With secondary school students needing to choose their subjects for next year and various careers activities being held throughout Waikato, it's crunch time for WECA's annual activity.
There is no time like now to be shining the spotlight on our sector and to be an active part of building the engineering future of our region.
WECA was extremely well represented at the recent Engineering in Action Day, with 14 of 15 businesses involved being our members. Wintec head of trades David McDougall made a point of thanking WECA for supporting the event, where businesses opened their doors to more than 180 students from throughout the region and their teachers. Scroll down to check out some photos from the event.
We are now asking you to commit to promoting the sector further by volunteering to staff WECA's stand at the upcoming Waikato Careers Expo on June 7 and 8 and once again opening the doors of your business for the Waikato Careers Festival, following on from the expo. These are excellent opportunities, not only to promote the wider sector, but also to spot young stars who may one day be a key part of your workplace. Read on to see how to get involved.
Sunday June 7 and Monday June 8, Claudelands Event Centre
This is a collaborative WECA stand and is usually one of the busiest and most popular at the expo thanks to the excellent employers and educators who get involved. In past years WECA members have spotted young talent at the expo and even gone on the employ some of these bright sparks!
We would like to see as many volunteers from WECA businesses, Wintec, ITOs, University of Waikato as possible put their names forward. We have a large site (7m x 3m) so if you have anything interesting you would like to display please let Sally know.
Please email me as soon as possible which slot/s you prefer sally@weca.org.nz:
Sunday June 7:
10am to 11.30am, 11.30am to 1pm, 1pm to 3pm
Monday June 8:
9am to 10.30am, 10.30am to 12pm, 12pm to 1.30pm, 1.30pm to 3pm (pack up)
Thanks everyone! I will send out a confirmed roster closer to the time.
Waikato Careers Festival 2015: Be part of the action!
Help shape how young people think about their careers by being part of the Waikato Careers Festival.
The two-week festival is an innovative way to take careers talk to communities and uncover the huge range of career options in our region. Based around the Waikato Careers Expo at Claudelands Events Centre on June 8 and 9, there will be a range of workshops, open days, and events held at community venues, training organisations, and workplaces throughout the region.
If you have an idea for an event or workshop, or you are interested in showing off your workplace, please contact project co-ordinator Sarah Nash 021 210 9075 or waikatocareersfestival@gmail.com
Thank you for opening your doors for Engineering in Action 2015:
Active Plastics, Alto Packaging, BECA, Convex Innovative Packaging,
Hendl and Murray, JP Marshall, Longveld, Mainline Sheetmetals, Millennium Plastics, PFS Engineering, Progressive Group, Stafford Engineering, Stainless Design and Tidd Ross Todd.
A big thank-you to Wintec.
Engineering in Action 2015: Photos
Captions (clockwise from top left): A good crowd of secondary school students gather at Wintec for Engineering in Action Day; Hillcrest High School students at Millennium Plastics; Waihi College students get hands-on at Mainline Sheetmetals.
Captions (clockwise from top left): 1. and 2.: Waihi students get hands-on at Mainline Sheetmetals; 3. and 4. Melville High School students get the grand tour through Hendl & Murray's premises.
Calling for software recommendations
Industrial Tube Manufacturing would like to hear from WECA members who are using off-the-shelf software systems that they would recommend for use in its maintenance department.
Expansions in the business means there's more pressure in terms of managing maintenance scheduling, assets and projects and recommendations of good packages would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you to the many members who have supported the WECA section in the 2015/16 issue of FutureForce Waikato. We are busy putting together this volume, which will be distributed to the region's senior secondary school students and used to promote WECA at the Careers Expo.
IPENZ awards for University academics
Two University of Waikato academics picked up awards at The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Fellows and Achievers Dinner in Wellington recently.
Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Professor Janis Swan won the Skellerup Award for Chemical Bioprocess and Food for her distinguished contribution to food, biopress and chemical engineering in New Zealand. Electronic Engineering Senior Lecturer Nihal Kularatna was elected a Fellow of the Institution for his contribution to the advancement of engineering knowledge and innovation in the creation of technological products.
Won an award? Moving premises? Want to pick other members' brains? Don't forget to tell us about it! You just might see yourself in the next WECA Update. Email sally@weca.org.nz or click the big purple button.
