How Emily Lockey is helping to shape Sydney's future
Emily Lockey is constantly creating new connections. Road, rail - whatever the means of transport, it's all about getting people from A to B. It’s valuable work, varied and exciting, but also challenging in practice - no wonder tunnel construction fascinates the senior project engineer so much. “The tunnels I’ve worked on are an investment in Sydney’s future. They’re going to address traffic congestion and make it easier for people to move around the city,” she explains.
A matter of mindset For Emily it´s critically important that her people are involved, take ownership of their work, and work as a team. A shared vision is integral to project success, as is an entrepreneurial mindset: “For me, being entrepreneurial means being the author of your own destiny, and no matter what position you're in, whether you're a graduate or a senior leader, having the same feeling of responsibility and wanting to make a difference. Management also wants to empower junior staff to feel in control of their own destiny. You can see this in our encouragement of innovation and new ideas from within our teams.”
If there's something you really want to do, you're the only one that's going to make it happen.“
How to build a career She also has some advice for any young people who are interested in a career in her profession: “If there's something you really want to do, you're the only one that's going to make it happen. You’ve got to be motivated to make your own opportunities because otherwise it just won’t happen. My advice is that you're going to get out as much as you put in. The more engaged you are, the more curious you are about what's going on, then the more you're going to learn, the more you're going to grow. If you take that approach, you’ll soon find that other people will respond positively.”
Falling in love with construction Emily is currently working on the M6 Stage 1, which involves tunnelling for a motorway near Sydney Airport. Her task is highly specialized: “I’m looking after the waterproofing and the secondary lining, and planning for the trenching and benching”. It’s the perfect job for someone whose heart has always been in construction. “My Dad was a carpenter, working in residential construction, and I always enjoyed visiting his work sites. At school I took to mathematics and science and when I started doing work experience on major infrastructure projects, I found that I really loved it.”
The secret of success She also appreciates the fact that her work is so demanding, with different challenges to overcome on each project. “The challenges involved in tunnelling under Sydney Harbour were about the tight spaces that we needed to work in, because there was only one way in and out. The logistics were a challenge with all the different elements to the work. Success in the end came from getting into a good cycle, so that other people could plan around us and we could achieve our program goals.” That leaves little room for routine - “every day is different, which is why working here is so interesting” - but some standards are immutable: “a good flat white coffee is essential when I’m at work!”
