The Industrial Attachment Programme (IAP) of the IVE Engineering Discipline offers Higher Diploma students an opportunity to put their knowledge into practice in a real-life working environment. During the last semester of the final year study, students will be assigned to different companies to undertake industry-related projects. They are expected to perform tasks as instructed and act professionally – no different from the work of a regular employee. The design of the IAP ensures students learn in an all-rounded manner, both academically and professionally. Not only can they gain practical experiences, the IAP is also a stepping stone for them to secure future employment.

The Programme has attracted many employers as partners, and one such company is CLP Engineering Limited (CLPE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CLP Group. Apart from traditional engineering works, CLPE is a pioneer in providing total energy solutions for clients, which encompasses energy review and audit and consultancy services. At CLPE, students who participate in IAP will undergo on-the-job training at a designated branch for four months. Meanwhile, the company will also assign a specific project topic to students, which is relevant to their everyday duties. The company will appoint experienced engineers as supervisors, who provide assistance for students during their work. The participating students have to hand in a project report at the end of the IAP.

In addition to the above, last year CLPE launched its own technician trainee programme, which targets at the IVE Higher Diploma graduates. The company has five working branches, including Power Engineering, Infrastructure Projects, Airport Facilities Management, Lighting and Energy Services. Under the18-month programme, new hires have to work in two different branches for nine months respectively. CLPE will designate the trainees to the branches based on their academic background sand the company’s business needs.

CLPE’s technician trainee programme might be quite similar to the IVE’s IAP, still the Company partnered with IVE because it considers the latter as a complement to its hiring strategy. Mr Lam Kam-bor, General Manager of CLPE, said “The IAP gives students a chance to learn more about the business nature of the company. It is like match-making.” He explained that it is more likely for these employees to stay for a longer time, as they have gained a more thorough understanding of the Company during the IAP. “Such arrangement brings more stability, which is also good for the Company,” Mr Lam said.

In 2012/13 Academic Year, eight final-year students were admitted to CLPE under the IAP. The company employed six of them as technician trainees after they graduated. In recognition of the learning acquired through the IAP, these past participants are given a “perk”. “If they perform well in the four months and are employed a sour staff, the four months of attachment will also be counted, meaning that they can complete the technician trainee programme in 14 months, instead of 18months like other trainees do,” Mr Lam explained.

Leung Kam-chung and Mabo Maare among the first batch of IVE students who have been hired as technician trainees after the completion of the IAP. Both of them agreed that it enabled them to gain more professional knowledge while also providing opportunity for them to develop personal skills. “I have learnt how to express myself more clearly when communicating with others,” Leung said. He explained that good communication skills improve working efficiency as he needs to collaborate with colleagues and clients for different projects.

The IAP creates a win-win situation –students can learn while gaining valuable working experiences; employers can make use of it to discover potential employees. For the IVE Engineering Discipline, the next step is to invite more companies as partners because the IAP has become a mandatory component in most of its Higher Diploma programmes starting from 2012/13 Academic Year.