'Conveyor belt' needed to link graduates to industry

Creating a “conveyor belt” from university into industry would help keep talented graduates in this country and is one of the keys to growing the economy, says Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey.

Mr Maharey was addressing about 100 people gathered for a business breakfast seminar at the Coachman Hotel, in Palmerston North, to discuss how the Massey and the Universal College of Learning could link to help develop business in the Manawatu.

He urged businesses to build relationships with universities and to use the assets that are on the doorstep. “One of those assets right here in this city is that we have major educational and research facilities but we do not use them,” he said.

It was taken for granted that graduates would leave Manawatu, he said, but many would be willing to stay if there were jobs for them an they were the workers with the qualifications to drive the economy forward.

UCOL chief executive Paul McElroy and Elaine Reilly, chief executive of Vision Manawatu, also spoke of the successful partnerships they and their organisations were involved in already. Guests included members of the business community as well as students and staff from the participant organisations, including Vision Manawatu and the Manawatu Chamber of Commerce.