Star-Alliance member Air New Zealand is committed to recruiting local talent, with a new partnership between the airline and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology / Te Pūkenga (NMIT). This agreement will ensure a vital pathway for those looking for a career in aviation engineering.

The Nelson and Marlborough-based polytechnic provides capacity for up to 150 students per year to train in aircraft engineering, learning different areas of the trade, including building, repairing, and maintaining various aircraft types.

Photo: Jordan Tan/Shutterstock.

Building a pipeline for the national carrier

NMIT curriculum area manager Reid Carnegie noted the excitement to be working with the flag carrier of New Zealand, reiterating the relationship it hopes will build a funnel for talent in the industry and promoting students to apply and work for the airline. This is ideal when Air New Zealand is currently advertising for more than 70 maintenance roles across its network. The airlines chief operating officer, Alex Marren, noted the new relationship of the airline working more closely with NMIT:

"The collaboration with NMIT will help build a career path for students and make it easier for Air New Zealand to take on NMIT graduates. We must have the engineering and maintenance workforce to meet our operational needs. The global job market for aircraft engineers is highly competitive, and the memorandum of understanding will help to ensure we are developing local talent here in Aotearoa."

Photo: ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock

Currently, NMIT offers a range of qualifications focussed on aeronautical engineering and maintenance, with second-year students on its Level 4 qualification having the opportunity to gain three-month, on-the-job work placements with various organizations. The two-year, full-time study for New Zealand Certificate in Aeronautical Engineering is available at the Polytechnic's Woodbourne (Blenheim) campus. In addition to the new partnership taking flight with NMIT, the local schools are also set to benefit, with year 12 and 13 students being able to attain NCEA credits for the principals of aviation and engineering.

Thanks to Ringa Hora

This new partnership has been fostered through the Workforce Development Council (WDC) and Ringa Hora (Services) division, enabling vocational education's development and outcomes. Success under this program is to help empower employers and Maori business initiatives to recruit recent graduates confidently. The local council also prioritizes aviation as a core focus in education for Marlborough and another key player in the industry with Air NZ and NMIT.

Photo: Air New Zealand

Nelson and Blenheim key for Air New Zealand

The flag carrier maintains robust operations to its northern South Island airports, with Blenheim (Woodbourne) Airport (BHE) keeping multiple daily services to Auckland and Wellington, with the later hop only taking around 20 minutes.

Source: GCMap

Over the Richmond Range, which separates Nelson and Blenheim, and the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, is Nelson, a city of approximately 50,000, or 70,000 if you include the nearby town of Richmond, where Nelson Airport is one of the country's busiest regional airports, and maintains flights to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Sources: Radio New Zealand, NMIT