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Fresh thinkers Innovative careers

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Lower Hutt has more than 3900 full-time employees working in more than 825 businesses in the high-tech sector. Jobs in these fields are about working with good ideas, being adaptable to change and facing a new challenge every day.

Here, young people working in science and technology in Lower Hutt talk about their work, what motivates them

and the varied ways they got to where they are today. If there’s one thing they all have in common it’s that there’s never a straight path to anywhere.

Study science and technology and you’ll soon see there’s a world of options on your doorstep.

Introduction

Deciding on your career when you’re a teenager can seem like an impossible task. “Study what you love and you’ll have a job you’ll always love” is the advice of many of the young scientists in this book.

ContentsMap 2Fresh thinkers - Innovative careers 3Bailey Angus 5Sonja Penafiel Bermudez 7Dr Joel Burton 9George Francis 11Emma Henderson 13Chloe Howard 15Dr Peter Kelly 17Dr Annette Koo 19Rayfield Lam 21Patrick Moloney 23Dr Leonardo Negrón-Ruíz 25 Vithuran Niruban 27Courtenay O’Sullivan 29Thomas Phillips 31Monica Preece 33Delia Strong 35Bede van Schaijik 37

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Fresh thinkers - Innovative careers

Of course, at the time I was disappointed. But now I have a job I love where I’m constantly in the community working with people and helping them. It’s a completely different life to my original plan.

Although I was keen on politics as a student at Wellington Boys’ High School, I never thought I’d end up as the Mayor of Lower Hutt. As an adult, I got involved in community work, stood for Council and then was encouraged to stand for Mayor.

It can be hard at high school wondering how life will turn out. So my best advice is ‘don’t stress’. There are so many options for young people these days, so take the time to find what suits you best. You need to be passionate about your work and most of all you need to really enjoy your career.

As well as being a great inspiration for careers in science and technology, this book is a celebration of Lower Hutt’s science and technology sector.

We have some of New Zealand’s best and brightest working in the region and there’s no reason you can’t join these innovators in a fulfilling and challenging career.

Ray WallaceMayor

When I was at high school I loved maths, geography and science and had a passion for planes so I thought I’d be a pilot. It was during the first pilot training test that I learnt I was colourblind and had to give up my dream.

AROTEC DIAGNOSTICS(207 Gracefield Road)

CALLAGHAN INNOVATION(69 Gracefield Road)

RESENE(32 Vogel Street)

OPUS RESEARCH (33 The Esplanade)

AVIAT NETWORKS(20 Peterkin Street)

FRASER FIRE AND RESCUE (18 Peterkin Street)

BEE HEALTHY DENTAL CLINIC(100 Walters Street)

HUTT VALLEY DHB(High Street)

TAITA COLLEGE(188 Eastern Hutt Road)

GNS SCIENCE(1 Fairway Drive)

GNS SCIENCE(30 Gracefield Road)

UPPER HUTT

WALLACEVILLE

TRENTHAM

MPI(66 Ward Street)

GlycoSynNuevo Technology

WESTERN HUTT RD

HIGH

ST TAITA DR

CUBA

ST

HARCOURT WERRY DR

THE ESPLANADE

WAIWHETU RD

SEAVIEW R

D

UDY ST

MARINE DR

RAN

DW

ICK

RD

HUTT RD

WATERLOO RD

DAYSH ST

WAIN

UI R

D

WOBURN RD

WAINUIOMATA RD

WAIONE ST

QUEENS DR

EASTERN HUTT R

D

CONNOLLY ST

VICTORIA ST

BLOCK RD

BELL RD

SEAVIEW RD

WAINUIOMATA

NAENAE

BELMONT

TAITA

KELSON

STOKES VALLEY

NORMANDALE

PETONE

MAUNGARAKI

AVALON

WAIWHETU

KOROKORO

FAIRFIELD

BOULCOTT

WOBURN

GRACEFIELD

WATERLOO

SEAVIEW

LOWRY BAY

HUTT CENTRAL

EPUNI

MOERA

TIROHANGA

ALICETOWN

YORK BAY

HAYWARDS

MapLower Hutt businesses in the science and technology sector

My best advice is ‘don’t stress’... take the time to find what suits you best.

