More Memorial University engineering students than work placements during economic slump

About twenty per cent of engineering students at Memorial University in St. John's are still in search of a work term for the 2016 winter semester, as the slumping oil and gas industry provides fewer placements than previous years.

• A preview of Memorial's new core science building in St. John's

"It's not only the downturn here that we're seeing in the province, it's other regions as well," GregNaterer, MUN's dean of engineering, told CBC Radio's On The Go.

"We currently have only 14 students in work terms in Alberta, and sevenin Houston. In the past we've hadmore than 65 students on work terms in both of these areas."

Apple vs. oil

As it becomes harder to find work terms in oil and gas, as well as mining, Naterersaidthe university has reached out to new sectors.

"The way we've made up for this shortfall is we've pursued other new employers," he said.

"For example,we have over 40new employers, includingApple, Tesla and others outside the province."

Students have to complete four work terms during their studies in order to graduate. Naterer said only one student in jeopardy of not meeting that requirement has yet to be placed, but heis confident that will happen.

Naterer said overall, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Scienceexpects to have 400 students in work terms this semester, althoughapproximately 90 other students are still unplaced.

Engineering expansion

Amid the work shortfalls, the university continues an eight-year expansion of the engineering faculty that aims to graduate more students per year by 2020, in both graduate and undergraduate programs.

The annual number of undergraduates will climb from 2012's graduating class of170 to 250 graduates by 2020. The number of grad students will nearly double from 360 to 700 over the same period.

Included in those expansions is a brand-new core sciences buildingwith a price tag of $325 million,which is expected to be finished in 2019.

"This is really in response to the needs of not only the province, but the country," said Naterer.

This is really in response to the needs of not only the province, but the country.- Greg Naterer

"All long-term labour market studies show that the growth in engineering graduates is going to be required to address attrition in industry, and the growing needs of our evolving technical world," he said,adding that about one third of the Canadian engineering workforce is expected to retire by 2020.

Naterer said that projection is particularly important here, whereonethird of the engineering work done in Newfoundland and Labrador is by firms based outside the province.

"If we had sufficient engineeringcapacity, we would be able to do a lot more of that work within the province," he said.

"Creating jobs, starting up companies, rather than having it outsourced to other jurisdictions."

MUN's expansion could help diversify the provincial economy, according to Naterer.

"There are many studies that show that really a key to enabling a knowledge based economy, and an innovative economy, competing globally engineers are really important in that regard."