Dapeng Hu

"I'm studying for a Certificate in Automotive Engineering, and I think I'm in just the right place at the right time! The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic has a new garage workshop, Bay Auto service Centre, which operates as a separate small business within the organisation. All the automotive students are involved with all aspects of offering a professional service to our customers (mainly Polytechnic staff and students) and so we're getting real-life industry experience in a top facility, along with our study in the classroom.

There are four international students on my programme, and we all fit in really well. We work in groups with Kiwi students, and the tutors are all ready to explain things to us a second time around, if we've missed something. Because it's a hands-on course, a lot of our assessments are practical, or in workbooks. I'm pleased with my progress and my results so far, and I'm really glad that my trade qualification is going to be in English, it's going to give me an excellent foundation for a career."