Copy
View this email in your browser
We're excited to announce that Hamilton will this year host the New Zealand finals of the EVolocity Electric Vehicle Competition for secondary schools for the first time. WECA has managed the competition in the Waikato since its inception in 2016, and has seen it going from strength-to-strength thanks to manager Levinia Paku, left, and her team of technology teachers and volunteers. Together they work with teams of students who design and build their own electric vehicles throughout the year and racing them at regional finals. National finals will attract about 40 of the top EVolocity teams, including technology teachers and hundreds of students from schools throughout New Zealand, and will be held at Kart Sport, near Hamilton International Airport, on November 24. Diary the date now!

It's been a busy few months of activity for WECA, with the team out and face-to-face with hundreds of potential future engineers at Career Expos and EVolocity events. Keep reading for more news and plenty of photos!


Mary, Sally and Levinia
 
News this month:
Expos encourage future engineers
EVolocity competition revs up
Looking for entry level staff and offering training? Check out Mana in Mahi! 
Bumper engineering section in FutureForce® magazine
Free investment attraction tool for innovators
Speakers wanted for Engineering NZ events
Thanks to electric vehicle kit sponsors
A word from WECA sponsors
Looking for entry-level staff and able to offer training?
The WECA team has been talking with some great potential candidates for Mana in Mahi, a contract with the Ministry of Social Development helping members take on suitable currently unemployed young people as Government-subsidised workers. This includes follow-up pastoral support from the WECA team for 12 months. There are only a few placement opportunities, so be in quick! Find out more here.

Expos encourage future engineers

Thousands of young people and their parents and teachers flocked to Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton for the Waikato Careers Expo this month. There were plenty of great conversations where we were able to encourage bright young people, and their parents, to consider engineering as a career. It was excellent to show WECA's suite of videos on a large TV at the Expo, including new FutureForce® videos from CAL Isuzu, Stafford Engineering and Wilkinson Transport Engineers. WECA was also given 500 copies of the latest FutureForce® Waikato Careers magazine, with front cover sticker pointing to the engineering careers section, to give away.  Thanks to expo volunteers: Andrew Fredrickson (Precision Machining); Levonne Pilott, Jewal Morrison and Clare Hewins (University of Waikato); Susan Beange (Longveld); Allen Bryce (Competenz); WECA ambassador Roger Evans and WECA Chair Dave Stuart (Stafford Engineering). 
Captions, clockwise from top left: WECA ambassador Roger Evans chats with interested young people; Jewal Morrinson and Levonne Pilott, University of Waikato; Clare Hewins, University of Waikato and Susan Beange, Longveld; Allen Bryce, Competenz.
Young Sage checks out St John's College's EVolocity vehicle at Waikato Careers Expo; Roger Evans and Andrew Fredrickson (Precision Machining).

WECA at Rototuna Pathways Expo

WECA's Levinia Paku with technology teacher Terry Beech at the Rototuna Career Pathways Expo recently.

EVolocity Waikato revs up a gear

The EVolocity Waikato secondary school electric vehicle competition is in full swing, with more than 100 students attending recent Build Days to focus on design and build, programming and controller and Arduino sessions. Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Sixteen Waikato schools and about 150 students are participating this year. University staff, grad students and undergraduates assisted with the hands-on design process workshop.

We are excited to be hosting the National Finals at Kart Sport in Hamilton on November 24. Diary the date now! Check out some of the Waikato students hard at work...
Students from throughout the region at EVolocity Waikato Build Day at St. John's College.
About 100 students from 12 schools attended the second Build Day at Cambridge High School, with a focus on programming and controllers. Thanks to the two sponsors who attended, New Zealand Defence Force and Hamilton Electric Vehicles, and also to Les Black and University of Waikato staff and students for their support. Winner of the Hamilton EV-sponsored electric vehicle kit was Waikato Diocesan School for Girls. Check out their smiles at bottom left. 

Members sponsor EV kits for schools

Clockwise from top: Thanks to the following members for sponsoring EVolocity electric vehicle kits for Waikato schools Longveld (Te Kōpuku High School), Hamilton Electric Vehicles (Waikato Diocesan School) and Collins (St. John's College).

Bumper engineering section in FutureForce® 2019

There's a bumper engineering section in the latest FutureForce® Waikato careers magazine, with 13,000 copies on their way to senior secondary school students throughout the region.

