Ec2 january 2014

A New Zealand Herald Commercial Publication

Thursday, January 30, 2014

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3

NEWS

TERTIARY

4 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

Lawrence Watt looks at how our universities stack up against the world’s best.

TERTIARY’S 7 CHANGING FACE

Foreign students who have enlivened downtown Auckland will be even more numerous this year.

INDEPENDENT

9 REWARDING POTENTIAL

Dionne Christian looks at private school scholarships and discovers that it’s not about who you know or where you come from.

PARALLEL PARKING AND U-turns will become a thing of the past if this revolutionary car makes its way onto our roads Capable of driving sideways and turning 360 degrees, this is the brainchild of Dr Ziming (Tom) Qi, Engineering Research and Postgraduate Leader for the School of Architecture, Building and Engineering at Otago Polytechnic, and it’s nearing realisation now.

An ongoing collaboration with Taiwan National University of Science and Technology and China’s Shenzhen Polytechnic with Chinese Government funding, the project is developing what has been an elusive goal – a commercially-viable electric car.

“Traditional cars are designed using a centralised engine and steering, this

Otago Polytechnic’s Ziming Qi with the electric car he helped design. model uses four in-wheel motors as well as all-wheel steering. Having the wheels fully electronically-controlled brings a completely new direction to tasks like making a U-turn.”

The prototype will also pave the way for cheaper cars in the future, Tom predicts.

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11

A CAREER IN WINE

CHASING THE SUN

CAREERS IN WINE sales and marketing are booming. New Zealand exports over $1 billion of wine each year with Australia and UK still the most important markets.

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Visiting exotic places is just another day on the job for cruise ship engineer Keith Dias.

12 CHRISTCHURCH CALLING

Helen Frances finds tradies heading South as the rebuild gets into gear.

CAREER-PLAN 14 TEENS ON-LINE

Career tool uses a quiz with photos to see how well teens are doing with their career planning.

A New Zealand Herald Commercial Publication EDITOR Greg Fleming WRITER Paul Charman DESIGNER Xanthe Williams COVER PIC of Steven Adams by Associated Press Keith Srakocic. The next ec2 supplement publishes 27 March 2014 EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES please contact gregory.fleming@apn.co.nz ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES please contact Ash Lomberg on 09 373 6925 ash.lomberg@apn.co.nz

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4

TERTIARY

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

Which university should you attend? Many New Zealand universities offer similar courses, but some have a better reputation than others. Lawrence Watt looks at how our universities stack up against the world’s best WILL YOU GET a better education if you move cities? Will the university you choose to study at affect your chances of employment? And how should you find out about which university is for you?

There are several agencies that rate universities round the world, including the Times Higher Education Supplement (Reuters) and QS World University Rankings. You can access these via links on Auckland University’s website (www.auckland.ac.nz).

According to the ranking organisations, the world’s top universities are in places like the United Kingdom (like Cambridge)

and the ‘Ivy League’ universities of the United States (such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in New England.)

The top Australasian institution is the Canberra-based Australian National University, ranked by QS at number 27. The University of Queensland slips in at number 43, sits just above the University of California at number 40.

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s top ranked university at number 94 on the QS. Auckland is ahead of a fair few universities in Britain and, such as York and Leeds and Ohio in the United States.

The problem is – all the other New

Zealand universities are ranked well below Auckland. The University of Otago ranked at 155, Canterbury at 238 and Victoria University of Wellington at 265.

Massey University, the University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology and Lincoln were further down the list, although 2013 was the first time that

RIGHT: Quality of teaching staff and reputation is playing a larger role in student’s decisions around where they study.

Picture / Martin Sykes

5

TERTIARY

“To have all your universities in the top 500 is very good.

I can’t think of any other country in that situation.”

– Professor Roy Crawford, chair of Universities New Zealand.

Lincoln made it to the rankings. Different rankers put some varying numbers on our universities – but comparing New Zealand universities with each other, the order of rank is similar, if not identical.

So how do the rankings actually work?

