All part of the process

Her time as a Hydro trainee has been a learning process. Her development as an aluminium professional is a process. Even her current job in the electrolysis pot rooms at Hydro's Kurri Kurri plant in Australia is as a process engineer. Kristin Holmeide (26) tends to see things as processes.

Holmeide was recruited into Hydro’s trainee program in 2005 while studying cybernetic engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.

Interesting field

“After hearing Hydro’s presentation, I thought aluminium would be an interesting field to work in,” the 26 year-old Norwegian says.

She started working in operational support at Hydro’s Årdal plant in August 2005.

“I had really interesting projects in Årdal. I like the close relationship between the theoretical and operational – working both in the office and on the plant floor.”

After five months in Årdal, Holmeide spent seven months the Research Center in Porsgrunn. Her present job assignment at Kurri Kurri started in August 2006.

“I just got the opportunity to stay here another year,”she says gleefully. Holmeide lives in nearby Newcastle, a city of about 500,000, north of Sydney. Her apartment is about a five-minute walk to the beach and a 40-minute drive to work in Kurri Kurri each day.

Role playing

“Being a trainee at Hydro exposes you to many different roles, helping you to ultimately find what you want to specialize in,” Holmeide says. “I like the fact Hydro is a big company in that you get lots of challenges and opportunities without changing employers.”

She’s currently content as a process engineer, but is keeping her mind and options open. “Things are changing so fast these days, I’m not absolutely sure yet. I’m quite happy right now. I think process engineering or maybe more towards the research side of the track.”

Taken seriously

“One thing I particularly like about being a trainee at Hydro is you’re considered an employee and taken seriously from day one,” Holmeide says.

“You’re encouraged to get involved and take on responsibility. I’ve been given very interesting challenges from the very start.”

Land of Oz

Holmeide is no stranger to Australia, having spent a year as a high school exchange student there during the1990s.

“I had no idea I’d get the chance to live and work in Australia when I applied at Hydro. I thought I’d stay in Årdal. I’ve never worked in a foreign country before. It’s interesting to see how things are done differently.”

Holmeide likes the Aussie lifestyle and loves the warmer climate - but misses the snow in Norway.

“We’re going on a ski trip to New Zealand in July,” she says with anticipation. She’s also willing to give surfing another try. She and fellow Norwegian, Tina Auglend Jacobsen, another former Hydro trainee and now purchasing consultant at Kurri Kurri, are “really looking forward to rodeo season.”

Holmeide wants to “travel as much around Australia as possible.”

Looking ahead

Asked about working on other international assignments for Hydro, Holmeide replies, “I’m pretty open to opportunities.”

Permanently, she favors Norway, but for now, the idea of participating in the set up of new Hydro projects worldwide sounds “very interesting.”

It’s all part of the process!

Published March 8, 2007