N E W S
“Rocketman" to
speak at EMEX
2020
Join the founder of Rocket Lab
and recently appointed professor
in aerospace engineering at The
University of Auckland at next
year’s 40th anniversary EMEX202.
Peter Beck set up Rocket Lab in
2006 following a decade and a
half of propulsion research and
market development in the international
space community. He has
since established Rocket Lab in
both New Zealand and the United
States as a premier institute for
innovative space systems.
Mr Beck’s hour presentation will
be followed by 30 minutes of
Q&A. The presentation will start
at 11.30am and is free to attend
for all trade.
His session is likely to touch on
people who have influenced his
career, Kiwi manufacturing that
inspires him, Rocket Lab’s story
and much more.
In 2009, Mr Beck led the
development and launch of Atea
1, with Rocket Lab becoming
the first private company in the
Southern Hemisphere to reach
space. Noting a need for launch
services focused on the growing
small satellite industry, he initiated
the Electron program in 2012.
An acclaimed scientist and
engineer, having been awarded
a Meritorious Medal from the
Royal Aeronautical Society
for service of an exceptional
nature, and the Cooper Medal,
presented by the Royal Society
(NZ) bi-annually to those deemed
to have published the best single
account of research in physics
and engineering, in 2015 he was
awarded New Zealander of the
Year (innovation) and in 2016 was
recognised as New Zealand EY
Entrepreneur of the Year.
11
Desperation for mechanical engineers New Zealand needs more than 8,000
new mechanical engineering apprentices
to meet the industry’s demand over
the next five years. In Auckland alone,
more than 3,000 people are needed,
with 1,199 in Canterbury and 800 in
Waikato.
While the high-profile building and construction
sector still needs skilled people,
mechanical engineering is emerging
as the new hotbed for jobs in the
trades. The sector is in desperate need
of apprentices to meet demand to support
the construction and infrastructure
sectors, industrial innovation and demand
for New Zealand products.
“The mechanical engineering sector,
like all engineering sectors is in growth
mode, which makes it an exciting sector
to be part of. There is significant
demand for skilled labour for both new
roles and replacement or succession
roles.
“Automation is changing the nature of
work. It’s not a job killer, in fact the opposite
is true: automation will create
new jobs and opportunities as we head
into a more digitised future and will play
a big role in the skills future engineers
need. The workforce needs to adapt,
upskill and re-skill in response,” says industry
training organisation (ITO) Competenz
chief executive, Fiona Kingsford.
The mechanical engineering sector
contributed $5,508m GDP in 2018, employing
more than 25,000 people, an
increase of 2.5% on the previous year.
She says the data highlights the opportunity
for mechanical engineering
apprentices at a time when NZQA is assessing
if some apprenticeship training
should be recognised at the same level
as university – ultimately shifting peoples’
perceptions of trade careers.
“NZQA is currently reviewing the Qualifications
Framework which places most
trade certificates at level 4, Bachelor
degrees at level 7 and PhDs at level 10
and it will consider the descriptions of
what is required at each of the 10 qualification
levels. Once that is completed
next year, Competenz and other ITOs
will rewrite their qualifications, and we
are highly likely to request some of them
to be listed at a higher level.
“Most of our level 4 trade certificates
should really be at level 6 or higher of
the Qualifications Framework. We cover
sectors from mechanical engineering
to fire protection, to qualifying refrigeration
engineers all of which involve
significant decision-making and supervisory
skills, making complex decisions
that after four years of study puts them
much higher than a level four on the
framework."
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She says apprentices come out highly
qualified and competent and having
their skills recognised at the same level
as university means the pathways into
trades from school will become more
direct, like they are in other countries
such as Germany and Scandinavia.
“Apprenticeships are an integral and
traditional part of the career pathway
and are a vital to New Zealand in a skills
shortage. There is an increasing need to
continuously upskill – both in response
to technical changes as well as business
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sustainability,” adds Fiona.
Highlighting these opportunities in the
mechanical engineering sector and other
trade and service sectors is the 2019
‘Got A Trade? Got it Made!’ campaign,
run by Competenz this year. The campaign
shows young New Zealanders
and their parents, teachers and careers
advisors the benefits of ‘work, learn,
get paid and get qualified’ as a genuine
pathway to great jobs and successful
careers.
“As an ITO we develop and manage
apprenticeship training for more than
20,000 learners. Our customers - the
businesses who employ these learners
- are committing to the future by
growing their workforce’s capabilities to
ensure trades training is central to our
post-industrial and digital economy.”
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