Take the Times Higher Education Rankings. The researchers scored each university with five sets of criteria, but just three make up most of the scores. These are teaching (30%), research (30%) and ‘research influence’ or ‘citations,’ which measures how much other researchers refer to original research. Critics readily point out that 60% of the rankings are effectively based on the university’s research, while a newer institution may have equally good teachers. On the other hand, if you look closer at the data, the top universities in the world rate higher on the quality of their teaching, as well as for their research.

At these universities the top people teach you about their own research. >>

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6

TERTIARY

Professor Roy Crawford is chair of Universities New Zealand and also vice chancellor of Waikato University. Irish by birth, his CV includes writing eight books and over 150 research papers. He studied engineering at Queens University in Belfast.

Professor Crawford reckons that New Zealand universities are doing pretty well.

You have to remember there are over 17,000 universities in the world (not all are rated).

“To have all your universities in the top 500 is very good. I can’t think of any other country in that situation.”

He says he has spoken to researchers and they have conceded that in reality they can’t distinguish a difference of 50 in the rankings – so the difference is not as marked as you might think.

“Whatever choice you make, it won’t be a mistake. Actually all New Zealand Universities are quite good,” he says.

Should you consider moving city or town – based on the reputation and quality of the teaching?

Professor Crawford advises first year students against leaving their city in search of a better New Zealand university. It is an individual decision. For some people, it’s good to try living in a new town, for others not. For others, they just can’t afford to live elsewhere. “Some of them want to get away from home. “Some just thrive in that new freedom that they have,” he says.

Alasdair Johnston, Otago University Students communications co-ordinator is a graduate in Business Studies from Otago University, which traditionally attracts people from many other places, including Auckland. Johnston says the university is a short walk from flats (now better thanks to regulations) and offers that balance between a life experience and study. Otago has a wide range of clubs, orientation events and a programme to mentor people

QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2013 1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2 Harvard University 3 University of Cambridge 4 University College London 5 Imperial College London 6 University of Oxford 7 Stanford University 8 Yale University 9 University of Chicago 10 California Institute of Technology 10 Princeton University 12 ETH Zurich 13 University of Pennsylvania 14 Columbia University 15 Cornell University 16 Johns Hopkins University 17 University of Edinburgh 17 University of Toronto 19 Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

“We value people who have studied and excelled no matter the educational institution.”

– Laura Wiltshier, Talent Acquisition Manager, Deloitte

from out of town. “Everyone is here to meet new people and to make the best of it,” he says.

“You get out what you put in.”

Mr Johnston also notes the university takes people under their wing if necessary.

“They will give you a kick up the bum if

19 King’s College London 21 McGill University 22 University of Michigan 23 Duke University 24 National University of Singapore 25 University of California, Berkeley 26 University of Hong Kong 27 Australian National University 28 Ecole normale supérieure, Paris 29 Northwestern University 30 University of Bristol 94 The University of Auckland 155 University of Otago 238 University of Canterbury 265 Victoria University of Wellington 343 Massey University 401-410 University of Waikato 471-480 Auckland University of Technology 481-490 Lincoln University

you need it. You wouldn’t get that at Auckland,” he says.

Student numbers don’t appear to have been that much affected by the recession, but OUSA’s food bank has been affected in recent years, mostly due to a change in Government policy.

Another approach is to think about the subject first. Auckland Law School, for example rates higher than the university as a whole on the QS rankings.

Auckland ranked 69 on the QS for Arts and Humanities, 78 for Life Sciences and Medicine, 89 for Engineering and Technology and 58 for Social Sciences and Management, but just 151 for Natural Sciences.

Professor Crawford advises students to do their own research. Go to university open days – meet staff who may be teaching you and look at the laboratories if it’s a science course. Then walk through the students’ cafeteria, library and gym. After all, going to university is a broad experience, where you meet people and learn both informally and formally.

How has he found different universities himself? He spent “most of his life” at Queens University in Belfast, Ireland where he studied (and taught) Engineering. He worked at Auckland and Belfast before moving to his current position at Waikato.

“There are more similarities than there are differences with universities,” he says.

There is no evidence, as yet to suggest that employers are concerned about the university you have attended. Employers approached by the Herald took on graduates from all New Zealand universities.

