Thirty-one University of Queensland engineering students have recently benefited from more than half a million dollars in industry-funded scholarships.
The scholarships offer students from aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, metallurgical, mechanical and mining engineering disciplines opportunities to gain valuable industry-based skills which will increase their potential and capacity as graduate engineers.
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, Professor Graham Schaffer said continuing engagement between UQ and industry would assist the growing demand for industry-ready engineering graduates.
“Engineers Australia has found that the demand for qualified engineers exceeds the national graduate supply with an estimated shortage of 28, 000 engineers,” he said.
“Skilled engineers will be required to build road, rail, power and port infrastructure, develop the national broadband network and further engineering research into critical areas such as clean energy and health.”
Companies who are supporting the scholarships include Ackroyd Engineering Services, Aker Solutions Australia, Diversified Construction Corporation, ENSR, GHD, Golder, HAALD Engineering, Incitec Pivot, Laing O’Rourke, Maunsell, Rio Tinto, WDS Mining, Wide Bay Water Corporation and Xstrata.
General Manager (Business Improvement) of WDS Mining, Mr Peter Allonby said that engineering companies still recognised the need to support UQ students through scholarships despite the current global financial downturn.
“UQ Engineering graduates are highly regarded and the WDS Mining scholarship is a key component in developing the professional skills needed to continue the company’s growth into the future,” he said.
And the future is set to look even brighter for engineering graduates with the Federal Government’s announcement of a $22 billion investment in new infrastructure around the country.
Media: Trent Leggatt at UQ Engineering (t.leggatt@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 9976) or Alice Walker at the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (a.walker1@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 7696)
