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EIT Tairāwhiti ECE students learn about bi-culturalism and legends of region | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 minutes ago

NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5) students at EIT Tairāwhiti went on a haeranga (journey) of the region this semester to learn about bi-culturalism and local pūrākau (legends). From Left to Right are Mary Louis Gerald; Lavinia Paongo; Pat Dewes, Kaiwhakaako – Te Whatukura; Tania McQuillan, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5) programme; Samara Wharehinga-Walters; and Saina McClutchie.

Early Childhood Education students at EIT Tairāwhiti went on a haeranga (journey) of the region this semester to learn about bi-culturalism and local pūrākau (legends).

The NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5) students visited sites that they had been learning about over the semester. The areas visited were Te Wherowhero Lagoon, said to be the final resting place of the Horouta waka; Manawaru – Hinehākirirangi’s kumara garden; Popoia – Ruapani’s pā; Makauri – the story of Ruakapanga’s prized birds; and Māia Poroaki – the story of Te Toka a Taiau.

Tania McQuillan, EIT’s Coordinator of the Diploma programme, says the trip was an important part of the curriculum. Accompanying her and the students on the trip was Pat Dewes, Kaiwhakaako – Te Whatukura, EIT.

“One of the papers is called Te Puna, which has been looking at the biculturalism within early childhood. I’ve been focusing on the local pūrākau and connecting that. I’m looking at how they can put the local stories and the legends into the early childhood centre.”

“We also invited the Level Four students from the Study and Career Preparation programme, so that they can be introduced to the local pūrākau, and find out how that could be significant in  the degree they undertake next year.”

Tania says that making students culturally aware of the history of the region is important because it is “all about belonging”.

“The biggest part of early childhood is being connected and knowing where you come from. The expectation is that the students will, as they go on into their careers, use this as part of their practice and part of their teaching.”

“It’s about the kete (knowledge) that they’ll use in their teaching practice, along with knowing some te reo, understanding karakia, as well as knowing their own mihi and pepeha.”

Tania says that the feedback from students to the trip was positive.

“They loved it and one student said that she had not realised the significance of all the places that we visited.”

“We are currently doing enrolments for next year and I would encourage anyone who is interested in working in early childhood care to get in touch and learn what we have to offer.”

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Maritime Union welcomes conviction of ex Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the conviction of former Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson on a health and safety charge.

Mr Gibson was found guilty by Judge Bonnar in the Auckland District Court this morning.

Charges were laid against Mr Gibson by industry regulator Maritime New Zealand under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) following the death of POAL employee Mr Pala’amo (Amo) Kalati on 30 August 2020.

The Court found Mr Gibson failed to ensure adequate systems were in place to manage critical risks, particularly around crane operations and exclusion zones.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the conviction brings to an end “an era of failure at the highest levels of Port of Auckland which had tragic outcomes for workers, their families and their colleagues.”

Mr Findlay says the Maritime Union made repeated attempts to draw attention to health and safety concerns at POAL during Mr Gibson’s tenure, which were minimized and downplayed.

“This conviction vindicates the stance of our Union but it sadly comes too late for those who died due to the failure to ensure a safe workplace.”

He says thoughts today should go out to the families and those left behind after deaths on the waterfront.

“Today’s outcome sends a message that workers lives mean something, and that highly paid decision makers are accountable for their decisions.” 

“We hope other senior managers and Board members reflect and gain insight into the effect on innocent working people when health and safety is not prioritized.”

He says new management at the Ports of Auckland have taken a positive approach to engaging with workers and the Union, and this has resulted in health and safety and the wellbeing of workers at the Port becoming a priority.

“Following the ignominious resignation and departure of Mr Gibson in 2021, the Maritime Union has worked together successfully with new management at POAL and stevedoring companies in Auckland to develop a code of practice to ensure best safety practices in stevedoring.”

The Maritime Union would continue to campaign for corporate manslaughter laws that reflected its view – “Kill a worker, go to jail.”