Laura Wiltshier is Talent Acquisition Manager at Deloitte, whose approach is agnostic. “We do appreciate some universities are recognised as leaders for certain qualifications – but ultimately we want to hire a workforce that is diverse in thinking and we value people who have studied and excelled no matter the educational institution.”

Deloitte hires graduates and interns from all eight New Zealand universities she said.

Karen Moorehead, Human Resources manager at law firm Kensington Swan says she recruits from all the law schools in New Zealand, including AUT and Waikato (which ranked lower than Auckland). The core subjects are all similar, but some schools offer different options, if you look closely at their course outlines.

You will need to find your own balance between work and play she says. Work hard, but don’t spend every hour in the library. “We love great grades but you need to be well-rounded.”

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7

TERTIARY

The unmissable groups of foreign students who have enlivened downtown Auckland over the past couple of decades will be even more numerous this year. By Anthony Doesburg THE UNIVERSITY OF Auckland expects international student enrolments to be up about 8 per cent on the 5000 it taught last year. All told, more than 60,000 overseas students will be attending public and private tertiary institutions and schools in the city.

If residents just see them as part of the changing face of Auckland, the institutions – and Government – view them as an increasingly important source of revenue.

Overseas students spend about $2.5 billion a year on tuition fees and living expenses, and the Government aims to lift that to $5 billion by 2025. Its efforts are being spearheaded by an agency set up in 2011, Education New Zealand, which has a $40 million budget over four years.

David Baker, director of the University of Auckland’s international office, says despite the apparently healthy enrolment growth, attracting overseas students is challenging. A strong currency and competition from other countries are what New Zealand is up against.†>>

LEFT: Japanese students Yoshiko Morioko (left), and friend Mami Yamashita attend the welcome for international students held at the Auckland Town Hall.

Picture / Steven McNicholl

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TERTIARY

TOP TEACHER INSPIRES THAI STUDENT

Thai national Ploy Pongjetanapong chose to study in Auckland because of the work being done by University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr Michael O’Sullivan.

Picture / Ted Baghurst

“The UK and Australia have very high profiles in a lot of countries now. New Zealand doesn’t have that. People tend not to know about us except through agriculture and tourism.”

Initiatives such as a trade mission to Thailand led by Prime Minister John Key last November help, Baker says.

“It’s good that ministers are out there flying the flag for New Zealand. The thrust tends to be around innovation and technology and that’s important for us because here we are, one of the top-ranked universities in the world, but not many people know about New Zealand.

“So anything that raises the country’s profile is helpful.”

The University of Auckland’s international student fees, ranging from $25,000 a year for a bachelor of arts degree to $60,000 for medicine, are competitive with Australian universities, but the cost of living here is high.

“But students keep turning up in greater numbers each year and we think that will continue.”

AUT University vice-chancellor Derek McCormack is forecasting nearly 17 per cent of his institution’s 19,000 full-time equivalent roll will be international students this year. He can see that proportion rising to 20 per cent to match Australian institutions.

Domestic students need have no fear that

they will be squeezed out by overseas competition, McCormack says.

“Because international students pay higher fees, they’re actually supporting the education domestic students receive by providing a little bit of extra revenue that the university can put towards facilities, equipment and the general quality of what it’s got.”

McCormack, who is on an Education New Zealand stakeholder committee member, thinks it is too early to say whether the agency is on track with its goal of doubling international student revenue.

If gains aren’t yet obvious, that’s because the two-year-old agency has been laying the groundwork for expansion of the sector, says chief executive Grant McPherson.

It has spent $500,000 on audio-visual marketing material that institutions can use to get across to prospective overseas students and their parents that New Zealand is more than a scenic holiday destination.

“People know New Zealand as a beautiful country but awareness of it as an education destination is pretty low. The good news is that those who do come to New Zealand love what they get both in terms of the learning and the lifestyle.

“It’s a pretty good story. We just need more people internationally to know about it.”

Doubling the country’s earnings from international education – it’s already our

fifth biggest export sector – is not a matter of getting twice as many students to come here. McPherson sees that figure reaching about 140,000, or about 15,000 more than its peak a decade ago.

