Media Release – for immediate release

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Wellington Regional Companies Scoop Post-Grad Student Grants

The Wellington region has gained just over 25% of all Callaghan Innovation’s post graduate research and development student grants, in results announced this month by Grow Wellington.

This will boost the work of several Wellington companies, including businesses in the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa who are among those to receive 18 post-graduate student interns, more than double the number last year.

The undergraduate student grants have also increased, up from 16 placements of student interns last year to 26 for 2013. Nationally there are 71 post graduate and 220 undergraduate student grants awarded to companies working in research and development in sectors including technology, science, engineering, marketing and design.

For the first time this year Grow Wellington held workshops to help companies with their applications.  These then went to a panel where criteria such as investment return, pathway to market, technical strength, capability-building and ability to deliver were considered.

Cath Randall, of economic development agency Grow Wellington, was involved in holding workshops in the region for the first time this year, to help companies with their applications. “I’m tremendously happy with this result, it’s great to see new companies taking part and applying. Students benefit by gaining real-world experience that will help them gain employment in industry and companies gain a valuable human resource.”

Successful companies include; Martinborough-based engineering company h2ope who developed a revolutionary water treatment control system in 2009 now being used internationally; design, development and manufacturing company Pertronic Industries in Wingate, Lower Hutt; and central city company GreenButton who has been named the region's fastest-growing exporter in the Deloitte Fast 50 index and Wellington's fastest-growing technology business.

Postgraduates and undergraduate students from tertiary providers in all areas of the country are offered the internships. The post graduate student grants provide six months of paid employment to successful students and the undergraduate internship takes place over ten weeks with students receiving hourly remuneration. Participating businesses are currently identifying students and will confirm arrangements with successful students over the coming weeks.

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