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Lots of people my age freak out because they don’t have a career path sorted; I still don’t know exactly what area I want to work in and that’s okay.

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Chemistry is an international language

Seventeen year old Bailey Angus has a holiday job at Resene, is studying towards a Bachelor of Science majoring in Chemistry at Victoria University of Wellington and has a First Foundation Scholarship.

“The First Foundation Scholarship is amazing and one of the biggest you can get,” she says.

The scholarship is a four-year programme that’s awarded at the end of Year 12 to high-achievers. It pays $12,000 towards tuition fees, provides valuable work experience during varsity holidays and provides a mentor who works in the student’s field of study or similar.

At Resene she works in Research and Development, focussing on creating completely new paints using new, often unique raw materials and mixtures. She also tests existing products (paints) with a view to improving their performance.

“Unlike a lot of people at university I will already have work experience in the field I’m studying and I know so much more in my job compared to a year ago because of what I’ve learnt at school,” Bailey says.

Bailey intended on starting university with the aim of being a forensic pathologist because she loves blood and gore. However, she was better suited to logical thinking, calculus and chemistry than to biology, which she found more language-based.

“Having a mentor is a help. Mine was a journalist before working at Ministry for Primary Industries so Tania can give me great advice and knows about being flexible when you change your mind.

“Lots of people my age freak out because they don’t have a career path sorted; I still don’t know exactly what area I want to work in and that’s okay. At 17 I don’t need to have my whole life sorted.

“Although, I am studying Spanish so I can travel... chemistry is an international language so I’ll be able to work anywhere.”

Bailey AngusResearch and Development

Resene (during holidays)

Bachelor of Science (chemistry)

– still studying

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Keep your options open

A trip to a forensic science laboratory when Sonja Penafiel Bermudez was 16 changed her life.

She was at high school at the time; an all-rounder studying art and economics as well as science subjects. In a class where probably fewer than 10 per cent of students went to university, the opportunity to visit a working lab gave her an idea of what science could offer and gave her a goal to work towards.

“There were probably only 20 or so forensic science jobs in New Zealand when I was young,” says Sonja, “and after finishing my degree I waited three to four years for one, then worked for five years living the dream — examining items for evidence and attending crime scenes. Next I felt it was time to head overseas and travel for a year.

“Then I met my wife and I wanted to spend longer in Europe so I gave away my job at ESR, which was a very tough decision.

“Coming back to New Zealand I chose to work at GNS because of their reputation. The thought of studying fossils sounded exciting and I was particularly attracted to their work on climate change.”

Sonja now works as a Paleontology Technician, processing sediments for microfossils (tiny fossils that can only be seen by a microscope). Samples come from places as diverse as Antarctica, Newfoundland (Canada), New Caledonia and New Zealand.

“I subject the sediment to a barrage of chemicals to separate out the fossils. This is varied work where I have to plan ahead, be organised and methodical and where I’m responsible for my own timetable.

“I’ve recently started studying towards my Masters in Geology at Victoria University

of Wellington, which will expand my career, challenge my brain and answer some curly questions.

Science is a great option. It can be used for the greater good and to better understand the impact we have on the planet. It’s a career that opens up a world of possibilities and a discipline where you’re always using your mind, which means you’re never bored.

“It’s also great if you love the outdoors. Sometimes I get out in the field and collect samples, which are a lot of fun. Whether I am in the lab or hanging over the microscope I find the variety in my work keeps me interested. ”

Sonja Penafiel BermudezPaleontology Technician

GNS

Bachelor of Science

(genetics and biochemistry)

Science is a great option. It can be used for the greater good and to better understand the impact we have on the planet. It’s a career that opens up a world of possibilities and a discipline where you’re always using your mind, which means you’re never bored.

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Be curious, be inquisitive and persevere

Someone comes to our team with a question or problem and we design a solution.

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““One of the things I love about my job is the variety,” he says.

As a behavioural scientist he studies human action and seeks to make generalisations about human behaviour. “Essentially, someone comes to our team with a question or problem and we design a solution,” says Joel.

Joel has worked on the future housing and transport needs of the Greater Wellington region and has tested technology to see if there’s a better way to detect when drivers are covertly using their mobile phones.

