The Institution of Professional Engineers says it's expecting tertiary institutions to be as flexible as possible to help engineering students struggling to secure holiday work.
A requirement of an engineering degree is that students complete hundreds of on-the-job hours during the holidays.
Some trainee engineers at Massey and Canterbury universities have found the job hunt so tough they're offering to work for engineering employers for free, or are instead looking for manual jobs.
The head of Massey's engineering school, Don Cleland, says given the economic climate it may not be out of the question to alter the practical requirements for some students.
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