Duha Mohammed didn’t expect to leave Sudan so suddenly. She had just earned a spot in a national engineering graduate program – one of only 80 selected from more than 5000 candidates. Then the war began.
Within weeks of war breaking out in Sudan, Duha Mohammed was forced to leave her home, her job, and everything she’d worked for.
“I didn’t have a visa. I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I just walked outside, saw buses; people were boarding, and I boarded.”
With airports closed and roads unsafe, she crossed into Egypt with one suitcase – the only belongings she could carry – leaving her home, belongings, community, friends and family behind.
She spent the next year in Cairo waiting for a visa to Australia, supported by her sister and mother who were already in Canberra. When it was finally granted, she travelled to Australia with the goal of starting over – again.
A year and three months later, Mohammed is working at AECOM. While she’s not yet in the engineering role she trained for, she plays a valuable role keeping the office community humming as an administrative assistant – supporting the team with IT requests, office coordination, meeting logistics and other day-to-day tasks.
She’s also completing a Diploma of Project Management and has applied to AECOM’s graduate program, with the goal of restarting her professional career in engineering.
Read more: 7 tips to help migrant engineers get started in Australia
Building a foundation
Finding work after arriving in Canberra was difficult. Her visa status made employers hesitant, and her qualifications weren’t recognised locally.
“There was always a chance my protection visa would be rejected,” she said. “Employers didn’t want to train someone who might have to leave.”
She also encountered assumptions about her language skills. “People assumed I couldn’t speak English just because I studied outside of Australia.”
She applied for jobs well outside her field just to gain experience – often with no response. “I didn’t want someone to give me a job. I just wanted someone to give me an opportunity.”
That opportunity came through the Spark Program, which supports refugees and migrants looking to enter the construction and engineering industries. The program provided hands-on training, certifications and – just as importantly – introductions to people working in the sector.
“I didn’t have local references, but I found people who believed in me – that made all the difference.”
Spark led to a one-week internship at AECOM in the Canberra office. The experience confirmed that this was an environment where she wanted to build her career. “Everyone here was supportive – even the interns were treated with respect and care.”
When an admin role opened up, her Spark mentors and AECOM contacts helped her apply – and she joined the company in early 2025.
Now, she balances her role with study and is working to have her Sudanese engineering qualifications recognised by Engineers Australia. She has also submitted an application for AECOM’s graduate program in Canberra.
“I’m hoping to get the opportunity I didn’t get in Sudan.”
Read more: Mapping the diverse experiences of migrant engineers in Australia
Looking to the future
Mohammed is open about the challenges she’s faced, but also aware of the support she’s received.
“Even though I’ve been through extreme circumstances, I feel like I had it easier than a lot of people I left behind.”
Her long-term ambition is to work in aerospace engineering, but she’s focused on progressing one step at a time – gaining recognised qualifications, growing her experience and building her career in Australia.
“Whatever is thrown my way, I know I can handle it now.”
She believes more can be done to improve opportunities for people in similar situations. “Just sit down with people. Talk to them. Don’t judge them off a resume.”
Her advice for others trying to navigate life in a new country is straightforward. “Everything that happened to me was through networking. Just one crack to put your foot through, and it gets easier.
“I’m genuinely thankful. The things I’ve been through made me who I am today.”
Societies such as the Sydney Migrant Engineers Group exist to support overseas-qualified engineers in Australia.
Great article. There is a definite need to promote a program that allows overseas trained engineers to be given an opportunity to get MEANINGFULLY employed in Australia. This is especially in the situation where Australia has a shortage of trained engineers.
The Visa system has to be seriously reviewed.