Education New Zealand is also working on increasing New Zealand institutions’ earnings through teaching in overseas countries, by contracting and through franchising.

Massey University, which had 2200 fulltime overseas students on its roll in 2012, is the country’s pioneer at distance learning.

Communications director James Gardiner says Massey is working with the agency to develop agreements that let students complete part of their degree in their home country and part in New Zealand.

“Education New Zealand has provided us with funding for initiatives in Indonesia, to grow student numbers, and for a Study Abroad programme, which encourages mainly agri-food, agri-business and science from the United States to do 60-credit programmes in New Zealand over our summer with the option to extend that into a full semester,” Gardiner says.

Massey has also teamed up with Australia’s Open2Study to offer free open online courses. Although they won’t make a cent, Massey sees them as a way of showcasing its expertise in distance learning and online education.

FROM HERE.

It wasn’t New Zealand’s claimed 100% Pure environment or low cost of living compared with our rich cousins across the Tasman that brought Thai PhD student Ploy Pongjetanapong to the University of Auckland.

Pongjetanapong, 29, made her way here from Bangkok because of the work being done in the field of operations research by her PhD supervisor, Dr Michael O’Sullivan, a senior lecturer in the department of engineering science.

“I really wanted to study for a PhD so I was looking for a research topic that matched my interests.”

An internet search led her to Dr O’Sullivan, co-founder of the ORUA group that studies areas as diverse as ICT and biological, financial and transport systems.

Under the guidance of Dr O’Sullivan and a second adviser, she began doctoral research a year ago which looks at using computers to work out the best way to deliver health care services.

“Hospital services are in high demand and the cost is going up so we use computer simulation to model and optimise hospital processes,” Pongjetanapong says.

When she’s not studying, she enjoys the Auckland region’s hiking and biking opportunities and relishes the extra leisure time she has thanks to not having to commute between home and university.

She says tuition fees are low even compared with Thailand.

Pongjetanapong is impressed with the university’s pastoral support, saying there have been courses to help with every aspect of student life. And her research is kept on track through weekly meetings with her advisers.

“If you are a nature-lover and like a peaceful environment, it is a really good place to study,” she says. And the quality and enthusiasm of her fellow students make her confident her qualification will be the match of doctorates from better-known overseas institutions.

“I hope to go back to Thailand to teach in this area,” she says.

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9

INDEPENDENT

REWARDING POTENTIAL Dionne Christian looks at private school scholarships and discovers that, contrary to popular opinion, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about who you know or where you come from

NEW ZEALAND BASKETBALLER Steven Adams is hitting the heights of sporting success with the NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder, but if he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t obtained a scholarship to Wellington-based boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; school Scots College he doubts heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be enjoying the same success.

Now aged 20 and standing seven foot (2.13m) high, Adams was born in Rotorua but moved to Wellington when his father, Sid, passed away. Scots College offered him a scholarship after recognising his sporting talent.

Speaking on a promotional video about scholarships, Adams says it

became the â&#x20AC;&#x153;biggest piece of the puzzleâ&#x20AC;? to obtain entry into a United States college (university) where he could begin his basketball career. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It not only helped me in the classroom but in life, with life decisions, with my profession. I am very, very grateful and honoured to have that opportunity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the teachers [at Scots College] really care about you. They care not only about your school work but about you and your life in general, your life goals, skills. They help you out in that way and give you another perspective.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC; >>

Sheridan Bennett received a dance scholarship to attend Saint Kentigerns College. Her scholarship application involved a written exam, interview and audition.

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Picture / Ted Baghurst

10

INDEPENDENT

“Schools tend to start the application process for the following year early in the present year which gives parents, caregivers and students time to plan – and that may mean thinking about how to pay for expenses a scholarship may not cover.”

NBA basketball star Steven Adams was offered a scholarship to Scots College based on his sporting talent.

Picture / Associated Press

The College Old Boy (2008-11) says his advice to anyone wanting to apply for a scholarship is not to be scared of it, to blend in with everyone and realise you’ll have the chance to learn a lot both in and outside of the classroom and leave with an extended family of supporters.

