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The School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering is turning around the recent trend of declining enrolments in the School’s courses. Western Power is taking a leading role in helping reverse this trend.

In 2006, the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering had a significant decline in students studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering.This followed a rapid decline in students undertaking Information Technology Engineering soon after the IT ‘tech wreck’ of 2000. While the main reason for the first decline was a perception amongst students of a lack of jobs in the computer and communications fields, the reason for the second decline was a perception that the more recent local resources boom required engineers in non-electrical areas.

Stories of graduate starting salaries up-North of up to $100k added to the boom aura. What was not realised by students was that even in the resource industry, electrical, electronic, instrumentation and computer engineers are vital.

Other engineering Schools were looking to industry to sponsor laptops as incentives for students. However, a survey of first year students considering electrical engineering showed that many students already had a laptop, or ready access to computers at home, and would instead value a contribution to help meet the other very significant educational expenses they were incurring. Another finding was that financial support would be needed for all years of the course, and not just at the start.

Armed with the survey information and our strong research partnership with Western Power, our industry advisory panel suggested that Western Power (the major recognised employer of electrical engineers in the state) be approached to support a new type of undergraduate scholarship programme.

Western Power Managing Director, Mr Doug Aberle and Manager of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Mr Phil Southwell, have committed to support scholarships at $2,000 p.a. for up to 4 years for 20 students undertaking the electrical power engineering stream. The School and Western Power are interested in encouraging other industry partners to contribute to these scholarship programmes.

On 29 March at a signing ceremony in the Prescott Room at UWA Mr Phil Southwell and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson signed the Deed of Gift, Western Power’s donation of up to $260,000 over five years. This was followed by a Scholarship Awarding Ceremony held on 24 April. At the ceremony the first twenty Western Power Electrical Engineering Scholarships were awarded to outstanding students enrolled in the second year of their electrical engineering programme.

These students will be eligible to continue to receive the scholarship in each subsequent year provided they remain in the electrical power engineering stream.
Although they have no obligation to Western Power, as part of this scholarship scheme Western Power will be taking every opportunity to keep scholarship holders well informed of many opportunities with the organisation.

In the area of research the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering has continued to be very successful in ARC Discovery Grants in Microelectronics, Biomedical Engineering, Telecommunications and Power Electronics. The School also has industrial research contracts with Western Power, MRX Technologies and DSTO.

The School’s teaching programmes, research linkages and its expertise in commercialisation activities have benefited greatly from having the WA Telecommunications Research Institute (WATRI) located nearby.

The School’s publication outputs continue to increase, and its research income is the highest in the Faculty at $3.912m.

Attracting the School’s graduates to stay on to do PhDs is a particularly acute problem. This has been partly overcome by expanding the School’s PhD scholarship programme for International students and to expand the Masters programmes in the areas of ICT Engineering, Power Systems and Microelectronics. Currently, the School has over 40 students enrolled in these programmes and 50 students are undertaking PhDs or Masters by research. The School’s coursework and research programmes are proving to be very attractive to international students, notably from India and China.

Media references

For further information please contact:

Associate Professor Gary Bundell
Head of School
School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (M018)
Phone: +61 8 6488 1622