A new information technology graduate school, which is being built in association with local IT businesses and other South Island tertiary institutions, is set to be opened in Dunedin.
From 2014 to 2018, the New Zealand government will be investing in the construction and development of several graduate schools, which were originally planned to be located in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. However, due to the efforts of the South Island Graduate Network and Laboratories (SIGNAL), an initiative has been proposed which has the new school located in both Dunedin and Christchurch.
University of Otago Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise Richard Blaikie said the university is “delighted the SIGNAL initiative is going ahead”.
“This is good for the University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic, the city and the South Island. SIGNAL will increase the pipeline of students studying ICT with us and our partners and better prepare these students for roles within industry,” he said.
Samuel Mann, an Otago Polytechnic professor of information technology, said the new school has “enormous potential for Otago Polytechnic, the city and the ICT sector”.
“It draws on the polytechnic’s strengths in working with businesses and developing work-based learning opportunities to resolve real problems. The graduate school creates a further platform to make the most of the great talent in the city and develop our proven potential as a hub for digital innovation,” he said.
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced the new schools earlier this month. According to Joyce, the schools will help to address the significant shortage of skilled ICT graduates within one of the country’s most rapidly growing industries.
“The new ICT graduate schools will be a vital link between our fast-moving hi-tech industries and tertiary education to deliver more of the skilled ICT graduates that New Zealand needs,” said Joyce in a press release. “They will provide a unique opportunity for businesses to connect with students and education providers, and help shape ICT talent and R&D.”
Joyce says that from 2013 to 2020, the global ICT industry is expected to grow by US$1.3 trillion. “For New Zealand businesses to make the most of this opportunity, they need hi-tech professionals working in their businesses.”
Joyce says the biggest challenge with the growth rate is “getting enough people” trained in the field. Once completed, the planned schools are estimated to train approximately 350 students each year.