University of Canterbury graduates sought after for degree-based knowledge and life skills

A ‘kiwi’ upbringing and a can-do attitude earmarks University of Canterbury graduates for success according to Bruce Herbert, Recruitment and Talent Development for The Fletcher Construction Company’s Engineering Division.

Mr Herbert represents one of 47 employers from New Zealand and Australia who will be taking part in the University’s upcoming Careers, Internships and Employment Fairs for engineering students on Thursday, 12 May and Friday, 13 May from 5pm-8pm at the NZi3 building on Creyke Rd. More than 800 students are expected to attend the two events.

“We recruit primarily civil and mechanical engineers who are going to be site-based working on a project for us. We want technical knowledge and the ability to apply engineering judgement – skills that students learn during their degree studies – but, more importantly we look for the ability to relate to a wide range of people, leadership, innovative thinking, the ability to manage risk and teamwork. These are all skills that we find in University of Canterbury graduates.”

Mr Herbert said that Fletcher Construction recruits six UC graduates per year. “We find that they tend to be kiwi-raised with a background in sports or the outdoors. They are used to being part of a team. They can relate well to other people and can apply themselves. They’re resilient, can use what they have around them and come up with innovative solutions to the challenges they face. This means that they have the ability to apply their engineering judgement in practical terms.”

A group of third-year engineering students is taken on for the company’s summer internship programme. Some of those interns are then employed as graduates in full-time roles. That is only the beginning a longer-term career path offered by the company, however.

“We realise that most of the graduates we employ will want to go and do their OE and we support that because it provides them with great professional experience and makes them better people when and if they decide to come back to New Zealand.”

A combination of a UC degree and the career development offered in a role with Fletcher Construction makes them very appealing to overseas employers. “We pride ourselves on building depth and developing graduates’ cvs quite quickly. Young Fletcher Construction engineers are highly valued and quickly end up in jobs overseas, particularly in the UK.

“We maintain contact with them while they are overseas and often find that they return to roles with us as senior engineers. What we want is for them to think of us first when they are thinking of returning to New Zealand.”

The Fletcher Construction presentations at UC’s Careers, Internships and Employment Fairs will showcase examples of such graduates who have gone on to roles as senior engineers.

UC is also holding a Careers Fair for disciplines other than engineering on 16 May from 5pm-8pm at the NZi3 building on Creyke Rd. 23 local and national employers have booked stands at the event which is expected to attract more than 500 students.