This article was published on 15 August 2016
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has announced that 245 R&D Experience Grants have been approved for 116 businesses to employ students over the 2016/17 summer break.
The Student Experience Grants, administered by Callaghan Innovation provide New Zealand students in their final year studying science, technology, business, engineering or design the opportunity to gain valuable work experience.
Callaghan Innovation received its largest number of applications from companies in the 2016 application round since the programme’s inception – 364.
“The results of this programme show the worth of injecting new talent into to commercial workplaces,” Mr Joyce says. “Businesses surveyed about their 2015-16 experience, tell us that, 36 per cent of 2015-16 summer interns went on to be employed for longer by their sponsoring company.”
The programme is available to businesses of all sizes that have a focus on research and development and to all science, technology, engineering, design or business undergraduate students studying at NZQA levels 7 to 8 or equivalent at a New Zealand tertiary institute.
| Region | Number of R&D Experience internships approved |
|---|---|
| Auckland | 105 |
| Bay of Plenty | 11 |
| Canterbury | 45 |
| Hawke's Bay | 6 |
| Manawatu-Wanganui | 3 |
| Marlborough-Tasman | 1 |
| Northland | 1 |
| Otago | 3 |
| Southland | 1 |
| Taranaki | 5 |
| Waikato | 26 |
| Wellington | 38 |
| TOTAL | 245 |
Further information
- For a full list of recipients, see:
R&D Experience Grant 2016-17 recipients - R&D Experience Grants