‘Nothing worthwhile is easy’: Darwin engineer’s pathway to supporting his community

It was a love of puzzles and problem solving that led Tan Thai down the path of engineering – and now he shares that lightbulb moment with everyone.

Mr Thai began a Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechanical) at Charles Darwin University (CDU) in 2021 after deciding against a career in health.

“When I started studying, I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I knew it was the right path for me to help people,” he said.

“Engineering can definitely be difficult at times, but nothing worthwhile is easy.”

Now, he works as an Asset Engineer – Balance of Plant at Territory Generation.

“Now, I oversee and manage the lifecycle of systems that contribute or assist in the production of power in the NT, including Darwin and Katherine as well as rural areas such as Alice Springs, Yulara, Tennant Creek, and Kings Canyon.

“The work is fulfilling, and the challenge makes the effort worthwhile – it feels good to do work that contributes to the community.”

Mr Thai’s thesis development – which focused on the development of nanofibers alongside Dr Naveen Elumalai – was the highlight of his studies at CDU. 

The fibres are up to 100 times thinner than a spider’s silk and can be used to make bulletproof vests, filters for water purifiers, and medical equipment.

He said working as part of a research team highlighted the close-knit structure of the University’s classes and taught him to work closely with his peers across multiple disciplines.

It also hammered home the importance of thinking critically and outside the box when taking on new challenges.

“While some might see CDU's smaller size as a drawback, I saw it as an opportunity to build stronger connections with my lecturers,” Mr Thai said.

“Dr Elumalai let me to take initiative on the direction our nanofiber research should go – it felt like we were more like colleagues than student and teacher even though he had far more experience and knowledge than I did.”

While Tan’s journey is interesting, it’s not unique with 94% of engineering graduates finding full time work after completing their studies at CDU.