Chester England says that studying at EIT | Te Pūkenga set him up for his current role in a local IT company.
Studying a Bachelor of Computing Systems at EIT | Te Pūkenga more than ten years ago has set Chester England up for his current role as a Technical Consultant at the local IT company Tribe.
IT was not a natural pathway for Chester, 36, as he first dabbled in business and commerce at the University of Waikato before deciding to enrol at EIT | Te Pūkenga in Hawke’s Bay. He graduated in 2011 and has not looked back since, when asked about his experience studying at EIT he remarked,
“It was awesome! I came from The University of Waikato and I was studying Electronic Commerce and just felt like it wasn’t my thing, I wasn’t really into all the business and theory side of it. I came to EIT unsure of whether I would enjoy studying IT and loved it.”
“The programme was far more hands on and practical. It felt like I was actually learning skills that I could take into the work force. Everything I learned at EIT and all the lecturers were really helpful. I was learning industry specific skills which gave me a really good start.”
“If I hadn’t studied at EIT, I wouldn’t have even got a foot in the door within the IT field – they gave me the tools and credentials to get started.” – “The job market was really competitive at the time, and I knew I had to do well to stand-out – I achieved straight As and received a Dean’s letter congratulating my grades” which helped him in his search for a job.
“If anyone asked me why they should study at EIT over anywhere else, I’d just say that the education I received from EIT is as good as what you get anywhere else.”
Chester, who is from Hawke’s Bay and went to Hastings Boys High, is enjoying his time at Tribe, where there are a number of EIT|Te Pūkenga graduates.
“It’s pretty cool as we’ve all got similar experiences with study, and I know what they’ve been through, so know where their skill level is at.”
Tanya Upritchard, Tribe’s Head of People & Culture, says: “Chester joined Tribe back in January 2022, as a senior member of our Technical Delivery Team based in our Hawke’s Bay offices. Chester’s skill, experience, and his natural ability to build really strong and enduring relationships with Tribe’s customers immediately saw him cement a place as one of our most valuable team members from the get-go.”
“Chester is quick to share his knowledge with his teammates, helping those at the beginning of their IT journey get the most out of learning opportunities, and giving back to the team through this proactive sharing of knowledge. Chester is just such a great cultural fit for our company, he embodies many of our core values and approaches every situation with a can-do attitude and an infectious enthusiasm. He’s a mean combination of techy know-how and down to earth kiwi get-it-done attitude.”
“ We are really privileged to have Chester working for Tribe, and we look forward to his continued growth and career progression in the future.”
Dr David Skelton, Seconded Assistant Head of the EIT | Te Pūkenga School of Computing, said: “Chester came to study Information Technology at EIT on a specialist Diploma in Hardware & Operating Systems to augment his previous studies and experience.”
“Like many mature students he achieved at a high level gaining A grades in all his subjects and enhanced the classes he was a part of. It is great to see Chester join our local industry at Tribe. There is always strong demand from local industry for Computing graduates and excellent career opportunities in IT.”
“The EIT School of Computing works closely with many industry partners to place IT interns and to help graduates transition into IT careers.”