How engineers on demand are leading NZ’s innovation story🚀

How engineers on demand are leading NZ’s innovation story

For alumni business Caliber Design, learning is not only a core value, it’s an attraction tool. With 60 engineers working on demand across the country on diverse, innovative projects from aerospace to marine, Caliber’s assets are their people.

We talked to Business Development Manager Wayne Le Sueur and Commercial Manager James Richardson about a business that is helping to take New Zealand’s innovation to the world.

When it comes to innovation and how we stack up internationally, Wayne Le Sueur says we’re punching above our weight – something that’s appealing, both to skilled overseas engineers looking to work here and for graduates hoping to find great jobs at home.

“In terms of the design space, New Zealand is highly regarded. We’ve got that ‘number eight wire’ innovative spirit. We’re one of the few countries producing rockets for example, and with companies like Halter leading the world in livestock innovation, Fabrum in liquid hydrogen, and so many others, there’s plenty of opportunity for engineers here.”

Caliber was born out of challenge. In the years following the GFC and Canterbury earthquakes, businesses, were cautious about hiring but still needed engineering support. Seeing the gap, Caliber’s founders launched the company in 2015 to deliver seconded mechanical engineering expertise on demand, helping clients access the resource they need, when and where they need it, to get projects over the line.

The business has grown fast with engineers handpicked to join Caliber’s suite of talent - working across a broad cross section of industries and supported by a continuous learning and development programme tailored to give the team confidence in their diverse roles.

“Engineers join us for the versatility. One project could involve working on machine design and the next might be robotics and automation or analysis. They’re drawn to the excitement of trying industries that they may never have considered.”

Wayne adds the company’s secret sauce is in making the right hires.

“We’re very careful that we’re hiring people with technical expertise and with the right attitude. They need the ability to handle change and to integrate seamlessly into a new team.”

Learning and Development

While the right attitude goes a long way, it’s the learning and development programme that makes Caliber unique, ensuring their engineers have the added edge of confidence and leadership capability, to add value in their roles.

Caliber’s Learning and Development Programme equips engineers with the skills they need to thrive in fast-paced project environments. Core modules cover everything from concept design, technical writing, and the design process, through to project management, commercial acumen, and communication.

“You imagine starting a complex new job every three or four months, it requires a special sort of mindset - it would be a tough gig without the right training.”

Creating the training programme has required a significant investment of time and money but James Richardson says it’s worth it because the programme strengthens their purpose “to help New Zealand engineering deliver the best solutions in the world and to provide New Zealand engineers with world class experience.”

A trained mechanical engineer, James says the majority of engineers applying to Caliber mention the learning and development programme as one of the reasons they were attracted to the company.

“These engineers thrive on learning - they shudder at the thought of staying in one job for ever. They join the dots and appreciate how much they are going to learn each year. They do the maths and think this is a really good place to be. It’s not only an attraction tool, but also a significant retention tool.”

Senior engineers take ownership of the internally delivered modules, while expert facilitators such as communications specialist Amanda Fleming and other facilitators and programmes including the Icehouse are used for external training.

“Smart communications are critical in our business. An engineer could score a ten out of ten for technical on a job but if they do a bad job of the communications then the NPS score can drop and that could affect repeat business, so we are absolutely focused on giving these engineers the most effective training and the best head start they could possibly have.

We’re not only developing technical engineers, but we’re also developing future leaders.”

Caliber Design have invested in their people across the Icehouse programmes including the Owner Manager Programme, Leadership Development Programme, Smart Governance Programme, Sales Skills and Financial Skills Workshops.