His PhD study in psychoacoustics was funded by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence and researched how audio alarms could improve pilot reaction times. Or, as Joel puts it, “how noise improves reaction times when your plane is about to fly into a cliff face.”

Joel didn’t take a straight path to where he’s at now. From school he moved to England with his family, taking a three year break from study and working in customer service as an accounts clerk, mainly settling disputes about bills that people didn’t want to pay.

“I’ve always had a science bent but really enjoyed English too. Writing clearly and concisely is important to my work, so it’s been a winning combination.

“I’m pretty persuasive too. My customer service skills mean I know how to engage people and I really enjoy that. When you’re designing how people will react to a situation, or you need to gather data, that’s a great skill set.”

Find Dr Joel Burton at work and he could be writing up survey results, in the company wind tunnel, perched up scaffolding for two nights in night vision gear or playing office tour guide.

Dr Joel BurtonBehavioural Scientist

Opus Research

PhD (psychoacoustics)

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Fired up for design

George Francis went straight from high school to Massey University to study engineering technology. However, after two and a half years he became disillusioned and was keen for real-world experience.

He left his study for a job as a fitter on the factory floor at Fraser Fire and Rescue, a position he had for six months before moving into the company’s office.

Now George has the best of both worlds — he recently finished his degree through WelTec in Petone and already has great work experience in his field. While he was a student he developed a prototype for fire engine water cannons, which allows firefighters to remain in their cabs and use a joystick to drive a water cannon.

The unit is now in production and will increase the safety for fire fighters in extreme situations like Australian bush fires.

George has always enjoyed being creative and making new things — woodwork and metalwork were his favourite subjects at high school.

“I was always tinkering in the shed at home and was good at maths and physics at school so engineering was a natural step.

“My work now involves vehicle design for fire engines, working on truck layouts and product design. We export to Australia and the Pacific Islands as well as design and build for New Zealand. No two fire trucks are ever the same.

“The essence of my job is creating design solutions to problems; it’s a job that’s never the same day to day and that continues to interest and challenge me.”

George FrancisDesign engineer

Fraser Fire and Rescue

Bachelor of Engineering Technology

(mechatronics)

I was always tinkering in the shed at home and was good at maths and physics at school so engineering was a natural step.

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I’d really encourage people to try and do work experience; it gives you a taster of the field you want to work in and shows employers that you’re committed to your chosen career.

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Variety equals job satisfaction

Hutt Hospital runs a distinctive model of clinical care that pharmacist Emma Henderson says gives her a lot of job satisfaction.

At Hutt Hospital, clinical pharmacists like Emma are part of a team linked with a variety of doctors. Although working together varies from ward to ward, when it does happen the team can offer tailored advice to patients and from a pharmacy point of view it means giving expert advice on the spot.

Emma knew at high school that she wanted a career in health science and did work experience during her holidays at a family friend’s pharmacy.

It was when she’d finished her degree and was completing her year-long internship at Wellington Hospital that she realised she enjoyed the clinical aspects of a hospital job. “In a hospital, especially at Hutt Hospital where we’re working in teams, there’s a lot of diversity to the work,” she says.

“I do ward rounds, help patients manage multiple medications and work closely with junior doctors to improve prescribing to patients. It’s more of a big-picture scenario as you’re able to follow a patient through their hospital journey. You see input from multiple specialties including medical professionals, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, which helps you tailor the medication treatment to the individual patient.”

“I like that every day is different and you never know what you’ll get called about, which means I’m constantly putting everything I learnt at university into practice. In fact, I’d say in my one year of work I’ve learnt just as much, if not more, than I did in four years at university.

“Studying at Otago University was a great way to get into health sciences because the first year was open entry study and from there we could apply for medicine, pharmacy, dentistry or physiotherapy.

“I’d really encourage people to try and do work experience; it gives you a taster of the field you want to work in and shows employers that you’re committed to your chosen career.”

Emma HendersonClinical Pharmacist

Hutt Valley DHB

Bachelor of Pharmacy

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...I was working full-time at Burger King and I didn’t have a lot of options. I took the WINZ Limited Service Volunteer (boot camp) course and that turned my life around.

