International student awarded sought-after internship

Vinay (left) with the three other winners

International student Vinay Kumar has been selected for a prestigious IT-Digital Tech internship at Southern Spars after winning a place at the inaugural Global Talent Showcase 2018.

Initiated by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development’s (ATEED) Study Auckland and HR consultancy Talent Solutions, the competition is aimed at helping international students connect with employers.

Vinay heard about the Global Talent Showcase through our ‘International’ and ‘Unitec Student Connectors’ Facebook pages, where our International team encouraged students to apply.

More than 150 international students applied to take part in the showcase, with 16 finalists taking part in a one-day assessment programme, designed to give students practical experience in interview skills and psychometric testing.

Four winners were chosen from the line-up of finalists, which featured students from Russia, Latin America, China, Sweden, Korea, Pakistan, India and Indonesia.  Along with an internship, the four students will also receive training and guidance in leadership development; a business mentor; and career coaching.

Prior to the event, Vinay approached Jasmine Patel Govine, Marketing Advisor in our International team, who talked him through the process and suggested some tips and tricks for his interview technique.

Vinay was awarded the IT internship at Avondale-based Southern Spars, which is recognised as the industry leader in the design, construction, installation and servicing of carbon fibre masts, booms and rigging for high performance racing and cruising yachts.

Vinay, who is from Pakistan, said, “Participating in the competition was a real learning experience for me. Not only did I have the opportunity to network with various professionals, but also to work side by side with a group of students from different Universities and educational backgrounds, which I believe was the core feature of this competition.”

Jasmine said the Global Talent Showcase has been an amazing opportunity for  Vinay, and the International team is looking forward to promoting it to our students in future.