Wintec News

New degree meets industry need for engineering technologists

Posted On: Thursday, 12 November 2009

Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology) has been given approval to deliver a new degree in Engineering Technology from next year to meet the demand for engineering technologists in the Waikato region. It is the first time students will be able to study the three year degree at a campus in the region.

Chief executive Mark Flowers says there has been significant growth in the electrotechnology and infrastructure sectors in recent years so the degree was developed in collaboration with industry to meet their need for highly trained graduates.

“Employers have been calling out for qualified engineering technologists. At the moment there is one engineering technologist for every one engineer but they need about three to one to keep up with the growth. This degree will enable that to happen,” says Flowers.

This is also the first national degree jointly offered by the six leading metropolitan institutes of technology/polytechnics in the country – referred to as the Metros Group. CPIT, Unitec, Manukau Institute of Technology, Wellington Institute of Technology and Wintec will all be offering the degree with majors in civil and/or electrical and/or mechanical engineering. Otago Polytechnic will be running the programme in 2011.

Graduates will leave Wintec with a major in either civil engineering (water and waste or roading and transportation specialisations) or electrical engineering (power specialisation).

“The Waikato is a major player in New Zealand’s energy sector and will see more than $4 billion being invested over the next few years. The region also has a significant number of large civil engineering projects underway or being planned so there’ll be no shortage of work for these graduates.”

The degree has been developed to an international standard and complies with the international Sydney Accord for Engineering Technologists.

Applications for semester one next year are open now and close January 31st, 2010. More details about the Bachelor of Engineering Technology »