the works.
c) The Cadet shall promptly execute all documents and do all things EnergyAustralia requests to confirm or perfect any of the rights in this clause.


Is the final thesis generally ground-breaking, individual stuff, or is it not that important in terms of industry value?
-------

They're paying you nearly $40,000 to go to uni for a year. Are you really surprised they are asking for the rights to your thesis? Besides, they are likely to be a huge amount of help to you during your thesis.




Honestly, I am yet to meet someone at Uni who is getting a better deal than the EA cadets. If you are honestly worried about not getting graduate salary in 4th year then I think you might be setting your sights a little high. No one is going to give you, an uneducated soon-to-be uni student, a better deal than EA does.

 

[doink]

If you know for sure that you want to do Power Engineering then go for it. Although If you get half-way through first year and find you dont like it things get ugly fast.

 

[steve974]

What if you want to quit? Or they don't like you anymore?

 

[rodro]

ok just out of interest, how do 'things get ugly'. Is it with EA or with the university or Both

If you know for sure that you want to do Power Engineering then go for it. Although If you get half-way through first year and find you dont like it things get ugly fast.

 

[umz93]

What ATAR do i need do get into this course, also what is the criteria do get the Interview?