Waiariki student helps ITCO develop software product

Waiariki student helps ITCO develop new health and safety software product

Waiariki Institute of Technology student Jayson Grieve says his summer internship with ITCO has been invaluable.

The second-year Bachelor of Computing, Communications and Technology student has been helping the Rotorua-based company develop a product designed to automate health and safety regulations and speed up health and safety approvals for contractors working on forestry and construction sites.

“Working with the ITCO software engineers on a daily basis and learning how to work within an experienced development team has been a life-changing experience,” Jayson says.

The internship was obtained through a Callaghan Innovation R&D Experience Grant that provides work experience during the student break and is available for companies to apply for through Callaghan Innovation.

ITCO director Mark Wilkinson explained that with Jayson’s help “the project could be developed in a number of directions especially as health and safety regulations are now likely to change, placing more responsibility on construction and forestry site managers to alert visitors and contractors of the ongoing hazards.”

Paul Morris, programme area lead for computing at Waiariki, said that internships like this will provide a student with the opportunity to develop their technical skills and gain valuable commercial experience. Work like this also provides professional networking opportunities that will help when it comes time for graduates to start job hunting.

Alpha testing of the software product is being planned for Waiariki’s Waipa Campus later this year. This will provide further opportunities for Waiariki researchers and students to become involved with product development.

ENDS

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