Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Highways)

It’s hardly surprising that David Dickson took the engineering road. “Engineering is in my family. My father, uncle, four cousins and my grandfather were all engineers,” he says.

In May this year, David graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Highways) and his dad, a traffic engineer, was there to watch the honour. “It took three years part time,” he says.

David lives in Dunedin, where he works for Opus International Consultants as a roading engineer, doing design drafting, report writing and estimates.

The 28-year-old says that studying through the WITT-owned New Zealand Institute of Highway Technology was ideal. “It was a good step forward without having to take time out from work. I could still work full-time and have no student loan.”

The degree comprised eight papers and for each David had to do two block courses, which means he did 16 block course in three years.

“It was good because a lot of the lecturers were in the industry. That meant we learnt what actually happens rather than the theory about what should happen,” he says.

“I have got some really good friends out of the course. It was a really good range of people from different parts of the industry, from contractors to consultants.”

David says he may consider further study, but for now he just wants to keep going ahead at work and continue learning on the job.