New Zealand has a serious shortage of technologists, engineers and scientists.

It’s a major long term challenge because our economy and living standards depend upon having enough talented people in these wealth-creating areas.

The number of students graduating from technology and engineering courses has stagnated over the last 8 years, barely increasing by 1%. New Zealand now has the lowest rate of professional engineering graduates in the OECD – just 5% of all graduates, compared to the average of 15%, and over 30% in South Korea.

A big part of the problem is a lack of awareness about what these careers involve. Students and their influencers – parents, caregivers, teachers and careers advisors – need better information about the opportunities available.

Various initiatives by the government and industry and educational groups have been tackling this issue, looking for long term solutions. IPENZ, supported by NZTE, has conducted research into careers promotions overseas. Futureintech is the result.