Emerge event celebrates ‘gems’
Capstone projects become extended job interviews as industry seeks skilled, confident and problem-solving grads.
“Students that are ready to learn, listen, reflect, explore, iterate, discuss, learn more and deliver”.
That’s the praise for the latest cohort of work-integrated project learners from the Ara | Te Pūkenga Bachelor of Information & Communication Technologies (BICT) programme from an industry leader at Trimble Inc.
The ākonga, who have just completed their industry-based capstone projects were celebrated recently in front of mentors, teachers and whānau as they presented their work at the Semester 1 Emerge event.
Their work-integrated learning projects followed Information Systems, Software Development, and Networking and Infrastructure pathways. Additional project-based students also displayed work from third year Software Development, Mobile Technology and IT Governance courses.
“This event represents a great deal of hard work by ākonga in their final stages of study here, in preparation for their future careers in the IT industry,” Principal Academic and Capstone Course Convenor Dr David Weir said.
This semester’s IS309 WIL Project participants.
They are hardworking, talented, committed, resilient people who have produced a great deal of excellent and valuable work for their project sponsors under challenging conditions. Not surprisingly, over half already have continuing IT work, and several other project providers are looking at their budgets to see how they might offer others continued work.”
The third-year students worked in a range of settings from Foodstuffs South Island to working remotely for Bosch in Germany. They completed projects in a variety of sectors from health and education to sustainability and International Networking Solutions and Security.
Weir said the capstone course allowed ākonga a chance to fully apply the learning from their study to real-world IT problems in a work setting.
top students Bryden Joe and Benjamin Hunt
Taking out the top student at the event, Bryden Joe, who studied the BICT Software Development pathway, said he was motivated to build things that improve the lives of others.
“In future I want to apply my skills and knowledge to projects that positively impact our country’s environment, businesses and people,” Joe said.
Winner of the top exhibition poster detailing his capstone experience at Trimble Inc went to Benjamin Hunt studying his Graduate Diploma in ICT, also in the Software Development pathway.
“With my background in art and music, Trimble allowed me to use creative approaches in game development – designing and implementing new worlds and in game script,” Hunt said. “I plan to continue to develop my skills though writing code in game engines and would like to explore other software languages and applications.”
Hunt’s supervisor at Trimble and guest speaker at the emerge event Stuart Ralston said Ara | Te Pūkenga students set the bar for others making their way in the sector – describing them as “well-organised and ready to take risks with their minds open”.
The Engineering Manager for Virtual Worlds at Trimble said he couldn’t speak more highly of the students he’d experienced.
“I simply have to say well done to David and team because you are building gems. You’re helping foster people with structured, practical thinking and a hands-on approach. They are absolute standouts in the sector.”
“In the real world the idea is to build strategies. I see in these students coming out with the thinking of ‘how do I find out the answer’. We can facilitate network connection and the freedom to problem solve – they’re bringing the attitude to solve hard problems.”
With the passion to look towards the future, these ākonga have the world at their fingertips.