Building career pathways with Cleanaway’s Graduate Program – meet Maddison, Kelsey and Pir

Mechanical, chemical and biomolecular engineering, resource management and marine biology – what do they have in common? For these Cleanaway Graduate Program participants it’s all about the passion for sustainability and how they can apply their skills towards a career with Cleanaway.

Our People

April 11, 2022

Highlights

I hope to develop a strong safety foundation as well as implement some achievable process optimisation projects in my current placement with the Liquid & Technical Services (LTS) business unit.

Highlights

I hope to develop a strong safety foundation as well as implement some achievable process optimisation projects in my current placement with the Liquid & Technical Services (LTS) business unit.

Maddison Barton is combining her love of the ocean and passion for the environment to contribute to Cleanaway’s mission of making a sustainable future possible together. Kelsey McKenzie is looking forward to gaining practical chemical engineering experience with the Liquid & Technical Services team, while Pir Muhammad Junejo is excited to develop his career and apply his engineering qualifications at Cleanaway.

Read on to hear more from Maddison, Kelsey and Pir about why they’ve joined the Graduate Program and what projects they’ve been involved with so far.

Maddison Barton
“I hope to enhance my communication skills and develop my knowledge surrounding the inner workings of what it means to be a Cleanaway employee.”

I grew up in the Blue Mountains of NSW and moved to the Central Coast to complete high school and university. I believe this is where my love for the environment and the ocean fully developed and led me on the path which I follow today. I completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Sustainable Resource Management and Marine Biology from the University of Newcastle in 2020. I subsequently enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Sustainability from UON.

Through the Graduate Program, I hope to develop my environmental management skills. I believe the program is a perfect opportunity to do so and the support that has been shown throughout my first month is a clear indication of the potential growth that is achievable.

The business scope of Cleanaway is one which you cannot fully comprehend unless you have internal insights and that has been the biggest teaching for me thus far. Between site visits and meetings with various branch managers from different business units, I believe I am beginning to understand the scope and I can only hope to continue my learning and contributing to making a sustainable future possible together with current and future generations.

Prior to joining Cleanaway, I’d seen the trucks collecting municipal waste but understanding the specifics of what Cleanaway does has been an amazing learning experience. On my first site visit I was surprised by the sheer size and the processes that are undertaken and I am looking forward to experiencing more sites and developing my knowledge.

Unsurprisingly, as a marine/environmental student, the environment has always been a passion of mine. As such, I enjoy diving and snorkelling in my free time.

Kelsey McKenzie
“I hope to develop a strong safety foundation as well as implement some achievable process optimisation projects in my current placement with the Liquid & Technical Services (LTS) business unit.”

I’m a graduate from the University of Sydney where I studied a Bachelor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Honours). I am passionate about sustainability, so I am very excited to being joining Cleanaway where this is a goal we work towards every day!

During my time with Cleanaway, I hope to challenge myself to always continue learning, develop professional relationships, and get some more hands-on chemical engineering experience. In my currently placement with the Liquid & Technical Services (LTS) business unit, I hope to develop a strong safety foundation as well as implement some achievable process optimisation projects.

I’ve been having a lot of fun in my new role. Some of the highlights so far have been seeing the Homebush and Windsor sites and hearing the leadership team talk about all the different sectors of Cleanaway. I’m looking forward to meeting more of the Cleanaway team as I progress through the Graduate Program.

When I am not working, I love to stay active through skiing, rock climbing and yoga. I enjoy travelling and getting out into nature when I have the chance.

Pir Muhammad Junejo
“I want to develop my skills and gain experience – I had heard great things about Cleanaway’s Graduate Program.”

I completed a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in Pakistan and a Master of Environmental Engineering and Pollution Control at Griffith University in Brisbane. I am passionate about applying my engineering skills to overcome the global threat of climate change and utilising waste in energy generation.

Since I am just starting my professional career and my entire knowledge is at the level of theory, I can’t wait to learn from more experienced people. Cleanaway is an amazing and diverse corporation where I can grow personally and professionally.

Since starting the program, I have been involved in Industrial & Waste Services (I&WS) weekly team meetings to understand the business unit operations as well as meetings for new tender proposals. I’ve been interacting with branch managers across Queensland to collect information for a report task from which I have gained valuable knowledge of how different sites work. Meetings with the CEO and senior leaders have provided excellent opportunities to learn about different business units.

Outside of work, I am interested in musical instruments and spend my leisure time in jam sessions. I also enjoy socialising with friends and family.

Cleanaway’s Graduate Program is designed to create career pathways for recent graduates through hands-on experience and insight into Cleanaway and the waste management industry as a whole.

Contact us to learn more about how you can make a sustainable future possible together with Cleanaway.