Students finding employment in their area of study is one of our most important measures for success. The Industry Connect events which ran last month in Te Puna and Mataaho, doubled in student attendance numbers and industry partners, providing important industry connections for our students with potential employers.
Each event had a specific sector focus, the line-up this year featured Trades, Computing and IT, Engineering and Construction Management. This year we held all four events across one week to sharpen focus and visibility. By the final event, we had hosted nearly 80 businesses and more than 650 students, doubling last year’s numbers. “Our Industry Connect events support students on their journey as they transition from learner to earner, equipping them with job-hunting skills and valuable connections with employers.” said Heather Stonyer, Director of Industry Partnerships.
Heather Stonyer – Director of Industry Partnerships
“The increasing attendance shows how valuable these events have become to students and employers as we continue to build strong industry partnerships,” said Heather.
Students were encouraged to attend Careers workshops on CV writing and interviewing in advance of the events, supported by our Career Development team, so they were well equipped for questions from potential employers. Businesses also came ready for recruitment.
“Not only were our students ready to start working, our businesses also came ready to sign up our graduates,” said Heather. “Employers arrived with long lists of recruitment opportunities and left with an equally high number of expressions of interest, both for specific roles and graduate schemes.”
“If that degree of interest can translate into jobs for our students, I’ll be delighted,” said Heather.
Heather says her team has plans to grow the series even further with interest from other faculties whose students would benefit from the direct connection with industry. Businesses which are interested in participating next year can find more information on our website.
Lee Baglow – Head of Trades & Services, welcomes industry partners and students to the Trades Industry Connect event
Rina Keppler, a graduate and structural drafter at engineering and design specialists Holmes Consulting, was at the Construction Management Industry Connect event representing her employer. She studied for a Diploma in Architectural Technology in 2015, completing her degree part-time as she raised her two young sons. She attended an Industry Connect event when she was a student and found it a great way to connect with people in the industry and to gain a better understanding of who and what is actually involved. She found her current role through her course lecturers who passed on the potential job opportunity. “Unitec has great relationships with industry-relevant companies and employers who are confident recruiting students straight from Unitec,” said Rina.
Rina says the skills she was taught on her course, including relevant software packages, were broad enough to adapt to her current specialist role. She advises future students to keep an open mind about potential roles when searching for a job. “Structural drafting was never really on my radar until I started looking into my current role but I’ve found that it’s going to be hugely beneficial to my long-term drafting career as you learn in great detail how a building is constructed and put together,” she says. “Talking to your lecturer is also hugely beneficial”, she says. “They have great connections.”