“Looking back I was a bit worried about what to expect when I arrived at Scots. I think people have their own ideas about what a Scots boy is, but I’m proof that they come in all shapes and sizes.”

And that they do, says Deborah James who is the executive director of the Independent Schools of New Zealand. The organisation represents 45 of the country’s leading private (independent) schools and

promotes such education to government as well as providing services for schools, arranging professional development programmes, and liaising with other education groups nationally and internationally.

Ms James says many independent schools provide financial help to potential and existing students and their families through a varied range of bursaries and scholarships which differ from school to school. These include not just scholarships made on the basis of financial hardship, but also to students who show potential in the sporting, academic, or cultural arenas.

“The private school sector works very hard to contribute to the Government’s education goals and we are doing every-

thing we can to offer opportunities to ‘priority learners’ and to ensure each of our school communities are diverse and reflective of the society that we live in. It is about providing opportunities for young people who might not otherwise be able to attend an independent school.

“It is up to them whether they share with other pupils the fact they obtained a scholarship to attend, but the entire population of students independent schools is now extremely diverse in every aspect: academically, socially, and with children from different socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Most parents make huge sacrifices to send their children to the school of their choice.”

The Government also runs a scholarship scheme called Aspire. This provides help for low income families toward private secondary schooling. There is up to $15,000 per year toward tuition fees as well as a yearly allowance of $1500 for course related costs but Aspire Scholarships do not cover boarding expenses.

Because independent schools have their own range of scholarships and criteria for eligibility, Ms James recommends parents and caregivers look online, watch for newspaper advertisements and contact individual schools to find out more. What specific scholarships provide again depends on what each school offers. Some cover a percentage of the fees; others are specifically for boarding expenses and, in some cases, there are full scholarships which cover fees and additional expenses such as uniforms and laptops.

Scholarships are usually offered to students at certain stages in their schooling and the selection process may involve a written examination, a series of interviews, and – if for a particular subject area, like music or dance – an audition. Parents, too, will be interviewed so they can ask ques-

tions and be fully informed of the expectations an independent schools has of its pupils.

Ms James says it is an “absolute myth” that who you know plays a role in obtaining a scholarship. She describes application processes as transparent, rigorous and often involving a number of staff who make decisions collectively.

Schools tend to start the application process for the following year early in the present year which gives parents, caregivers and students time to plan – and that may mean thinking about how to pay for expenses a scholarship may not cover. Most schools offer different payment plans to suit different circumstances and additional expenses are made very clear in the fineprint when a place is offered at an independent school.

Sheridan Bennett, 14, may well have attended St Kentigerns College although mum Susanne admits it would have involved some belt-tightening had her dancer daughter not received a performing arts scholarship. Already an accomplished dancer, Sheridan recalls her scholarship application involved a written exam, interview and audition which was nerve-racking but helped her to focus on what she wanted to achieve during her high school years.

Susanne says it was a formal but wellthought out and professionally conducted process which provided the opportunity to ask questions and be fully appraised as to what life at a busy independent school is like.

“Of course, the school wants to ensure they offer scholarships prudently and that the youngsters who obtain them will make the most of the opportunity.”

Sheridan says everyone gets treated the same, whether you have a scholarship or not and all are encouraged to participate in as much as possible.

“There are some great opportunities. I’ve been in dance and drama productions as well as working toward my aerobics coaching certificate and I may well be able to do the Duke of Edinburgh award through school. There’s so much to choose from!”

Because her scholarship, which pays for a percentage of her school fees, is reviewed annually, Sheridan says it has helped her to stay focused and make the most of the facilities, programmes and extracurricular activities offered at the school.

Susanne says she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend looking at the possibility of scholarships to other parents.

“This has been a fantastic opportunity and one we are very grateful for.”

11

SKILLS & TRADE

CHASING THE SUN

Visiting exotic places is just another day on the job for this cruise ship engineer. By Steve Hart KEITH DIAS WILL soon be working as a qualified marine engineer on a cruise ship after going into the wrong classroom.

He was nearing the end of a oneyear diploma in supply chain management that was being run out of the New Zealand Maritime School by the Manukau Institute of Technology when he found himself in a room full of students looking at complex maths equations.