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A major turnaround

Six years after leaving school at 16, with NCEA Level One, Chloe Howard has a job that challenges and rewards her daily.

“When I was 18 I was working full-time at Burger King and I didn’t have a lot of options. I took the WINZ Limited Service Volunteer (boot camp) course and that turned my life around. Now I have a job that provides opportunities that as an 18-year-old didn’t seem possible.

“Last year I travelled overseas and visited 16 countries. When I was younger I never thought that opportunities like that were open to me but now I’m moving to the UK, having fallen in love with the country”.

Chloe’s work as a sterile and endoscope technician is precise and highly technical. Alongside her colleagues, she reprocesses the instruments and endoscopes used in Hutt Hospital’s busy surgical theatres.

That means decontaminating them carefully, conducting instrument counts, checking for small parts that could have

been left in theatre (like tiny screws) and then sterilising them according to the hospital’s approved protocols.

“We also make sure the equipment is well maintained, says Chloe. “Some pieces — such as endoscopes — can be worth $50,000 so it’s important that they’re handled carefully and with respect.”

As a criterion of her work, Chloe had to be willing to study with the Open Polytechnic, which she did while working full-time with her employer contributing towards costs. This ensured she has a competent knowledge of microbiology and infection control and understands the science behind how decontamination works.

A year after starting work Chloe become one of two of New Zealand’s first qualified Endoscope Technicians; both are employed by Hutt Valley District Health Board.

And in 2014 she was an ‘outstanding new graduate’ finalist in the 3DHB Allied Health Awards. That same year her team won ‘team of the year’.

“Upon reflection and with the hindsight of maturity, I definitely should have stayed in school. I just didn’t understand at the time that being at school would help me long-term and had no idea about responsibilities and work ethic. That’s completely changed now.”

Chloe HowardRegistered Sterile Technician and

Endoscope Technician

Hutt Valley DHB

Certificate in Sterilising Technology (Level 3)

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Science at university is far broader than high school, so it’s a great chance to explore other fields and work out what suits you best.

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Drugs you’ve never heard of

Much of Peter Kelly’s work involves chemical research for the international pharmaceutical sector. It’s highly classified but essentially he’s helping to develop new drugs, scaling up to ensure small experiments can work on a large scale.

“We work in the early stages of product research,” he says.

“We’re taking ideas about drugs and then experimenting to see if they’ll work. There’s a high level of uncertainty and very rarely do things go to plan, which means I’m not often bored.”

While he started as a bench chemist, Peter now leads a team of nine. “I still do some experiments but now coordinate our lab’s work, resolve issues and work through any problems that arise. I also spend a lot of time interacting with customers, which I really enjoy.”

He’s always been attracted to sciences and uses that passion to recommend that people go for a career in something they

enjoy, rather than one based on salary expectations.

“Science at university is far broader than high school, so it’s a great chance to explore other fields and work out what suits you best.”

He also puts a lot of value on work experience. “It’s incredibly useful to get work experience in a field you might end up working in,” he says.

“Working in chemistry is a lot different to studying it, so work experience gives you more of a feeling for what your career (and life) could be like.”

Dr Peter KellyTeam Leader Process Development

GlycoSyn

PhD (organic chemistry)

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Don’t be afraid of doing the ‘hard’ subjects at school, because the career options are very good and you get much more control over your career.

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“ When New Zealand ships milk powder overseas, both countries need a rock-solid guarantee that the tonne we’ve sent from here also weighs a tonne over there.

It’s people like Annette Koo at Callaghan Innovation’s Measurement Standards Laboratory in Lower Hutt who make sure that New Zealand’s measurement capability is up to the job and that all such measurements are equivalent to those used internationally.

It’s a job she describes as, ‘almost perfect’. She enjoys the role because she has a lot of autonomy over what she does, continues to be intellectually challenged, travels internationally and can help industry solve difficult and interesting problems.

Her passion is seeing how light scatters and in particular measuring how light passes through materials. For example, she helped dairy company Anchor validate tests on their light-proof plastic bottles before they were released on the market.

Improvements in manufacturing require improvements in measurement standards and new measurement techniques.

