Building Energy Capability Across Borders
Advancing technical capability and regional engagement through professional placements
Domingos Martins, Geologist, Murak Rai Timor, Timor-Leste (middle right) during his professional placement in Sydney
Overview
Strategic Development Group (Strategic) implemented the Professional Placements Program on behalf of the Australian Government to enable Australian and Southeast Asian businesses to send and receive early- to mid-career professionals for international professional placements. Through this program, Strategic has enabled knowledge exchange and capacity-building opportunities for 58 businesses, fostering enduring business-to-business relationships grounded in strong people-to-people connections.
In April and May 2026, an Australian geophysical consulting firm, Fender Geophysics, hosted two geologists from a Timorese mining company, Murak Rai Timor, for three-week business placements as part of the Professional Placements program.
Participating organisations
Two organisations participated in this professional placement.
Timorese Business: Murak Rai Timor
Mining company, Dili, Timor -Leste
Murak Rai Timor (MRT) is a Timorese mining company providing services across exploration, mining, processing, transportation, marketing and decommissioning in Timor-Leste and abroad.
The Opportunity: MRT saw the program as an opportunity to build capacity, access new regional networks, and establish a new strategic partnership in Australia. The professional placement program enabled MRT to deploy two of their geologists, Domingos Martins and Dircia Carvalho, for immersive, in-country experience to build regional networks and translate insights into enhanced internal processes and a broader global perspective.
“The program was supported by my company as an opportunity to build internal capacity through hands-on learning from Australian geophysics professionals. By strengthening technical and operational skills within the team, the placement supports longer-term workforce development and helps reduce reliance on external consultants whilst contributing to greater national involvement in the mining industry.”
Australian Business: Fender Geophysics
Geophysical consulting firm, Sydney, Australia
Fender Geophysics is an Australian-owned geophysical consulting firm, providing specialist survey and advisory services across the construction, mining, groundwater, and environmental sectors.
The Opportunity: Fender Geophysics viewed the program as a valuable opportunity to deepen its understanding of Timor-Leste’s culture, business environment, and the opportunities and challenges associated with mineral exploration in the country. By hosting Domingos and Dircia, the company aimed to build relationships and collaborate in the highly specialised areas of technical training, geophysical services, and equipment support for the mining and engineering sectors.
Placement outcomes
Dircia Carvalho, Junior Geologist, MRT, Timor-Leste (left middle) during her professional placement in Sydney
In April 2026, Domingos Martins and Dircia Carvalho completed consecutive three-week placements with Fender Geophysics in Sydney. Through a combination of field-based and office-based learning, they were immersed in the practical application of geophysical techniques used in mineral exploration, collaborating on projects across regional New South Wales and Victoria.
The placements provided opportunities to gain hands-on experience in near-surface and mineral exploration geophysics, including field survey planning, data acquisition, quality assurance, and geophysical interpretation. By gaining exposure to field investigations and technical analysis, both participants developed a deeper understanding of how geological and geophysical data are integrated to support exploration outcomes and client decision-making.
Reflecting on the value of the experience, Domingos highlighted the important role professional placements play in connecting technical knowledge with real-world industry practice.
For MRT, the placement represented an investment in building local technical capability and strengthening the organisation's ability to support the future development of Timor-Leste's resources sector. The practical knowledge gained through fieldwork, survey execution, and data interpretation is being shared more broadly across the organisation, supporting longer-term workforce development and technical expertise.
“Professional placements are highly valuable as they bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice. For participants, they build employability skills, confidence, and experience. For businesses, they provide access to motivated individuals who can contribute new ideas and support projects.”
Dircia reflected on the unique value of gaining direct exposure to industry best practice and learning from experienced geophysics professionals in the field.
“Based on my experience, a professional placement is valuable because it provides targeted, hands-on exposure that strengthens both individual capability and organisational outcomes. Whilst I have prior working experience, my direct involvement in geophysical survey execution is still more limited compared to established professionals in Australia, making the placement particularly valuable from a technical learning perspective. Thus, working alongside experienced field crews also improved my understanding of how survey designs are implemented in practice and how data quality is managed at the acquisition stage.
From a company perspective, the program supports capacity building by developing practical geophysics skills that can be applied internally. The technical knowledge and field experience gained can be shared within the team, strengthening the organisation’s ability to manage, supervise, and assess geophysical survey activities and supporting longer-term skills development.
Overall, the placement program was a valuable experience and provided meaningful exposure to real industry practices. The opportunity to gain hands-on field experience and observe professional workflows was particularly beneficial for my development.”
Mutual Benefits and Broader Impact from this Placement
For the Timorese business:
Enhanced technical capability in geophysics and mineral exploration
Exposure to Australian industry practice in field operations, data acquisition, and interpretation
Expanded international networks and pathways for future collaboration
For the Australian business:
Greater understanding of Timor-Leste's mining sector and operating environment
Stronger connections within regional resources markets
Opportunities to explore future collaboration in international technical services, training, and equipment support
Conclusion
The placement demonstrated the value of practical, in-market learning in building technical capability, expanding professional networks, and strengthening industry relationships. Through direct exposure to Australian geophysical practices and hands-on field experience, the participants gained skills and insights that will support both their professional development and the continued growth of Timor-Leste's resources sector.
The relationships formed between Fender Geophysics and MRT have established a foundation for ongoing knowledge exchange and future collaboration. As these connections continue to develop, they have the potential to support stronger industry linkages and deeper engagement between Australia and Timor-Leste.
About the Professional Placements program
The Professional Placements Program was an 18-month pilot program funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. The program offered support to Australian and Southeast Asian businesses to send or host temporary professional placements of young professionals between Australia and Southeast Asia. Countries included Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
