Case study - Linking CEED projects with HR / Graduate recruitment

Helping HR Managers source talent, today and tomorrow

Many of Australia’s largest companies and government organisations are turning to the CEED Program; both to meet immediate Human Resources (HR) needs and scope out the next generation of talent before it hits the market.

CEED sources talented and motivated final year and Masters students for stand-alone projects and enjoys an average fifty per cent repeat business per semester. 

Companies including Foster’s Australia, Suncorp, Australian Aerospace, Campbell Brothers and ABB Australia have each taken on more than ten CEED students, and some more than twenty.

Projects have been completed in Engineering, Manufacturing, Information Technology and Systems
including Application Development, Business (Marketing, HR, Management and Finance), Science,
Sustainable Management, and Food Technology.

CEED is now offering partnership agreements for clients who would like to streamline and standardise the process of regularly engaging students, saving administration time and legal costs. This approach also helps HR Managers deploy a variety of students across multiple areas of an organisation, using a more strategic view.

Many clients have reported using the CEED Program as an extended interview period to help with graduate recruitment. In fact, at least forty per cent of CEED students go on to work for their host companies on a full or part-time basis after completing their project.

Clients are using CEED as part of their graduate recruitment strategy

Above:  Jimmy Wenham (on right) during his 2010 CEED project  at Australian Aerospace.  Jimmy's project focused on streamlining  invoicing approval and payment processes, and better utilising  the company's SAP system

Case Study - Australian Aerospace

A number of CEED clients have realised great benefits by taking on successive CEED
students to fulfil immediate project and HR needs and as a way of building their company’s profile with the next generation of talent.

Australian Aerospace is a leading defence supplier to the Australian Government and supplies and services civilian and parapublic helicopters throughout Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

With more than 1000 staff in Australia and New Zealand and access to the financial strength and expertise of Eurocopter and the EADS Group, the company is currently assembling and delivering 22 Tiger ARH armed reconnaissance helicopters to the Australian Army and 46 MRH90 multi-role helicopters to the Army and Navy. It also provides support for the RAAF AP3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft and, until recently, the now retired Caribou transport fleet. Last year Australian Aerospace commenced a through-life-support role for C-130J Hercules transports.

CEED partnership

Since 2008, Australian Aerospace has hosted 19 projects in Engineering and IT, and has hired a number of CEED graduates. The company has developed a partnership with CEED built on complementary goals of developing the business and fostering today’s students to become

It has a Standing Agreement to cover students from all CEED’s participating universities, rather than negotiating a series of ad-hoc agreements. The continuity allows both parties to quickly respond to opportunities as they are presented.

For Australian Aerospace, CEED provides valuable support in finding, recruiting and developing students.

Recruitment and management

“CEED undertakes the recruitment process and the students are always of high quality. They also provide very close support and monitoring of the student during their stay and are very professional in their approach,” said Donna Williams, Vice President Human Resources/HSEQ.

The range of benefits extends beyond experience for the student and access to up-and-coming talent for Australian Aerospace. CEED also facilitates meetings between industry and university lecturers so that each can gain a greater understanding of the other’s needs.

Australian Aerospace’s participation in programs like CEED provides students with a realistic insight into Australia’s corporate and industrial environments, plus real-world understanding and application of course work.

Recent Project

Recent Australian Aerospace-CEED projects have focussed on Engineering and IT initiatives. The latest project supported the company’s work to enhance invoice approval and payment systems; together responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions each year. The third year university student engaged through CEED (James Wenham) analysed the current system’s processes and delivered a report on strengths, weaknesses and possible improvement.

Graduate recruitment

Australian Aerospace has recruited CEED students into permanent roles because they showed good potential during their time embedded in the organisation.

“The students we have recruited each made good contributions to the team’s output and we’re very happy to have them on board permanently” said Ms Williams.

“All-in-all, CEED offers a good long-term opportunity for Australian Aerospace and we would certainly encourage more students and businesses to take part.”

Bob Wilson, Director Procurement and Industry, added: “CEED is a great way of finding intelligent, available people to address specific, practical issues; students have helped us test aircraft components, review health and safety procedures, and upgrade IT systems and every project has been successful,” Mr Wilson said.

“We also use the program to investigate the best talent in the next generation and trial potential entry-level employees before they reach the market.”

“A great way of finding intelligent, available people… every project has been successful"

Another CEED client - Suncorp

Suncorp is a diversified financial services group and a top 25 ASX-listed company with over $95 billion in assets and more than 16,000 employees.

Above - seated, 3rd from left:  Edgar Martinez Rico (CEED student  from the University of Sydney) with his Suncorp and USYDNEY  mentors.  Edgar completed a software development project  with Suncorp's Sydney office in 2010.

Since 2008 it has hosted 28 CEED projects in IT and Software Engineering and in 2010 became the
first client to take on a CEED student for a NSW-based project.

“Our graduate program has seen huge benefits”

Jeff Smith, Group Executive for Suncorp Business Services, said the company’s Graduate Program
had seen huge benefits from the direct links CEED provided with Queensland universities and wanted to replicate that success in NSW.

“The opportunity to forge a relationship with the University of Sydney was a major driving force for us, in addition to CEED's partner Universities in Queensland,” Mr Smith said.

“CEED sources outstanding students for us, who may also fit into the company long-term, after the
project finishes.”

Why partner with CEED?

• An excellent source of talented and motivated students from over thirty study disciplines, across four universities and growing Expertise and proven track record in managing students through industry training projects
  
  
• More than eighty students managed through CEED Program per year and over 800 projects completed to date (2011)
  
  
• Excellent personal relationships with key academic staff at four universities
  
  
• Respected industry partner with Engineering, IT, Manufacturing, Mining, Business and other clients
  
  
• Partnership agreements cut administrative and legal burden of individual project contracts and help HR Managers take a strategic approach to talent placement
  
  
• Easy, structured and monitored process – low risk, high quality project outcomes – for companies and students involved
  
  
• CEED students receive training and guidance in project planning and management
  
  
• Assistance and troubleshooting is provided for clients, whenever needed
  
  
• CEED links easily with corporate graduate recruitment programs – students are trialed and tested on meaningful company projects in their last year of study (or Masters degree)
  
  
• CEED students provide companies with tangible project results and confidence that as a near-graduate, they can deliver at a high level, on real life company projects, manage project timelines and budgets, and work effectively within a team.