Hands-on summer work for ICT students

Media Release October 29 2008

New internship will give senior ICT students hands-on summer work

Up to 150 senior information and communication technology undergraduates will be able to find good paid work experience in their field around New Zealand these summer holidays thanks to a new internship on offer from TechNZ.

TechNZ – the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology business investment programme – is providing support for internships for ICT undergraduates from all over New Zealand to work at large and small companies during the university holidays to gain practical experience that will benefit both the students and the companies.

TechNZ will pay $16 an hour as a stipend for the ICT interns, a sum the companies are free to top up if they wish. As part of the internship, the participating companies have agreed to provide supervision of the students’ work.

“This is an exciting scheme as it matches university students with ICT companies around the country,” says Eileen Basher, the TechNZ business investment director.

“This means students will have a wide variety of large and small firms to work for in centres of their choice. The students will get a summer holiday job that will give them real practical experience in their chosen field.”

The internships are being provided under TechNZ’s capability funding programme, which supports the development of New Zealand’s upcoming young scientists and researchers by enabling them to gain and develop their technical skills.

The internship programme is part of a national initiative to create stronger collaborations between universities and businesses. TechNZ is actively working with the National ICT Skills collaboration group (a cross government working group) to ensure alignment and awareness across the government sector. TechNZ is also partnering with four regional based organisations to deliver the programme, ensuring strong links with local economic development agencies, ICT institutes and universities with strong business linkages.
The approximately 150 ICT companies that have agreed to take part range from some of New Zealand’s biggest, including Tait Electronics and Orion Healthcare, down to smaller firms with three or four staff.

“The main requirement is that the company must have a suitable project for the student to undertake and have a person to supervise the student,” Eileen Basher said.

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