More than 70 graduates and many of Babcock’s leadership team from across Australasia convened in Adelaide for our annual GradCon event – a two-day immersive experience designed to build skills, spark ideas, and strengthen connections across Babcock’s Australasian operations.
Day one kicked off with a day of insight, development, and celebration. The morning began with a deep dive into emerging technologies, followed by a compelling overview of Babcock, and the important role each person plays in driving long-term success.
The highlight of day one was the Graduate Business Challenge, where teams of graduates presented strategic solutions aligned to our organisation’s strategic projects. After 12 weeks of collaboration, their polished presentations impressed a panel of Babcock leaders.
In the afternoon, graduates immersed themselves in development modules focused on Influencing and Managing Stakeholders and Emotional Intelligence, before relocating to the Graduate Awards ceremony in the evening. Hosted by Simon Spratt, Managing Director – Marine, the night was a fantastic celebration of what our people have achieved.
Day two started with renowned guest speaker Roger Rasheed opening the morning with lessons from elite sports coaching, noting the importance of discipline and attention to detail in achieving success.
The rest of day two consisted of business updates, social investment overviews, career navigation sessions, and networking between graduates and Babcock’s senior leaders.
Early Careers Program Manager Sarah Shannon was the lead organiser behind this year’s GradCon.
‘I’m really happy with how GradCon and the Graduate Awards landed this year, and it was fantastic to see all Graduates highly engaged over the two days, bringing a lot of energy, insightful questions and participation in the various sessions.” Sarah said.
Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Jemma Francis, also got a lot out of the two-day event.
“GradCon was an incredible experience,” said Jemma. “After months of preparation for the Graduate Business Challenge, it was awesome to see how the different groups of graduates tackled complex issues put forward by ExCo within the 5-Year Strategy and how their approaches contrasted with those Exco had been working on.”
“The awards night was also a major highlight, offering a chance to connect with fellow graduates from across Australia and New Zealand and hearing stories about the diverse opportunities available in each state.”
