First year University of Canterbury student Marco Kraayenhof is quickly acquainting himself with Port Taranaki and the key role engineering plays across the port’s operations.
The 19-year-old has joined the port for 10 weeks on a summer engineering internship, during which he’ll gain valuable hands-on experience, practical skills and exposure to real-world engineering challenges.
“I’ve always considered Port Taranaki to be the most prominent business in New Plymouth for the mix of physical and technical engineering. I applied for a few internships, but this was the one I wanted, so I’m really pleased,” Marco says.
“I’ve only been here a week, but there’s a lot of really interesting engineering projects going on around the port.”
Marco, a former New Plymouth Boys’ High School student, is studying for a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, and after a first year of general engineering study is looking to focus on either mechatronics or mechanical engineering.
As well as the in-class theoretical exams and assessments, students must complete 800 hours of work placement during their degree.
During his time at Port Taranaki, the keen runner, hiker and adventure racer says he’s looking forward to “getting a better understanding of what engineering really is as a discipline, not just the theoretical side of things, and working in a team to solve real-world problems”.
Port Taranaki engineering manager Ludo Galliegue says it’s important Port Taranaki helps the next generation of aspiring engineers gain experience and understanding of the industry.
“We benefit as a business too, as students bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a curiosity that can challenge us to think differently about our own practices,” he says.
Welcome Marco, we hope you enjoy your time at Port Taranaki.
