Engineering without borders

For many young engineers, the early years of their career are spent close to home, learning the fundamentals one drawing or site visit at a time. At Inteforge, the experience looks very different. Graduates aren’t just learning how steel is detailed, fabricated, and delivered. They’re seeing it unfold in workshops and offices across China, India and Vietnam.

For engineers like Zac Buckingham and Ayden Wedge, global exposure has shaped their development in ways they never expected.

Mechanical engineering graduate Zac grew up in Perth and only recently discovered a passion for travel. Inteforge accelerated that quickly. Within his first year, he travelled to China twice to support fabrication for a Pilbara-based project – an experience he described as transformative.

“Six months ago, I was reading standards and learning the basics,” Zac said.

“Now I’m in China walking around with quality inspectors, learning about welds and fab shop management.

“It’s surreal seeing the steelwork I helped detail being produced right in front of me.”

Zac’s role spans continents – coordinating with detailers in India, managing a design team in Vietnam and working closely with fabricators overseas. He said that global collaboration has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job and credits the Inteforge team for helping him grow.

“Working with people from all over the world gives you new perspectives on things you take for granted,” he said.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s always okay to ask for help – there’s so much knowledge around you, and everyone wants you to succeed.”

Initially from a site‑based background, civil engineering graduate Ayden has had a similarly eye‑opening start to his career. After completing his studies, he joined Inteforge and soon found himself in fabrication workshops in China, followed by five weeks in India working directly from a detailer’s office.

“One of the most rewarding aspects has been gaining exposure to the entire fabrication lifecycle. I never realised how much planning and technical input goes into this process until I saw it firsthand,” Ayden said.

He said that a major benefit of his time overseas was being pushed out of his comfort zone.

“Working in India was initially a culture shock, but it turned into an incredibly rewarding experience,” he said.

“I was given real responsibility early on, and that level of trust has been a significant development opportunity.”

In just the past year, both Zac and Ayden have gained significant exposure to global work, travelling to China, India and Vietnam to support detailing, fabrication, logistics and international procurement.

The experience has given Zac a deep respect for the entire process of getting steelwork to site. For Ayden, it has broadened his perspective and accelerated his development as a project engineer. For both, the opportunity to see the world while building their careers has been an unexpected and invaluable part of their time at Inteforge.

Their experiences highlight that, for graduates who are ready to learn, ready to travel and ready to take on real responsibility, Inteforge is a place where the world opens up quickly – with lessons gained early on that will stay with them for the rest of their careers.