High demand for switched on Engineering graduates

Thursday 4 November 2010

High demand for switched on Engineering graduates

The electrical and electrotechnology industry has a skill shortage and UCOL is stepping up to the plate with a new qualification.

From next year, the two year New Zealand Diploma in Engineering Level 6 - the newest Electrical Engineering qualification in New Zealand – will be available at UCOL.

UCOL’s Dean of Trades and Technology Kelly Gay says the programme has support from the industry and meets a national and international demand for skills. “It’s a superb opportunity for young people to get a qualification that all but guarantees them a job in the industry at a very favourable salary – in New Zealand and overseas.

“The qualification is aligned with an industry international agreement called the Dublin Accord. That means it will be recognised in most parts of the world, as a ticket to employment.”

Kelly says for graduates the opportunities in New Zealand are also outstanding. “This is an industry with a very bright, exciting future as the world moves further into new areas like fibre-optic networks, smart grids and wired-up homes. They need smart, clued up, trained-up people to make it all happen.

“But in New Zealand, for years, they’ve been plagued by a shortage of skills,” he adds.

The new qualification was developed through the National Engineering Education Plan Project involving ITPs, ITOs and key professional bodies. It is approved by the Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (IPENZ). The new UCOL qualification has the support of a raft of industry organisations and companies. It is championed by ETITO (Electrotechnology Industry Training Organisation) and international companies with a central North Island presence, like electricity companies Powerco and Tenix.

Powerco Planning Engineer Peter Chappell confirms that his company is looking forward to hiring graduates from the new diploma programme. “We’re looking ahead to the future. We know we’ll need a team of bright young people with the right attitude and the right qualification, as well as the ability to do further study without company, as products, services and technology change and develop.”

He says the industry training organisation ETITO has been promoting electrical qualifications as a smart career choice for young people. “ETITO has pointed out that people need to understand that the earning potential of a qualified, capable tradesperson, especially in a growth area like electrotechnology, can easily rival or exceed the amount earned by professional people.”
Kelly Gay says the new electrical and electronics qualification is suited to students who are strong in maths and science and who want to gain the knowledge and skills needed to work in a wide range of cutting edge, high-tech industries.
“These are the people who will install and maintain the infrastructure that will drive the world in the future,” he says. “What could be more exciting than that?”

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