Engineering cadet embraces real-world learning at ECU City

The opportunity to be involved in a once-in-a-generation project – at your own university – while completing a degree, has the potential to shape a career.

This has been the experience of ECU Engineering student Munish Senghani, who is currently completing a cadetship to support construction of Australia’s newest university campus, ECU City.

The $853 million city-shaping campus will bring around 10,000 students and staff to the Perth CBD from semester one, 2026.

The cadetship is part of the project’s 'Living Laboratory' concept, introduced in partnership with Head Contractor Multiplex to give ECU students a chance to engage with a live site and view in practice the theories they are being taught. 

ECU students have been involved throughout the project, including during the design and planning processes, and now into the construction phase.

For Munish, the decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a career in engineering was easy.

“My Dad is from India. He did not come from a privileged background and was the only one who studied in the family,” he said.

“He decided to become a Civil Engineer in the rural areas of India. That really inspired me to be an engineer as well.”

Currently in his final year completing a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Environmental) Honours, Munish will graduate in mid-2024.

This semester, he has combined lecture theatre wisdom with real-world experience while working as an ECU Engineering Cadet for ECU City’s Head Contractor, Multiplex.

Munish described ECU’s partnership with Multiplex to support work integrated learning opportunities as inspirational, adding: “You study one thing, but if you don't do it, or see it in the industry in practice, it is not as easy to grasp the idea.

“As soon as you go into the real world, you understand this is why certain things are the way they are. The concepts you studied make incredible sense.”

While working on the landmark ECU City project for two days each week, Munish has gained invaluable real-world industry knowledge.

He has also embraced every opportunity to step onto the construction site.

“It has been fantastic to be based at Multiplex’s project office on Wellington Street, just a few steps from the ECU City campus,” he said.

“Having the chance to walk around and see how things work, and to chat with the onsite engineers, project engineers and the project coordinators, has been invaluable.”

For Munish, a highlight of his five-month cadetship has been watching the complex building take shape from week to week.

“The campus is quite futuristic and every detail, or thing a student may need, has been captured,” he said. “When you see that another concrete level has been poured or the staircases are starting to come in, that is exciting.”

Munish is keen to pursue opportunities in construction once he graduates.

“Construction is the biggest industry you can work in as an engineer. Once I finish this role, I will look toward staying on as a cadet until I graduate and hope to apply for a graduate role at Multiplex. From there, I would like to become a site engineer.

“Dad will be proud to see me finish my degree, and to one day work in a job like that.”

ECU City is the centrepiece of the $1.66 billion Perth City Deal, a collaboration between the Australian Government, Western Australian Government, and City of Perth.

Built over 11 super-levels, it is set to energise Perth’s CBD.

The state-of-the-art campus will redefine higher education in Western Australia, and become a place where technology, industry and creativity meet to deliver innovative thinkers, adaptive learners and global citizens.