API Bursary

Applications have closed for 2008

API 2008 Bursary Applications closed on Friday 27th July with late applications received up to close of business on the 1st of August 2008.

A selection panel, is now coordinating the process to select the bursary recipients.

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Summary

API offers a bursary program to students undertaking degree level studies in engineering relevant to the power industry at particular Australian universities as follows:

• Available to current first year students
  
  • studying electrical or mechanical engineering
  • or studying a mix of electrical/mechanical engineering subjects and
    other subjects e.g. telecommunications/computing.
• Available to students in NSW, VICTORIA, TASMANIA, SA and WA.
  
  • QLD students should apply for the Power Engineering Alliance (PEA)Bursary.
• Bursary value is $8000 OVER 4 YEARS.
• Preferential paid vocation employment potential value of over $20,000.

Bursary Value

The bursaries would be paid at a rate of $1000 per year in the student's first year, $2000 in their second and third years and $3000 in their fourth year of study, subject to performance in previous years. This is to provide an appropriate level of incentive as students progress through the course.

The Bursary Program

A prominent, long-term issue confronting the power industry today is the small number of students choosing to study the discipline of power engineering, and the level of quality of those students.

There is a recognised scarcity of engineering graduates with power industry oriented skills, who choose to work in the power industry. Through the API Bursary Program, API aims to address this issue in collaboration with relevant universities across Australia and industry.

Industry sponsored bursaries reinforce the message to prospective students that excellent employment opportunities exist for power engineering graduates. The bursary program aims to:

• Attract students into areas of study in engineering subjects of relevance to the power industry at universities across Australia which are of benefit to the power industry, which, in turn will increase the number of quality graduates available for employment within industry; and
• Align studies in power engineering at particular universities with the needs of industry to ensure that graduates are well equipped to be productive employees and build successful careers in this field. A particular focus will be given by the participating universities to developing the asset management skills of bursary holders.

The program brings together a number of organisations who are prepared to support the development of graduates with specialised power engineering skills. As a result, each organisation will be exposed to a pool of high quality graduates for recruitment purposes, enabling them to find the student who 'best fits' their organisation.

The bursaries are available to full-time students undertaking a Bachelor of Engineering, or equivalent, at an approved Australian university who are able to demonstrate continuing alignment with the power industry. The bursaries will be paid to the recipients as a study stipend over the duration of their course.

Sponsors would be encouraged to offer bursary holders paid vacation employment work experience to further strengthen the efforts of the bursary program. The bursary holders would be encouraged to take advantage of such opportunities as they arise. We would also look to create networking opportunities between bursary holders and industry partners, where appropriate.

The Bursary Selection Process

As the key purpose of the API Bursary Program is to attract high quality students into areas of engineering relevant to the power industry, the main avenue of promotion will be through secondary schools. Participating universities would be expected to be actively engaged in promotion of the bursary scheme to high schools (via avenues such as school visits) and within their engineering student cohort with the aim of heightening interest in power engineering and reinforcing the significant career opportunities which exist.

The program will be promoted to Year 12 students, but bursary recipients will be selected in the second semester of their first year in the Bachelor of Engineering degree, or equivalent. The bursary recipients will be selected based on merit (eg tertiary entrance result) and a written application demonstrating both their interest and potential commitment to working in the power industry. It is expected that a minimum average grade for subjects of above average/credit(no subject failures) would be maintained by bursary holders throughout the course to retain the bursary. Bursary recipients would also be expected to maintain an interest in power engineering and engagement with industry during their course. Special consideration to these conditions may be given under particular circumstances, as agreed by the selection panel.

A selection panel, will coordinate the selection process and ultimately select the bursary recipients. The number of bursaries will depend on success in obtaining additional sponsors, current commitments are for at least 30 new bursaries per year.