Thank you to the following WECA members for your support: ALTO, CAL Isuzu, Collins Automotive Technicians, DEC International, Longveld, Mainline Sheetmetals, Pentair, Schick Civil Construction, Supreme Sheetmetals, The Electrical Training Company, University of Waikato, Wilkinson Transport Engineers and Wintec.

Engineering in Action Day - thanks to WECA host companies

Thanks to the following WECA members who hosted more than 160 students for Engineering in Action Day 2019 recently: Mainline Sheetmetals, Hunter Filling Systems, Convex Innovative Packaging, Stafford Engineering, Longveld, Stainless Design, ALTO and Gallagher Group. EIA is a chance for students to visit some of our region's best engineering businesses and to explore some of the many pathways in this lucrative sector.
 

   

Speakers wanted: Engineering NZ


Interested in addressing Engineering NZ members? The organisation of professional engineers, formerly known as IPENZ, is on the look-out for local mechanical engineering and manufacturing business people to speak at their monthly presentations on the last Thursday of each month. WECA members are welcome to attend their next presentation at 5.30pm on Tuesday June 25th at BECA, Level 2, 6 Garden Place, Hamilton. The topic will be experiences of working on large capital value dairy projects throughout NZ.

Contact Gavin if you're interested in attending, or in being a speaker 0275810735 or email gavin@ajeng.co.nz

Free networking, investment tool for innovators

A new, free on-line tool from Callaghan Innovation seeks to address challenges faced by businesses wanting to attract investment needed to develop new products, services or processes. The Scale-UP NZ platform launched by Callaghan Innovation recently will help innovating companies to network, gain introductions, collaborate and attract investment. The digital platform, modeled on successful platforms in other countries, has been developed to help businesses and the New Zealand economy benefit from their intellectual property and creative ideas. Scale-UP NZ combines data technology, crowd-sourcing and a team of professional analysts giving insights on more than 500 active companies. Serving as a gateway to NZ's innovation ecosystem, it gives businesses exposure to millions of global businesses seeking partnerships. WECA members can find out more or sign up free here.
Thanks to WECA supporters
Hamilton Electric Vehicles are proud to be the only EV, dedicated electric vehicle showroom in Hamilton and supporting Waikato towns.
Delivering competitive pricing, unmatched service and support packages with every EV investment. We have the vehicles, from around town city cars, to family cars, motorbikes, scooters and Segways........ if it’s an electric vehicle we have them either in the showroom or in transit. Pop in to our huge air-conditioned showroom for a chat, enjoy our customer lounge area for a hot or cold beverage. Book our function / education space for your group or business meeting and enjoy the ambiance that Hamilton Electric Vehicles offers.

Pop in and see us at 6 Rawhiti St, Frankton, Hamilton!
Follow us on Facebook.

A word from ETCO...


The Electrical Training Company (Etco) is New Zealand’s leading training provider for the electrical industry. Since 1991 we have helped thousands of apprentices and students into rewarding and successful careers. 

Etco apprentices undertake a combination of on-the-job training, with host companies, and off-the-job training, including block courses and night classes. We employ apprentices throughout their training, placing them with host companies in placements that ensure they gain skills and experience in a variety of domestic, commercial and industrial settings.

We provide training at 35 locations country-wide. This includes our new state-of-the-art training centre in Hamilton, equipped with the most modern learning technology and systems.

Hosts pay one simple weekly charge for the hours an apprentice has worked. Etco covers all trainings costs, and supplies a start-up tool kit and PPE, all of which means Etco reduces costs, risk and stress for host companies.  Apprentices undergo a 12-day residential induction, including site safe training, before beginning placements. We cover all leave, public holidays and ACC and KiwiSaver contributions

We also take care of all assessments and provide structured HR, pastoral care and study support. Etco apprentices lead the field in national examinations and competitions. 

Our stakeholders include schools, parents, electrical companies and contractors, partners, sponsors and government. We work with schools to promote the career pathways available to high-achieving school-leavers, and with businesses to provide them with high calibre apprentices and meet their apprentice training needs. 

Through sharing information, receiving feedback and consultation, we secure the best candidates, ensure work placements are available and deliver the highest standards of training to prepare apprentices to make a positive contribution to the industry.


www.etco.co.nz

Thanks to our supporters
Copyright © 2019, Waikato Engineering Careers Association, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
sally@weca.org.nz

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.