Kavitesh Chand at the project site.

Curiosity and fascination about building structures at a young age had Kavitesh Chand dreaming about pursuing a career in the field of engineering.

Chand said he enjoyed reading articles and watching videos on the construction of complex structures. The ‘affection’ grew deeper and it did not come as a surprise to Chand’s family as he enrolled in Diploma of Civil Engineering at the Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Engineering, Science and Technology (CEST).

“I made up my mind that I wanted to do this programme very early on. I chose to study at FNU because the University offered more practical learning, which increased my chances of landing a job,” he said.

Chand started his career as a Civil Engineering Technician with China Railway First Group (Dreketi – Nabouwalu Road Project) in 2013. He joined Fulton Hogan Ltd in 2016 as a Site Engineer and is currently working as a Project Engineer.

With over nine years of industry experience under his belt, the 29-year-old has been actively involved in the construction of some major infrastructure development such as roads and bridges around the country.

Chand manages daily activities for his team which includes planning, forecasting and procurement of raw materials for ongoing projects.

“I continually liaise with stakeholders, clients, designers and on-ground personnel to ensure the Project’s QA, safety and environmental commitments are upheld to a high standard.”

Chand has had a busy schedule. He has been actively involved in the replacement of four bridges in the Northern Division since last year. In 2016 he was involved with the replacement of six bridge for the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA), the construction of new single-lane Irish crossing in Nabena, Naitasiri and a 72km road construction from Dreketi to Nabouwalu.

According to Chand, getting an opportunity to travel across the country for work is an exciting aspect of being a civil engineer.

“I love my job mostly because I am not stuck behind the desk all day.”

He encouraged students not to shy away from enrolling in technical programmes.

According to Chand, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can act as a pathway to one’s career development providing employable skills training to meet the needs of the local and global market.

“There is a shortage of informed tradesman in the country and TVET programmes are the answer to this issue.”

Chand plans to further his studies by pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Civil Engineering.

FNU is a dual-sector university that provides vocational education and training and higher education programmes in Fiji and the Pacific region. Enrolment for 2021 is now underway.

For further details, visit the FNU website: www.fnu.ac.fj or contact the following staff: Nasinu Campus: Riteshni Singh at Division of Marketing and Communications. | Email: sopo@fnu.ac.fj  | Natabua Campus: Saleshni Chaudhary at Academic Office | Email: meofficer@fnu.ac.fj  | Labasa Campus: Pardeep Lal at Admin Office | Email: hcl@fnu.ac.fj