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Wellington ICT Graduate School: Thrive in the booming tech industry

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Bursting with tech talent, Wellington ICT Graduate School (WICTGS) in New Zealand enables students to dive into the booming tech industry through real-world projects and practical placements in its progressive programmes.

WICTGS is a joint initiative between Victoria University of Wellington, Whitireia New Zealand and Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) that combines the expertise of these three influential education providers.

It offers Master’s programmes that bring education and industry together, utilising the creative and innovative environment of Wellington and its high-tech commercial connections to kick-start your career in the fast-growing ICT space.

Created with input from industry, designed to build on existing skills and provide hands-on experience, a Master’s programme at WICTGS could be the missing link between you and a thriving tech career.

Why study tech in Wellington?

Wellington (NZ) became the 2^nd best city in the world for its tremendous quality of life, according to the Deutsche Bank Mapping the World’s Prices 2019 report, and also scored 1^st in 2018 for its first-rate lifestyle opportunities.

Source: Wellington ICT Graduate School

“Residents of New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, have the second highest quality of life in the world, according to the report. It offers short commutes, low levels of pollution and has one of the world’s best purchasing power ratings,” writes CNBC Make It.

Complete with a multicultural community, booming technology industry and start-up culture, Wellington is also a great place to work after you’ve completed your studies.

Wellington is home to a number of successful incubators, accelerator programmes, networking events and investment schemes. Derek Handley, entrepreneur, speaker and author who founded ‘The B Team’ alongside Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz, describes Wellington as one of the most beautiful, friendly countries in the world, perfect for innovators and people with out-of-the-box ideas.

“Seeing the beach or the sea on your drive home from work is inspiring and rebalances you with nature and the important things in life. It’s a great equaliser to always remind yourself what’s important and the wonderful planet we all share.

“There are more and more technology and media entrepreneurs starting up companies in New Zealand every day and many of them are coming from overseas,” adds Derek.

Source: Wellington ICT Graduate School

By pursuing your studies with the Wellington ICT Graduate School, you’ll study in one of the world’s most liveable cities, enjoy a high quality of life and start your tech career in an inspiring and scenic location.

What can you study at Wellington ICT Graduate School?

Providing up-to-date and relevant postgraduate programmes that include input from the technology industry and are regularly reviewed by industry (including big names and local businesses), WICTGS programmes are like golden tickets into the tech sector.

The Master of Design Technology, taught by Victoria University of Wellington, uses the latest techniques and technology such as Houdini by SideFX (a university partner) and utilises mentor/guest lecturers from Weta Digital. Lecturers are experienced, having previously worked for big VFX companies on major films, including at Weta Digital.

Whilst the Master of Software Development, also taught by Victoria University of Wellington, teaches students core and complex programming skills from respected lecturers before placing them in paid internships to tackle real-world projects with local businesses.

Some programmes are conversion programmes, ideal for candidates from non-ICT backgrounds and open to anyone with a Bachelor’s degree. This allows people to change career direction, upskill or reskill, without having to start from scratch.

Source: Wellington ICT Graduate School

Craig Bunyan, General Manager of Technology at ANZ, says “It’s great to be partnering with the Wellington ICT Graduate School to ensure we are building a talented, diverse pipeline of next generation technologists with the skills to meet future organisational needs.”

Encouraging learning by doing, programmes here also offer help with soft skills, including presentations, CV’s, communication, and interviews.

Where can a WICTGS degree take you?

Opening doors and creating different pathways, a degree from Wellington ICT Graduate School can lead to new opportunities in a range of tech specialisms and sectors.

Camden Wright, a Master of Design Technology (MDT) graduate, was offered a role at SideFX after aspiring to work in a VFX (Visual Effects) studio whilst studying at WICTGS. Camden’s degree turned his dreams into a reality.

Compared to his undergraduate experience, he explained that his Master of Design Technology “had a much more hands-on relationship with the lecturers”, making him feel like his work was more appreciated and that he could take confidence in it.

Source: Wellington ICT Graduate School

Camden believes in the power of his Master’s programme, sharing that it “got me further than others who would be teaching themselves and I wouldn’t have met all these people who were in, or connected to, the industry.”

Learning from Weta Digital, workshop artists and inspirational WICTGS campus guests like Sir Richard Taylor and Gino Acevedo, Camden is just one of many students to benefit from the school’s industry connections.

“What we learnt was tailored by industry professionals, for example things like Shotgun are industry-standard, made for studios rather than for educational purposes. It’s a privilege that we got to work with them,” he adds.

All programmes at Wellington ICT Graduate School are applied, collaborative, practical and hands-on, with group projects and the chance to learn from and be mentored by industry guests, as well as attend exclusive networking events.

If you want to kick-start your tech career, Wellington ICT Graduate School is your springboard to success, strategically located in the tech hub of Wellington.

Contact WICTGS to find out more today and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Medium, Instagram and LinkedIn.