Next generation education

In late March, a group of senior undergraduate students from the University of Sydney visited the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters in Sydney to learn about their operational and research capabilities. The ‘field’ visit was part of an elective course (Fire in Australian Ecosystems) in the Bachelor of Environmental Systems degree offered by the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment.

It was a great opportunity for the students. Dr Simon Heemstra (CRC end user and Acting Director Community Resilience at NSW RFS) organised the morning to start with a tour of the State Operations facilities. The students then heard from experts from the RFS about fire behaviour analysis, environmental policy and community planning and engagement in NSW. The theoretical knowledge that students were learning in their regular lectures was superbly translated into an operational context.

Each of the presenters provided a ‘peal of wisdom’ from their professional experience. Although the career paths described were varied, everyone was an advocate of the value of volunteering their time to get experience and expand their networks. Having patience, GIS proficiency and an ability to communicate effectively were all useful skills but the work you don’t get paid for could turn out to be the most valuable.