EIT's engineering workshop: (left to right): former student Hirini Sainsbury, his brother Luke sainsbury who started this semester, and EIT engineering tutor Shane Cameron.
Engineering switched a light on in Hirini Sainsbury’s mind where school had not, and when brother Luke also began to lose interest in school, their mum Ora Tahata encouraged him to follow Hirini into engineering.
Gisborne is short of qualified engineers — engineering is one of five key skill shortages identified in a 2016 report commissioned by Activate Tairawhiti and this shortage will get worse as the economy grows and older, experienced engineers retire.
Brothers Hirini, 21, and Luke, 16, always loved taking things apart and (mostly) putting them back together. Ora thought it would be best for Luke to align his love of building things with his education, using the Government’s Youth Guarantee Scheme. Having discovered his own passion for engineering, Hirini encouraged his younger brother to follow him into EIT’s one-year Certificate in Engineering Trades as preparation for an apprenticeship.
For Hirini, this qualification led to an apprenticeship as a fitter-welder at Pultron Composites, which he will have completed by this time next year. He has already travelled to the Middle East twice in 2015 to work on Pultron’s new manufacturing plant in Dubai, where he was offered a job based on his existing skills.
“First time I went, it was the middle of summer. Going to Dubai opened my eyes — seeing the incredible engineering of all the buildings. I’d never been out of the North Island before that. I was looking at the planes, the turbines. It helped me focus, seeing that. It sticks with you.
“One of the 65-year-old engineers I work with went to Sydney and came back with photos of the welding on the bridges. That fascination sticks with you.
“Pultron is a good spot because of the range — they work with hydraulics, pneumatics and machines. You build machines and you get to know all of them. Growing up, I didn’t know much about engineering — I thought it would be about engines, I didn’t know about the fabrication and I didn’t know about the pay, which is a bonus.”
New passion for learningHis enthusiasm rubbed off on Luke, who had noticed Hirini’s new passion for learning.
“I did no homework at school because I had no interest in it, but on the programme I would do homework every night. You just have to have that focus. Going from hating bookwork to actually enjoying it was great. Luke was not really enjoying studying when he just wanted to be building stuff,” says Hirini. “While his brain is young and active, he might as well jump into it now. He has always got support from me if he gets stuck.”
This is his first week and Luke is enjoying the applied learning environment of his engineering class, where he will learn the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, technical drawing, trade calculations, basic mechanics, core engineering, assembly, basic machining, fabrication and welding. From these he can go into many exciting fields with plenty of jobs.
“I thought it would be quite cool, because ever since I was a kid I’ve liked to create random things. At school I did design tech and fell in love with making stuff, and thought engineering would be the path to do that. My friend and I tried welding at his place and I loved welding — we made a go-kart.”
There's nothing man-made on the planet that's not engineeredDespite good pay, versatility, satisfying, varied work and plenty of job opportunities, this years’ engineering class started with fewer students. EIT assistant head of school Tim Jagusch hopes more young people will consider where a career in engineering could take them.
“Engineering is one of those great trades to get into. If I had my time again that’s the road I would go down because I would learn all the skills through an engineering apprenticeship. I would use those skills to specialise or advance into other areas. It’s a stepping stone for anything. Electronics, robotics . . . there’s nothing man-made on the planet that’s not engineered.”
Pultron Composites’ general manager Jasper Holdsworth says engineering is a skill that can take you around the world. “It’s an asset you always have on your CV and it opens up a lot of opportunities. There is a long tail of value for the person who commits the time to study.”
'Huge demand' for qualified peoplePart of the challenge of getting young people interested in engineering is explaining the variety of work, says EIT engineering tutor Shane Cameron who, along with fellow tutor and precision machinist John Baynes, wanted to “give back” lessons they got from older engineers to young people who are the future of the discipline.
“People don’t necessarily know what engineering involves but there is a huge demand for qualified people. Once you have your qualifications you’re a wanted person — you can get a job anywhere.
“We listen to the national industry providers and teach what they want — stainless steel TIG welding for the wine and food industries, aluminium and MIG welding for boat building. We work around what industry wants.
“You can see the students’ faces when the penny drops and they have the skills.”
It is this desire to see her children learn useful skills that led to Ora getting her sons training in engineering.
“I just want them to be happy, get out there, see the world, or they can stay in Gisborne, because it’s lovely here. I’d like to see a lot more young men and women come out of the education system skilled, rather than go down paths that lead to poorly-paid low-skilled work for the rest of their lives.”
There is still time to enrol in EIT’s Certificate in Engineering Trades. Phone 06 869 0810, or call into EIT’s Palmerston Road campus.