Annette has built a new instrument to measure how light scatters through materials and aims to increase the rigour around how that is measured and how instruments are calibrated.

After six years she has a very specific skill set, but believes qualifications in science can take you anywhere. “Don’t be afraid of doing the ‘hard’ subjects at school, because the career options are very good and you get much more control over your career.

“When I was looking for this job, many of the other vacancies for people with a PhD in physics were in financial fields, either in consulting or analysis. There are a lot of challenging and surprising opportunities for someone with great analytical skills.”

Dr Annette KooSenior Research Scientist

Callaghan Innovation

PhD (physics)

Don’t be afraid of the ‘hard’ subjects

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The master mixer

When 24-year-old Rayfield Lam was a teenager he really liked to blow things up.

“I’m a big kid really,” he says, “and producing chemical reactions and doing dangerous stuff was what made science, and in particular chemistry, so appealing.”

His love of chemistry took him to the University of Auckland, where he studied for a Bachelor of Science and a year ago he landed a job at Resene’s head office and warehouse in Naenae, his first full-time job.

“I work as a technician in the Research and Development lab doing formulations and designing and mixing paints.

“It’s very hands-on and I was surprised by how many ingredients go into paint. We use raw materials and mix from scratch so it’s a very hands-on job.

“Resene is totally different to university where we’d do a lot of experiments and theory but never make something as practical as paint.

“I’ve learnt a lot here. It’s not the type of work I expected to be doing but I really enjoy it.

“I don’t have any specific long-term plans yet but Resene has good career opportunities and I can see how I could progress into other roles.”

Rayfield LamTechnician

Research and Development Laboratory

Resene

Bachelor of Science (chemistry)

Resene is totally different to university where we’d do a lot of experiments and theory but never make something as practical as paint.

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It matters to me that I can make a real difference here.

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As a high school student, being a teacher was the last thing Patrick Moloney thought he’d do for a job, but now it’s his life’s work and passion.

Expect to learn

As head of the science department at Taita College he has two clear roles, to lead his staff of six (four teachers and two technicians) and to teach students, which involves planning lessons, engaging teenagers, taking classes and marking.

“I love teaching at a lower-decile school because my work has such a great impact. I think that at a higher decile school there’s usually a stronger support system and the kids can always fall back on family. But for lots of my students school is the only reliable, stable part of their day.

“It matters to me that I can make a real difference here”.

“Straight after university, I worked in an office for a company owned by people worth millions. That didn’t suit me. I was bored out of my mind. I much prefer helping people who benefit from my skills. I love being in the classroom teaching and it’s such a kick to see a kid finally understanding what I’m teaching.

“Over the last five years at Taita College we’ve turned pass rates around from 20-30 per cent to 70-80 per cent, all because we’ve changed the school culture. Our students now say, ‘I’m at Taita College and I’m here to achieve’ — they expect to learn now and to gain credits.

“I was always into science myself at school, kind of a geeky science kid, so passing that passion and knowledge onto a new generation is hugely rewarding.

“I think if you pick something you enjoy to do as your career then you’ll always enjoy it… as long as the good days outweigh the bad.”

Patrick MoloneyHead of Department, Science

Taita College

Master of Science

Post-graduate Certificate in Education

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If you don’t know what you want to do, always draw on what gets you excited. Over time you’ll see the opportunities in that.

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First of all, do what you love

Leonardo Negrón-Ruíz is 45 but is considered a new graduate because he’s only recently finished studying.

Straight from university he was a pharmacist, working in New York City and earning enough money to buy his first apartment. He says, “Money only gets you so far, the rest has to be enjoyment,” which is why he headed back to school to study for a Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry.

Alternating work with study has meant that Leonardo’s career advanced quickly because each new role let him draw on his experience to further his study or employment.

His most recent qualification is a PhD in Chemistry, which he completed at Massey University’s Palmerston North campus after emigrating from the United States.

“In my job there’s never a dull moment. Every day there is something new to work on and I like the challenge of constantly

solving problems. I’m also a team leader so I manage PhD students and scientists, write proposals and initiate projects and make sure our targets are delivered.

