AUT supports Joyce’s call for more qualified engineers

AUT supports Joyce’s call for more qualified engineers

AUT University supports Minister Hon Steven Joyce’s call to increase the number of engineering places at universities from 2013 and is responding accordingly.

New Zealand’s universities are currently educating more than 7000 equivalent full time engineering students. The Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand’s recent report indicates an additional 2000 more engineering graduates will be needed to support an innovation-led economy. The Budget 2012 allocated an additional $42 million for this purpose. Therefore AUT has increased its engineering student intake for next year by nearly 10%.

AUT’s Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack says that clearly it is time for expanding across the range of university providers and building diverse capacity and choice.

“AUT is uniquely placed among the engineering schools in offering both the Bachelor of Engineering Technology and the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (plus, of course, the full range of postgraduate and research opportunities). Together the two bachelor’s degrees meet the requirements for additional:

• graduates at technologist level (B Eng Tech) - identified by the profession's recent review as the immediate priority, and
• professional engineers (BE Hons graduates) - needed as a result of government initiatives, such as the Advanced Technology Institute, boosting the innovative economy.”

“Moreover, AUT's active links with industry as well as its academic connections between engineering and design departments ensure our engineering graduates have a more diverse skill set which is relevant to the challenges confronting industry.”

ENDS

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