I have been involved in WECA for a couple of years now and I never cease to be impressed by the collaboration, loyalty and general kindness among our members. WECA members are active, both within their industry and in the broader business world, and many of them go the extra mile to support the work of this organisation.
Members are also supportive of each other, resilient, unafraid of a bit of healthy competition and, perhaps not surprisingly, some of our region's most successful business people. Maybe this is because the universal law applies - you reap what you sow.
We recently asked members to give us some feedback about the value they get from belonging to WECA and their responses have culminated in a hearty pat on the back. Clearly the work of the association is having positive impact but, as is always the case, it is the support, loyalty and involvement of members that keeps the heart of WECA beating.
Thanks for your encouragement - we couldn't do it without you.
4.00 to 4.15 Meet and mingle 4.15 to 5.30 Group tours of The Gallagher Group workshop 5.30 to 6.30 Refreshments, WECA and The Gallagher Group Q&A
Engineering for Educators gives technology teachers “real world” connections by taking them from the classroom to the coalface of industry. A not-to-be-missed opportunity to get an insight into this major player in New Zealand's global export market.
WHERE: The Gallagher Group, 181 Kahikatea Dr, Melville, Hamilton RSVP:sally@weca.org.nz
FREE OF CHARGE:
All WECA members, affiliates, Waikato educators and WECA friends welcome.
Thank you to our hosts:
Millennium Plastics WECA Event: Were you spotted?
A good turnout of about 50 members and educators attended August event at Millennium Plastics in Te Rapa, enjoying a tour of this state of the art premises. The tour included demonstrations of injection moulding, LSR (liquid silicon rubber) moulding, robotics and automation as well as the application of 3D printing.
Check out some photos from the event:
Captions (clockwise, from top left): Ian and Owen Embling (Convex) with Ray Pryor and Tony Rutz (Millennium Plastics); Sally Chen (University of Waikato), Roger Evans (Stafford Engineering), Derek Pinkerton (Gallagher Group) and Aaron Duff (University of Waikato); Craig Preston and Ben (Millennium Plastics); Tony Rutz and Allan Clark (Success Personnel); Nick Callagher (Vertex Engineers) and Allen Bryce (Competenz); Susan Beange (Longveld), Jewal Morrison and Ashley Webby (University of Waikato).
Captions (clockwise from top left): Mary Jensen (WECA) and Peter Pooran (Stainless Design); Edward Scott (Millennium Plastics), Derek Pinkerton and Owen Embling; a group enjoying the liquid silicon moulding demonstration; Kevin Chubb (Tidd Ross Todd), Roger Evans and Grant McMillan (Millennium Plastics).
Thank you to Millennium Plastics for hosting this event.
WECA launches student memberships
Engineering students and recent graduates can now join WECA as part of a bid to better connect them with industry.
WECA manager Mary Jensen said student memberships are a logical step in encouraging students to step out of the classroom to network with employers.
"We noticed increasing inquiries from students interested in finding out about WECA. Creating a student membership for a nominal fee means they can now receive all our communications and be involved in WECA events. Most importantly, they can get to know our members. Everybody wins," Mary said.
Student membership benefits include networking with engineering employers, receiving WECA updates, access to the membership database and invitations to all WECA events.
WECA student membership is available to students or recent graduates for $50 per annum. Some conditions apply.
A freshly signed partnership agreement ensures WECA and Wintec will continue to work together to promote the engineering sector to secondary and tertiary students.
WECA chair Dave Stuart said Wintec’s continued support of the association reinforces synergies between industry and the tertiary sector, while looking at new ways of developing engineering pathways for students.
Wintec will work with schools to develop contextualised, vocational curriculum with the focus on building engineering-centred, project-based learning, building on established secondary tertiary partnerships. WECA will support Wintec in developing project ideas to be used to create teaching materials, as well as providing industry project examples and ideas for improving engineering pathways.
Stainless success at WorldSkills International
Stainless Design fabricator Michael Benson has added a WorldSkills International placing to his impressive set of awards. Michael took fourth place in the Sheet Metal Technology category of the global vocational skills competition in Brazil, after winning the category locally, nationally and for the whole of Oceania.
WorldSkills is an international event that brings together young people to compete in 45 trade skill categories from 73 countries around the world. Michael was part of the 15-strong Tool Blacks, a team competing against 1300 under-24-year-old competitors from 72 countries. More than 200,000 visitors attended the five day competition in Sao Paulo.
Encouraging young people to pursue engineering, raising company profile, networking opportunities and new friendships are just a few reasons Waikato engineering businesses say WECA membership is good value.
Results of a recent member survey, conducted on behalf of WECA by Linda-Maree Drake*, a University of Waikato MBA student, were encouraging, with 19 of 20 respondents keen to recommend WECA to other businesses.