“The students were learning mechanical engineering and it all looked very interesting, so after completing my supply chain management course I signed up to train as an engineer,” says Keith.

The 23-year-old has always wanted to work at sea, and had tried out to join the New Zealand Navy.

“I applied to be a geographer with the defence forces, and completed some training with the navy, but there were just five places available and I wasn’t selected,” he says.

He started the three-year diploma course in marine engineering in 2011. It covers things such as the maintenance and repair of ships’ engines, power generators, onboard sewage treatment plants, incinerators, fresh water generators, and air conditioning systems.

In addition, he learned electrical engineering, and was trained in advanced first aid, search & rescue skills, and fire fighting.

“When you are at sea you are on your own, you can’t call the fire service or an ambulance,” says Keith. “So we are trained to handle emergency situations.

“On a cruise ship you will have doctors on the staff, but on a container ship you will probably won’t – so those who are onboard need to know what to do in the case of an accident or injury.

“A cruise ship may have more than 700 crew onboard, plus passengers, whereas a container ship may have just a crew of less than 20 people.”

Keith now has a diploma in marine

Marine engineer Keith Dias completed Manukau Institute of Technology’s diploma in marine engineering which is run out of the Maritime School.

Picture / Ted Baghurst.

engineering as well as a certificate of competency for working at sea. His course started with six months of study followed by six months working at sea as part of a cadetship with Holland America Line.

He flew out to join a cruise liner in Vancouver and sailed to places such as

Alaska, Hawaii, Santiago, the Mexican Riviera, Fiji, New Caledonia, Sydney, and finished up in Hong Kong before flying back to Auckland to continue his studies.

“It gave me a chance to familiarise myself with the systems onboard a ship and I got experience doing the main job of watch

keeping, which means keeping watch on all the systems, gauges, fuel, water and oil levels across the ship,” says Keith.

He says it was easy to knuckle down to work and help keep the ship running while most of those around him were in holiday mode.

“The good thing about this job is that you have four months working away and then two months off,” he says. “So there is plenty of time to do whatever you want. Cruise ships chase the sun, so I got to see some great places during shore leave.”

Keith says working and living conditions aren’t necessarily better on a cruise liner compared with a container ship, “it is all relative and comes down to the employer”.

“There are some big companies that do not take care of their staff, but then there are industrial companies that go out of their way – such as BP and Shell – who look after their people,” says Keith.

“On cruise ships you tend to get well looked after, you get your own cabin and your food is cooked by chefs.”

This year Keith will be working for the firm he served his cadetship with, but doesn’t yet know what ship he will be on.

“My licence qualifies me as a third engineer, but since cruise ships are quite complex my first job will be as fourth engineer,” he says. “I plan to go up the ranks to third engineer, which involves being directly responsible for the machinery – the top job is chief engineer.”

Keith says he’ll be doing a lot of preventative maintenance work, ensuring that all equipment is running in line with manufacturers’ specifications.

Keith’s skills are in high demand right now with a global shortage of marine engineers, and the job features on New Zealand’s skill shortage lists.

“A lot of people are retiring from the industry right now, there are only around 1200 people working as marine engineers in the country and they are retiring fast,” he says.

12

SKILLS & TRADE

Tradies head South as the rebuild gets into gear. By Helen Frances TRADE AND OR polytechnic training are excellent career investments for the future say three leaders in the field – Ruma Karaitiana, CEO of the BCITO, Pieter Burghout, Fletcher Building general manager, Canterbury operations and Christchurch Polytechnic (CPIT) CEO, Kay Giles.

Karaitiana says steady demand for skilled labour in the Canterbury rebuild will assure employment for several years to come. BCITO apprentices across all the vertical trades (carpentry, concreting, brick and block laying, masonry, tiling, exterior plastering and others) can follow stable career pathways into positions such as foreman, site manager, project manager or branch off into more specialized areas such as quantity surveying.

“We need parents of potential apprentices to realise that the situation has changed since the downturn in 2008 and that the industry has great potential for their sons and daughters. There will be a steady increase in work and a shortage of skilled people for several years to come in Christchurch.”