“I love that my work is constantly changing and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s beneficial to have an eclectic background and it gives you great options further along your career path. There’s no reason science can’t be studied along with business or law — I think mixing degrees is a great idea to provide diversity.

“Young people these days have a lot of choice and that can be overwhelming. My number one piece of advice? If you don’t know what you want to do, always draw on what gets you excited. Over time you’ll see the opportunities in that.”

Dr Leonardo Negrón-Ruíz Senior Research Scientist

Callaghan Innovation

PhD (chemistry)

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Open wide

The first thing you notice about Vithuran Niruban is his smile, which is a great advertisement for regular brushing and flossing.

A friend of Vith’s recommended he apply for a job at Bee Healthy, Naenae where he works as a dental therapist treating kids under 18. It’s a job he loves and one he worked hard to get. The year he applied to study oral health at Auckland University of Technology there were 650 applicants; he was one of 35 who made the grade.

Vith became interested in dentistry after his own experience with braces and orthodontic work (that explains the killer smile).

“I love educating kids about how to take care of their teeth and it’s great to see them improving with each visit. Of course they love getting the free toothbrushes and stickers we hand out to bribe them into the dental chair!”

It’s a supportive environment at Bee Healthy. Vith has his own dental assistant, on the job mentoring and plenty of support from colleagues. It’s varied too, where some days he’s in the clinic and others he’s on the road in the Bee Healthy van examining children’s teeth and promoting oral health in schools.

He says it’s important to be passionate about what you’re doing if you’re going to have a great career. “Think about what interests you most and follow something you’re good at. And definitely don’t compare yourself to others… I really love this job and it’s perfect for me.”

Vithuran NirubanDental Therapist

Hutt Valley DHB

Bachelor of Health Science (oral health)

Think about what interests you most and follow something you’re good at. And definitely don’t compare yourself to others… I really love this job and it’s perfect for me.

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Disease detective

Courtenay O’Sullivan’s job makes her sound like a science detective. She looks out for new diseases and investigates them.

Courtenay O’SullivanSenior Technician

Next Generation Sequencing

Ministry for Primary Industries

Bachelor of Biomedical Science

Working at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), it’s her job to help identify exotic diseases in animals; she’s looking for illnesses we’ve never seen before in New Zealand.

“I always knew I’d do something in the science field since I was good at science and maths rather than arts subjects,” Courtenay says.

“I was way too busy just being a teenager at high school and didn’t give my job prospects much thought until a careers day when a friend and I thought nursing sounded like a good idea. I did two years of that before I realised I preferred science and changed to a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

“If I could go back I’d pay more attention in high school to thinking about what I might do for a career. Sign up to a degree in something that you enjoy and then you’ll have fun studying and likely get a decent job out of it too.”

Courtenay studied at Victoria University of Wellington. She also did a semester at the University of Texas and would have loved to have stayed longer but, “it was an expensive way to study.”

For now she’s happy getting hands on in the laboratory and putting her study to good use by searching for unknown (to us) diseases.

Sign up to a degree in something that you enjoy and then you’ll have fun studying and likely get a decent job out of it too.

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The best thing about this job is that I have creative freedom

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A career from a hobby

Thomas Phillips has always loved programming and mucking around with computers, which makes his job as an Embedded Software Engineer a perfect fit.

He works at Aviat Networks, a global company with an office in Lower Hutt that creates microwave and radio networking solutions for telecommunications companies. Essentially, it’s Thomas’ job to come up with state-of-the-art solutions for how businesses work across wireless networks.

“The best thing about this job is that I have creative freedom,” says Thomas.

“I get told that the market needs research into a particular problem or challenge and it’s my job to think up creative solutions, which I love because it means problem solving.”

At high school Thomas took subjects like maths, computing and science then studied at Massey University (Wellington and Palmerston North) for four years before being employed by Aviat Networks. He applied for his job after doing an internship as part of the Summer of Tech programme, which matches smart IT students with innovative New Zealand employers.

“The people at Aviat Networks were friendly and nice, and the company seemed like a good place to work. To be honest, the pay was also more than I was expecting straight out of university, which helped,” says Thomas.

