The formalised relationship will allow students living in close proximity the company’s Wendouree and Hallam plants to test their skills in a professional environment while potentially contributing to the creation of future products. 

MaxiTRANS chief executive Dean Jenkins said the partnerships would help to continue the company’s product development while also identifying talent for employment opportunities.  

“One of the things students really suffer with is access to business in their degrees and the benefit of this is to have that access,” Mr Jenkins said.  

“Whatever projects we do we'll have at least one or two business owners who’ll coordinate and manage the projects with the students.”

The program will aim to work closely with students from both universities with a specific focus on mechatronic engineering, which focuses on the combination of the mechanical and computer engineering disciplines.  

Representatives from the business will begin working with students in the coming weeks to establish the first research and development project.  

FedUni sales and engagement manager Bill Mundy said the program would provide students with the valuable opportunity to put skills learned in the classroom into action on a professional environment.

“It’s about identifying opportunities for engineering students at higher education and TAFE levels to play a role in improving productivity and efficiency within an industry setting,” Mr Mundy said.

The partnerships come just months after MaxiTRANS signed a mammoth $60 million contract with Coles to construct 395 trailers, creating 100 jobs in the process.