He says there was a miscalculation about the timing of the need for more trained trades people and a number of trainees were lost while insurance processes held up repairs and rebuild. Smaller companies were not able to predict the volume of work, which came in patches, so employers had been reluctant to take on apprentices.

The employment and training situation is however changing with more new building projects coming on line in Canterbury. The Government’s Reboot programme introduced in March accelerated the intake of trainees into those construction trades considered as critical. Under the scheme the both employer and trainee receive a $2,000 grant. Karaitiana says the BCITO expects to finish 2013 with around 5650 apprentices in carpentry. In 2014 we have forecast to end the year with 6930 in carpentry.

Between Joinery, Flooring/Painting and the BCITO there are 910 specialist trades trainees in 2013 and we expect to finish 2014 with 1140.

“Looking at demand in Christchurch and Auckland, we will see some reasonably

Picture / Ewan McDonald

“We need parents of potential apprentices to realise that the situation has changed since the downturn in 2008 and that the industry has great potential for their sons and daughters.”

– Ruma Karaitiana, CEO of the BCITO enduring shortages of skills over the boom period which looks to be unusually long.

We predict it will still be running at peak until 2018 and we expect to run at a saturation of 8,500 apprentices. “ He predicts ongoing skills gaps across the industry, not just in carpentry plumbing and electrical but also across the specialist trades and into areas such as quantity surveying, engineering and site management.

A report “Skills for Christchurch” released in November 2013 by Infometrics forecasts growth in construction employment in Canterbury to 45,500 at its peak in March 2018, up from 30,500 in 2013. Infrastructure activity is forecast to peak at 8.5% above current

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levels in 2014. Total construction activity outside Canterbury is forecast to expand by 46% over the four years to June 2017.

Since the earthquakes, CPIT has stepped up its programmes to meet the increasing need for industry skills. While aspects of the response and getting training underway were initially “patchy” CEO, Kay Giles says CPIT offers many courses at all levels that are directly linked to the rebuild of Canterbury – from architectural studies and engineering technology to a broad spectrum of the trades. CPIT numbers have increased from 769 equivalent full time students (EFTS) in 2011 to 1,002 EFTS in 2013 and a predicted 1,308 EFTS in 2015.

New post earthquake initiatives include: He Toki ki te Rika (Maori Trades Training) – in collaboration with Ngai Tahu and Hawkins Construction; Pasifika Trades Training; Skills for Canterbury unit – to supply targeted industry-specific programmes; youth pathway programmes, and Women in Trades scholarships. The first winner of the CPIT Top Female Trades award, Joy Lalahi is now working with a team of eight electricians at the University of Canterbury.

CPIT works with industry to help train the new workers required to complete the region’s rebuild Giles says.

“We are also putting in a lot of extra support for women who are acquiring trade skills for the first time, as well as providing networks where Maori learners will feel comfortable.”

Students who have been away from study also need learning support.

“We don’t expect them to be excellent when they come to us, however we do expect them to be excellent when they finish their course of study.”

She says CPIT is tracking students after they leave to determine the success of the courses and they see many graduates going on to further tertiary study or into project management roles.

“There is a lot of technical skill required in building and construction and related industries and there will be many opportunities that people can retrain for in order to be involved in creating a new city.”

Fletcher Building plays a key role in the rebuild of Christchurch through Fletcher Earthquake Recovery (EQR). As the work ramps up in Auckland, Christchurch and

13

SKILLS & TRADE

New Zealand generally, the entire building and construction industry will need extra staff across its diverse range of professions and trades Burghout says. Given the numbers of people already in training across the trades now he thinks there should be enough skilled tradespeople, however that depends on how the programme of work unfolds over the next few years.

“The industry will always be able to utilise all the skilled tradespeople that come through – across the residential, commercial, civil and infrastructure work that is coming to the market – so the more that want to train in a trade the better. If training numbers drop off, then we will struggle numbers wise, so we encourage on-going investment in training – such as apprenticeships, polytechnic programmes, and university degrees – to ensure we have as many ‘home-grown’ skills as we possibly can,” Burghout says.

He notes skill gaps across the board, with heavier demands in specialist trade areas such as plumbing and building interior services.