Thomas PhillipsEmbedded Software Engineer

Aviat Networks

Bachelor of Engineering (mechatronics)

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Under pressure

For Monica Preece, being an architect was what she’d always wanted to do and she spent two years at university studying architecture and building science before realising it wasn’t for her.

“At high school the focus was on promoting university training, which is such a shame because there are so many other options, like polytech, or doing a trade, that weren’t talked about.

“I felt incredible pressure about deciding to leave university when I decided that architecture wasn’t for me. High school had put a lot of emphasis on university training and I felt worried about my decision.”

She found her calling at WelTec studying design and development in mechanical engineering — starting her career the day she got chatting to Steve Robinson, who became her business partner, about her desire for a job where she could soak up information, learn and grow her skills.

Nuevo Technology is a specialist research and development engineering company working on environmentally-friendly water

solutions based on ultra-high pressure /low volume (UHP/LV) water jet technology. One of their recent programmes was trialling, in partnership with Hutt City Council, their concept prototype pavement preservation vehicle.

“The truck was designed to remove bleeding bitumen off the road through automation, without damaging the integrity of the road itself. Trialling the prototype was all about perfecting the performance of the vehicle through observations and problem solving with a mixture of science and engineering.

“Our aim is to provide practical solutions that are also environmentally-friendly technologies.”

Monica PreeceOperations Manager

Nuevo Technology Ltd

Diploma in Design and Development

(mechanical engineering)

At high school the focus was on promoting university training, which is such a shame because there are so many other options like polytech, or doing a trade, that weren’t talked about.

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35

Rock and roll

At high school, 30-year-old Delia Strong loved History and English but now her job involves project managing tsunami modelling work and rock and soil sampling.

Delia StrongSenior Geology Technician

GNS Science

Master of Science (physical geography)

“I took geography at high school and then at university,” says Delia.

“But what really sealed the deal for a career in science was a one-month trip to Antarctica, as field assistant to the scientist who supervised my Masters degree.”

She worked in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, sleeping in an igloo and a tent, boiling snow for drinking water and not showering for three weeks. It’s a place she’d love to return to.

Her work now is at GNS Science at Avalon, Lower Hutt where she provides technical support to scientists in the Regional Geology Department. It’s a job that gets

her out in the field too — most recently to rivers around Reefton on the South Island’s West Coast, tramping through bush and collecting rock samples. And to Southland where she collected soil samples with a colleague to create New Zealand’s first soil geo-chemical atlas.

Project management is another part of the job. Right now she’s helping run the ‘It’s Our Fault’ project, which is a comprehensive study of Wellington’s earthquake risk.

“I think young people worry too much about how everything is going to turn out,” says Delia.

“My last year of high school I got 23 per cent in statistics, so I just took it again at university and relearnt what I needed to know for my degree. Your grades when you’re at high school probably aren’t going to make or break you. Instead it’s whether you enjoy what you’re doing and have a willingness to learn, no matter what you do.”

I think young people worry too much about how everything is going to turn out.

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I was lucky to come to AROTEC because we’re trained on the job, which is great for building on the good technical background I gained at university.

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Getting ahead with work experience

It was a University of Auckland careers day at high school that got Bede van Schaijik interested in protein purification.

“I did all sorts of subjects at school and was initially thinking of heading into law or medicine but wasn’t particularly set on either. At the careers day I got keen on a Bachelor of Technology because the final year includes a six-month internship, and getting work experience while studying was really important to me.”

Bede says that while he was at university he made sure he studied widely so he had a broad set of skills that could direct his career. He also started applying for jobs while he still had six months of study left to go.

“Juggling job applications with exams and study was hard, but it meant that now I’ve got a steady job immediately after finishing university,” he says.

The work Bede does at AROTEC Diagnostics Limited uses precise and demanding specifications to extract and purify protein antigens that are used to identify auto-immune diseases in humans. It’s a varied role that gives him a balance between technical lab work and administrative work.

“I was lucky to come to AROTEC because we’re trained on the job, which is great for building on the good technical background I gained at university,” he says.

“Right now I’m three months into my first full-time job so I’m keen to get experience and see where my work will take me.”

Bede van Schaijik Protein Biochemist

AROTEC Diagnostics Limited

Bachelor of Technology

(biotechnology)