Futureintech: A Career in Technology, Engineering and Science

Futureintech is funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise as one of a range of initiatives to significantly lift enrolments in tertiary study in technology, engineering and science over the medium to long-term. Begun in 2003, Futureintech is an initiative of The Institution of Professional Engineers, New Zealand. Futureintech works directly with schools and industries to help ensure that technology, maths and science teachers have the right resources to inform students and inspire them to continue their study through to tertiary level. The approach is hands-on. Nine Facilitators work to engage industry support, and work with classroom teachers, careers advisors, students and their caregivers, within primary, intermediate and secondary schools throughout New Zealand. Futureintech Ambassadors play a major role as industry role models. Ambassadors are young technologists, scientists, and engineers who are trained as volunteers to work in classrooms alongside teachers and students to support the curriculum. Currently 235 are involved in a variety of initiatives throughout the country, assisting with projects, helping students work towards national qualifications, facilitating individual and class access to workplaces and offering personal contributions to career evenings. Futureintech works in close partnership with a wide range of organisations including the Royal Society of New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the New Zealand Computer Society and helps co-ordinate and promote science and technology- based educational schemes such as CREST, Bright Sparks and the Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers Awards. Futureintech Ambassadors mentor students involved in these projects, offering them an industry perspective. Futureintech also strongly supports Ministry of Education initiatives in the field, particularly the Growth and Innovation Framework Technology Education initiative to promote and support technology education at senior secondary. In Futureintech's Visiting Industry Professionals (VIP) Scheme, technology, engineering and science professionals are hosted by a university or polytechnic for up to three weeks. The aim of the Scheme is to encourage ongoing partnerships between tertiary institutions and technology- based industries, and to raise awareness of specific industry environments, areas of growth and career opportunities. Futureintech's website, www.futureintech.org.nz, is a key promotional tool for careers in technology, engineering and science, and a resource base for teachers, careers advisors, caregivers and students. Futureintech has also published a range of promotional material, including booklets targeting caregivers, and posters and brochures for classroom use, and regularly contributes articles to youth magazines, community newspapers and other media. The Project is monitored and evaluated by researchers at the University of Auckland and anecdotal evidence to date strongly suggests that the Project's approach is successful. All respondents rated Futureintech positively as a general initiative for supporting careers in technology, engineering and science in New Zealand. Monitoring and evaluation is in its final phase and will focus on continuing to gain a mix of quantitative and qualitative data from a range of sources to establish the impact of Futureintech within different sectors. The remaining three months will also focus on collecting post intervention data from case study schools.