“The forecasts show we need to increase skill numbers in all areas and the harder ones to fill quickly will be the qualifications that take time to complete (eg engineering, architecture, carpentry). It’s always difficult to match training demand with supply. In a perfect world there would have been ramp ups in training investment one-two years.

LEFT: Since the earthquakes, the building and construction industry has stepped up programmes to meet the increasing need for skilled workers.

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14

SKILLS & TRADE

TEENS CAREER-PLAN ON-LINE Career tool uses a quiz with photos to see how well teens are doing with their career planning.

By Donna McIntyre THE 12 QUESTIONS, with five photo answers to choose from, are tailored to evaluate how well they know themselves, how competent they are at getting careers ideas, and how well they are doing deciding on and adapting their plans.

Answers are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 starting with a dull or frustrated image to a photo illustrating vibrancy and confidence.

For example, “How ready are you for independence?” has picture answers ranging from someone on training wheels through to someone competently navigating a mountain bike course. It is all user-friendly and answers

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are rated “need work”, “fair” to “great” to show how well career planning is going.

Using Career Checker also helps online browsers to click through to interactive tools on the website so they can find out more about study and career options, matching careers choices to interests and subjects.

Quiz results can be saved to the website’s My Career Portfolio (after the participant has logged on at the website) and results can be updated each time the quiz is redone.

Chief executive of Careers New Zealand, Dr Graeme Benny, says www.careers.govt. nz is evolving to assist an individual’s needs rather than providing general information so that people get the right help at the right time in their life.

“We have found that the more a young person understands themselves, their values, ambitions, skills and personal situation, the better they can match themselves to further study and a job.”

It is hoped the quiz will be used by a wide cross-section of New Zealanders, but it is primarily aimed at 15-18 year olds.

Photos were chosen as “answer” options as the quiz designers felt they provoke self-reflection and thought at a more intuitive level than simply a straight likert scale. Blair McCarthy, leader of Careers NZ online services, says, “It can also reach across language and age and stage. It also provided an opportunity for humour and a light-hearted treatment for someone’s first step on their career planning journey.”

The photos come from New Zealand and overseas image libraries, and will be updated to reflect a wider diversity of New

“We have found that the more a young person understands themselves, their values, ambitions, skills and personal situation, the better they can match themselves to further study and a job.”

– Chief executive of Careers New Zealand, Dr Graeme Benny.

Zealanders in updated releases of the quiz.

Having recognised that there must be a better way students and other job seekers to navigate the online information, the idea for this visual quiz was sparked by the Careers Scotland website which offers a personality type quiz. The quiz’ questions were developed with the goals of the Career Education Benchmarks secondary

and tertiary in mind with input from New Zealand Council for Educational Research senior researcher Karen Vaughan.

With so many students using the internet to get information, the idea is that the student uses this dynamic model to build their own career competency, rather than the traditional career guidance approach where a student is simply advised. It is also designed so that students use the photobased quiz to guide them to information on the website and don’t waste time hunting around the whole site, lessening the risk of them not being able to find what they need.

And while the quiz is designed to give some direction to the next steps of acquiring a wider awareness of study and career options, Careers New Zealand is encouraging teachers to use this tool as a conversation starter with their students.

“We would also really encourage parents to sit down with their children and run through the tool, it will be a great conversation starter,” says McCarthy.

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15

SKILLS & TRADE

NET TOOLS Career Checker is the newest of a suite of interactive web tools: Compare Study Options, CV Builder and Know Your Skills.

Compare study options lets people compare two different study options (and various levels) to see what the likely earning potential is and the likely employment outcomes are for those fields of study.

CV Builder is an easy-to-use tool that will create a CV based on the information you enter.

Completed CVS can be emailed to other people for checking and saved to My Career Portfolio for future use.

Know Your Skills is an interactive learning tool which helps people to understand what their skills are and how they relate to applying into their CV. It also has a companion tool called Know Your CV which helps people understand what makes a really good CV. Visit: www.careers.govt.nz/ tools/career-checker

LEFT: The new on-line quiz is designed to give young students a wider awareness of study and career options.

Picture / Getty

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