ExportNZ says all political parties should be supporting international trade ExportNZ released a report analysing the benefits to all New Zealanders from freely traded exports and imports. The Benefits of Trade shows that New Zealand’s export sector directly and indirectly accounts for nearly three quarters of a million jobs, and that exports bring in 43% of New Zealand’s GDP. “This is a massive chunk of our economy. Without exports we would literally be a third world economy,” says ExportNZ executive director Catherine Beard. “New Zealand exporters - manufacturers, primary producers and technology and services exporters - earn the foreign exchange that pays for all the good things we enjoy. Without a vibrant export sector, we would not be able to afford the infrastructure, health, education and welfare services that are the mark of a first world nation. “We have a brilliant export sector keeping our economy afloat, and we should all be supporting it.” Ms Beard said with the approach of the 2017 Election, it was important to hear from all political parties on how they would support trade and free trade agreements with other nations. “It’s time for all political parties that want a higher standard of living for Kiwis to get in behind New Zealand being a participant in high quality free trade agreements wherever in the world we can get them. She says in a world of increasing protectionism it is important for all political parties to be united behind an ambitious free trade agenda, because the benefits to New Zealand are overwhelmingly positive. “The data indicates that in a world where free trade was the norm, New Zealand’s GDP would be $18 billion higher, with an additional 62,000 jobs.” www.engineeringnews.co.nz 7 front downforce. It was then the job of the Aston Martin Design Team to integrate these new apertures into the overall design and ensure they had aesthetic merit as well as aerodynamic function. While aerodynamics and downforce are the dominant story, Aston Martin Valkyrie features some delightful details. Some of the most striking are the headlights, which take inspiration from the pure functionality of a Formula One car’s components. Aston Martin’s designers stripped things back to the bare essentials, celebrating the engineering rather than concealing it behind cladding. With the low and high beam elements attached to an intricate exposed anodised aluminium frame not only are the headlamp units a work of art, but they are 30-40% lighter than the lightest series production headlamps available to Aston Martin. The same approach has been taken with the Aston Martin ‘wings’ badge that adorns the nose. With the regular badge considered too heavy, and a simple sticker not befitting for a car of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s quality and cutting-edge nature, the Aston Martin Design Team came up with a chemical etched aluminium badge just 70 microns thick. That’s 30% thinner than a human hair, and a remarkable 99.4% lighter than the regular enamel wings badge. The badge (nicknamed the ‘lacewing’) is then attached to the painted body and covered with a perfectly smooth coat of lacquer. Further detail innovation can be found at the rear of the car, with the centre high mounted stop light (CHMSL). Mounted on the tip of the small shark’s fin that runs down the spine of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s airbox and rear bodywork, the light is just 5.5mm wide and 9.5mm high. Illuminated by a red LED it is the world’s smallest CHMSL and evidence of how every element of the Aston Martin Valkyrie is scrutinised in the pursuit of eliminating unnecessary weight and drag. there is no rear window, negating the requirement for a rearview mirror. One of the biggest changes in this latest model are openings in the body surface between the cockpit and front wheel arches, having found that they were the key to achieving considerable gains in Cadetships to fast-track engineering students into jobs Wintec and Waikato District Council will launch a cadetship programme next year that will create employment opportunities for civil engineering students and ensure the council has a highly skilled and qualified workforce. The cadetship scheme is an opportunity for Wintec students studying the civil elements of the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering and the Bachelor of Engineering Technology. Under the scheme, students will work and study part-time for two years before completing one year of bonded employment with Waikato District Council. Wintec chief executive Mark Flowers says the scheme is a great example of Wintec working with industry partners to deliver real-world training for students and highly qualified graduates to employers. “I really commend Waikato District Council for driving this initiative – it’s a win win for all. For our students it’s a great opportunity to study and work in a real-world environment and get the benefits of having employment in their chosen career path. “We’re training students for a rapidly changing world and the practical and soft skills they learn through on the job training are critical for their success. Working with industry also means we continue to be relevant and authentic in what we deliver to meet their needs.” Waikato District Council will recruit cadets from Wintec year one and two students this year to launch the scheme for the 2018 study year. Within two years, the aim is to have 12-14 Wintec student placements with Waikato District Council. “We’re delighted to work with Wintec on this scheme and we regard this as an effective recruitment tool,” says Waikato District Council’s general manager service delivery, Tim Harty. “The council is considered to be a perfect training ground for students to develop a range of skills, knowledge and technical experience. The cadetship will provide real-life practical experiences as well as the opportunity to be immersed in a range of areas relevant to the cadet’s specific area of study.” N E W S masterful engineering
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