My biggest passion is to make the career change I have committed to a success.
My biggest passion is to make the career change I have committed to a success.
Following a career change, Chris Wilkinson is keen to achieve his goals and make a difference through Cleanaway’s Graduate Program. Danielle Cordeiro is ready to get out of her comfort zone and apply her environmental studies in a professional setting, while Brendan Chappell is ready to build his career with a focus on safety and process improvements.
We spoke with Chris, Danielle and Brendan to find out what they’ve learnt about Cleanaway so far and what they’re hoping to get out of the Graduate Program experience.
Chris Wilkinson
“My biggest passion is to make the career change I have committed to a success.”
I completed a Diploma of Logistics at TAFE followed by a Bachelor of Commerce double majoring in Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Business Information Systems at Curtin University. Cleanaway offers meaningful employment and is a place where I can make a difference and be proud of my work.
My current placement is WA Solid Waste Services, based out of the Malaga site but because of COVID protocols I have been working from home. It has been rather challenging starting a new job working from home and I look forward to being able to get out on sites and meet people and see firsthand how Cleanaway operates.
The projects I have been assigned for my first six-month rotation include creating an inventory of existing bins within the Cleanaway network, recording and tracking bin locations and developing flow charts for the bin ordering process.
Figuring out what is expected of me and what I need to do to be successful in my assigned projects has been a challenge while working from home. However, my first month working here has shown me just how willing everyone at Cleanaway is to help me succeed. It is a pleasure to work with such helpful people.
Through the program, I am hoping to take part in meaningful projects that can benefit both myself and Cleanaway. I am looking forward to meeting a lot of people from every level in the company and being involved in some of the innovative projects around fleet and inventory management that Cleanaway will be undertaking. I am also hoping for opportunities to learn and develop skills needed for business analysis.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends throughout Australia. My hobbies include 4WD-ing, camping, watching sport (especially AFL, where I follow the Richmond Tigers), cooking, travel and, as of last year, the gym. I started a fitness program and I am really enjoying the gym which has been a surprise to me.
Danielle Cordeiro
“Through the program, I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of Cleanaway’s role in a circular economy and the new technologies that we are hoping to implement to facilitate that.”
I am a graduate from Monash University in Melbourne having completed my undergraduate degree in Ecology and Conservation Biology and a Master of Environment and Sustainability. Prior to joining Cleanaway, I worked in hospitality, retail and research and interned at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
During the first month of Cleanaway’s Graduate Program, I have learnt that Cleanaway has a strong commitment when it comes to sustainability and environmental safety. They are incorporated into every facet of the business and there is continuous improvement being made to meet our ESG goals. It’s also great to see the implementation of Workplace to connect all Cleanaway employees in a more social way so we can share our experiences.
My current placement is with the Environment team assisting in the data analytics of the environmental audit. Working in data analysis is something I am familiar with as a science student, but I am keen to apply these skills in a professional setting. I’m also looking forward to the challenges of the program and experiencing things outside my comfort zone during my placements.
One of the highlights so far was being invited to the Women of Waste and Resource Recovery breakfast hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia. It was great to hear from women in the waste industry and learn about what their experience has been.
In my spare time I enjoy bike riding around the various trails in Melbourne, baking desserts and painting.
Brendan Chappell
“Through the program, I would like to continue developing myself into the most well-rounded team member I can be, while learning from and teaching others to make Cleanaway as a whole better.”
I have been studying Mechanical Engineering and Business Management at Curtin University in WA and am on the brink of graduation with one business unit left to complete. During the first month of Cleanaway’s Graduate Program, I have had the importance of safety truly ingrained in me, even more than it was before. In the past, I have seen people’s actions not align with what they say about safety but at Cleanaway I have seen multiple proactive steps to ensure the safety of everyone.
Coming into Cleanaway, my knowledge of the Industrial & Waste Services (I&WS) business unit was non-existent. I thought Cleanaway was only household and business waste collections. Within the first month, I have started to learn about some of the many jobs that I&WS can do and how hard our operators work.
In my current placement, I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about the current processes that we offer while critically thinking about ways to continue improving safety. I would like to deepen my knowledge of what our clients want from us and develop ways for us to exceed those expectations through safer and more efficient solutions to the issues they face.
Outside of work and university I am a relatively athletic person who enjoys playing footy or going for a run, especially when the run is accompanied by my partner and my puppy, Tasha. I am pretty sports mad and will get stuck into almost any sport going. I have already enjoyed the thrill of throwing myself out of a plane skydiving twice and look forward to going again.
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.