Scholarship attracts quality graduates

Jarrod Darlington (left) with Tom Halpin. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Just about every type of engineering job is listed on the Government's skill-shortage lists, making engineers some of the most sought-after job candidates.

But companies aren't waiting for engineering students to graduate from university before headhunting them.

Transportation engineer Jarrod Darlington began applying for scholarships after his first year at university and discovered the "First Look" scholarship scheme run by engineering firm SKM. Darlington spent the next three summers working with them.

"When you start to work as an undergraduate, you're actually doing real project work. You're actively involved in real projects and it's a different sense of being part of a useful team. It's learning with actual skills and actual experiences rather than just theory," Darlington says.

He has been working with SKM now for the past four years and says it's the variety of projects which motivates him.

"We're working with our Brisbane office so I've been off working on that project for a couple of months. It's good to have that international flavour as well."

The SKM scholarship scheme pays for an increasing portion of school fees for years two, three and four with the fourth year fully paid.

SKM does not require student recipients to contract with SKM for future employment. Darlington said a contract would not have put him off the scheme but he likes it that one is not required.

"It definitely was a positive stand-out feature from an SKM point of view in that you're not bonded for two or three years after graduation ... It's good for myself in that I'm not obliged to stay but it's also good from the company's perspective in that they're not obliged to take someone."

Darlington was not tempted to go to work for any other engineering firms upon graduation.

"I was happy with where I was. I enjoyed the people, enjoyed the work. So, I took the offer. It's a good culture with international opportunities. There is encouragement to move around and get a wide range of experience."

SKM looks for more than just academic achievements in its selection of scholarship candidates. In fact, "straight A" students are not as appealing because they are likely to pursue continuing education or work in a field outside their primary engineering qualification such as commerce or law. Darlington had a wide range of extracurricular activities which included Aussie rules and other sports, junior ambassador for New Zealand, a chaperone for a school trip to Japan, head boy and school council.

"It's quite competitive. They look at your grades and also your out-of-school activities ... There is an interview process as well."

At SKM, Darlington has been able to work on the motorway to Wellsford and Transmission Gully out of Wellington. Now he wants to gain more experience overseas and in a wide range of fields with a goal of moving into business management.

SKM graduate co-ordinator Tom Halpin says the scholarship scheme is by far the most successful way of attracting quality graduates.

"Prior to the global financial crisis, if we waited till the grads finished their academic year in year four, all the good ones were gone," he says.

SKM has been running its undergraduate programme since 2003. But Halpin continues to recruit graduates as well. "We're trying to target 10 undergrads a year and at least 15 graduates a year."

They are looking for various types of engineers including civil, structural, geo-thermal, electrical and mechanical. Halpin says there are benefits to recruiting candidates when they're just starting out.

"Commercially, they're obviously less expensive to recruit. They've also got the ability if they want to join our graduate programme, we can train them in the way we do things so they become useful."

Candidates with some type of sporting background are preferred because of their teamwork mentality.

"We're a consultancy services business. We sell services. We don't sell products. So it's really people with the teamwork and people skills who we're after - the communication skills." The SKM programme is running at Auckland and Canterbury universities and Unitec.

"From an engineering point of view, bachelor of engineering isn't offered at any other universities in New Zealand."

Students in the programme are likely to develop strong ties with SKM, which encourages them to want to continue on with the organisation after graduation and earn their professional qualification, Halpin says.

"Where we get the loyalty is obviously through the undergraduate programme - we provide them with scholarships and summer work experience and we pay them during the summer. It keeps them fairly focused on working with SKM. Then, when they graduate, what we can offer them is our formal graduate programme to get them accredited as chartered professional engineers."

But not all scholarship recipients go on to work for SKM.

"We've had two students who have gone on and done masters and one's gone on again to do a PHD. One student chose not to come to us because she wanted a smaller niche company to work for and that's fine. We don't bond them."

Halpin says generation Y students do not respond well to the concept of being bonded. "As soon as you start mentioning bond and having to work out a payment of the scholarship, they run for the hills."

The scholarship scheme is based more on trust.

"If we do our job and look after them and give them the set-up to complete their degree ... they get to know how we operate and everything seems to come together."

Contact David Maida at www.DavidMaida.com

*The Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand currently accredits four year engineering degrees from AUT University, Manukau Institute of Technology, Massey University, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, University of Waikato and Victoria University Wellington.