WECA activities, such as creating links between students, educators and businesses, representing WECA at economic development level, developing material to promote engineering careers, simplifying pathways between school, training and work, and networking events are seen as important by members.
Here's a sample of what members are saying about the value of belonging to WECA:
"It connects Waikato's engineering sector." "It helps get young people involved in the manufacturing/engineering side of things."
"Membership helps profile our business as a proactive, premium company." "It is a good networking base."
"Membership has opened relationships with the big engineering companies - great for the smaller company." "The value is in the contribution WECA makes to the engineering industry generally."
"The larger WECA companies are a great resource and mentor for smaller companies. I have made some good business friends through WECA." "Networking within the WECA membership and giving engineering a point of contact to improve communications when dealing with government agencies."
"Talking with manufacturers about future workforce requirements and skills required."
*Linda-Maree Drake is in her second year of her Master’s program and as part of her Business Research Methods paper is required to collect and analyse a collection of data using a specific research method.
Volunteers needed: Girl's High Mini Careers Expo
WECA's been invited to take part in Hamilton Girls' High subject choice evening, to run as a mini-careers expo on Thursday September 10, from 4pm to 6.30pm.
This is a great opportunity to talk about engineering with young women and their families, and to encourage them to continue taking the core subjects our industry needs.
These events are always lots of fun and a great way to put your company in the spotlight. Please email sally@weca.org.nzif you would like to help out.
Safer driving with engineering know-how
Visits to automotive manufacturing sites McLaren Formula 1, Volkswagen and Bentley are a regular occurrence for Leon Henderson. It's all part of the job for the mechanical engineering graduate, who works as a research associate at Cambridge University in the UK.
Leon graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical with Honours in 2009. He later moved to the UK to begin his PhD at Cambridge, finishing it in October 2013.
Since 2013 he's been a research associate at Cambridge, working in an automotive engineering capacity on a project funded by Volvo Trucks. The project involves the development of a new braking system that takes a fifth of the stopping distance off an HGV (heavy goods vehicle), enabling better driving control. Each wheel has a computer calculating how slippery the road is and how fast the vehicle is going, and adjusts the brakes accordingly.
Leon was inspired to study engineering after a visit to a University of Waikato Open Day and Science Summer School.
"I'm now looking for an industry position in New Zealand where I can use some of the automotive engineering skills I've gained in Europe. Failing that, there are also possible job opportunities for me in Sweden with Volvo."
A Wintec student is key to the design of a mechanical floodgate that could stop houses flooding in a Coromandel town - and beyond. Graham's Creek, in Tairua, has a history of flooding and local councils have projects planned for the area. Engineering student Juan Martinez hopes his designs can help but they have to do it without an external power source. Read the full story in the Waikato Times here.
Wintec’s engineering and trades education facility is a finalist in the education category for the 2015 New Zealand Architecture Awards. The winners will be announced in late October. Check out the facility here.
A new learning project which aims to prepare engineering students for the real world is being trialled at Wintec. The project, which makes up part of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology, sees students from both the electrical and mechanical engineering disciplines work together on a project to develop their version of the mathematical game, Tower of Hanoi. Read more here.
A word from WECA sponsor:
Vo2 - High Performance Websites
Is your website mobile responsive?
Did you know that around a third to a half of all internet users are mobile device users? For this reason, Google has changed the rules for search engine results, meaning that if your website is not mobile compatible, your website may not appear in the first pages of search results. They have set up a website tool where you can test your site's mobile compatibility.
If your site is not already mobile compatible, there are a number of options available to you. Please let us know if you would like to discuss this further. www.vo2.co.nz
A word from WECA sponsor:
Success Personnel
You would insist on a pre-purchase inspection before you bought a house or a car, but what about your new employee? Taking on the wrong person could cost you as much as a new roof or a reconditioned engine.
The standard checks that should be done include:
Social media: does their work history on LinkedIn match their CV? Are the image, culture and values they present at the interview the same as what they portray on-line?
Qualifications: are they valid?
CV details: is there an unexplained gap in their work history?
ACC: what historical injuries or limitations does your new employee have?
Drivers check: your new employee may have their drivers licence in their pocket, but is it still current? Have their endorsements expired?
Criminal history: a Ministry of Justice background check will reveal all convictions not concealed under the Clean Slate Act
Drug test
Credit check: poor credit history and outstanding debts does not always lead to an untrustworthy employee, but it may be something to be aware of
Skill Check: certificates and test results may show that your employee has passed a exam or finished a course, but do they have the skill level that you require?
References: should always be done verbally, and with a verified manager or supervisor. Written references can never be relied on as being genuine.
Visa check: have you verified your employee’s visa? Assuming that they have told the truth about their visa status is no protection against a $10,000.00 fine
EA check: has your new employee got a track record of taking previous employers to the Employment Relation Authority?
If you have already completed the recruitment process and are about to offer the position to the successful candidate, how confident are you that they will pass all of these tests?
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.
