National Engineering Education Plan (NEEP) Project

This project is a collaborative research and development venture between all major participants and stakeholders¹ in the New Zealand engineering education sector. It seeks to develop a coherent national plan for ensuring that the right number of the right types of graduate is produced to meet New Zealand’s needs.

Within the project, there are five workstreams:

1. Career Progression Models have been developed for graduates of technician, technologist and professional engineer qualifications and for people with trades qualifications. Both models show progression through technical routes and supervisory/managerial routes.
   Click here for the career model.
   Click here for the trades model.
   
   
2. The Project Consortium estimates the likely future demand for and supply of engineers using two scenarios: “business as usual” which is based on historical patterns and the “innovation-led economy” which is based on increased participation by engineers in building innovation-led businesses.

   Click here for the Statement on the Demand for and Supply of Engineers.

3. Work is underway to review the qualifications for the professional engineers, technologists and technicians:
• In respect of professional engineer tertiary education, the goal is to define the qualification that will ensure continued adherence to international best practice whilst meeting the needs of New Zealand industry.
• The providers of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology are working more closely together to provide clearer pathways to the degree.
• The Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and relevant Industry Training Organisations are jointly exploring the possibility of a unified diploma system.

Consultation meetings have been held nationally in September about the proposed changes to professional engineer tertiary education and the unified diploma system.

The consultation documents that provide the background to the proposed changes are:
NEEP Project Overview
BE/ME Discussion
Diploma Discussion

Presentations given by Andrew Cleland at the meetings:
What form should the exemplifying qualification be in 2020?
A unified system for the Diploma in Engineering

Summaries from the September Consultation Meetings:
- BE-ME
- Diploma

4. The Ministry of Education is reviewing the subject groupings in the School Technology Curriculum for Years 11-13 to provide clearer pathways into engineering and related careers.
   
   
5. The factors affecting the success of minority groups in engineering (women, Maori, Pasifika) will be studied.

Click here for the November 2009 Progress Report on the NEEP Project work-streams which includes the outcomes of the consultation on the professional engineer qualification and the unified diploma system.