Student scheme 'good for business'

The hunt is on for Wellington firms keen to join the likes of Trade Me and Weta Digital in mentoring the next generation of IT superstars.

Wellington's Summer of Code internship programme places local tertiary students in top technology firms over the summer.

Programme founder John Clegg, chief executive of online mapping firm Project X, says participating businesses usually select one or two students.

Firms must pay students at least $18 an hour, and can apply for a subsidy of $16 an hour per student from TechNZ, part of the Government's Foundation for Research Science and Technology.

About 30 businesses have signed up and 10 more are needed to cater for the 50 students likely to take part, Mr Clegg says.

The scheme does not benefit only students, he says. "As an industry, we're really struggling to connect with Generation Y. Summer of Code is an opportunity to put the best of the smartest companies in Wellington in front of top students."

Wellington software development firm YouDo hired former Victoria University computer science student Luke Grimstrup during his internship there in 2007 and was now selling one of the products he had developed.

YouDo director Dan Lee encourages businesses to join. "It's allowed us to kill two birds with one stone giving us the resource to start projects we haven't had the time for, and growing our business."

Firms have till August 12 to join. Contact Grow Wellington.

- © Fairfax NZ News