This is the first time a chief executive from a company of POAL’s size had been charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

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Groundbreaking EIT teenage vaping research set to give insight into scope and triggers of problem in Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

13 minutes ago

The EIT Youth Vaping Research team is (from left to right): Associate Professor Rachel Forrest; EIT lecturer Jocelyn Lañas-Pangan; EIT Masters of Health Science student Melody Khan; Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing; Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart; EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science; and Dr Sue Scott-Chapman.

Groundbreaking research into teenage vaping in Hawke’s Bay is currently being collated and is set to give an insight into the scope of the problem and what triggers youth wanting to vape.

Dr Sue Scott-Chapman, a Principal Academic Staff Member in the School of Health and Sport Science, is part of a team examining the epidemic of youth vaping in Aotearoa led by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing from EIT. The other members working on this programme of research include Assoc. Prof. Rachel Forrest, Dr Helen Ryan Stewart, Jocelyn Lañas – Pangan and Melody Khan

The project is being funded by EIT (Research Innovation Centre), the Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay and the Health Research Council.

Sue says that the team has surveyed more than 2000 students – both vapers and non-vapers –  in Hawke’s Bay about the impact it has had on them.

With the Hawke’s Bay interviews done, the analysis of the information received is now underway.

“We are in that process of now looking at the data that’s been provided. The students have been really eager to support both phase one and phase two and now we’ve got really good data that we’re about to analyse.”

“We’re doing it in two different ways – the quantitative and the qualitative side of it.”

Sue believes that the study will give  “a lot more insight” into what triggers youth wanting to vape.

“It will also give an insight into their understanding of the extent of vaping and the consequences of vaping.”

With the help of a second grant from the Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay, the team has extended its research outside Hawke’s Bay to focus on Pāpāmoa College. This research will contribute to the Masters of Health Science project by student Melody Khan, who has been involved in the original study.

 “There may be a lot of similarities, across the two regions, but to me it’s differences and the experiences of different schools because of the different regions and the different kind of emphasis. I think it’s going to be really interesting.”

“I would think the differences may be the quantity and the availability of vaping products in larger regions, I would suspect that it is easier to attain in larger areas.”

“I would love to see how different schools are affected by vaping. When it’s a large school, the feeling is it’s a lot more difficult to manage just because of the numbers of individuals that you are looking at, but smaller schools give you that opportunity to know the students up front and provide more support.”

Sue says that schools are handling the problem differently and she is confident that the analysis of their research will help them deal with the problem.

“They are trying to manage it in slightly different ways and hopefully with the outcome once we have analysed it, there will be potentially a good opportunity for schools to be able to discuss it at  another level and to look at what structures can go in place.”

“I think part of the tools that we are looking at is how do we support schools manage this in an easier way, a better way, a more streamlined way for all of them because they are all just trying to manage it the best they can with the information they have got.”

Sue says that phase two of their data collection has finished and they hope to have the data analysis of at least phase one finished by February next year.

“There’s a lot of work still ahead of us in terms of particularly the qualitative aspect of it, looking at those patterns and those themes that are coming through and making sense of it.”

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EIT industry-focused forum gives students opportunity to engage with industry representatives | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 mins ago

EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman with Nick Larsen of Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

EIT Auckland students and recent graduates have had the opportunity to engage with industry representatives at the Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum.

Held on EIT’s Auckland Campus earlier this month, the inaugural Mahi Heke Mai – Working Futures industry-focused forum saw recent graduates and current students meet industry representatives from the IT, supply chain, health and wellbeing and recruitment sectors.

The organiser of the event, Brendon Hickey, said that the occasion provided “an informative and interactive experience for the next generation of Auckland’s workforce talent to share the room with and gain invaluable insights from the experts”.

Brendon, who is the Industry Partnerships Manager at EIT’s Auckland Campus, said that the aim of the event was to provide “a platform and an opportunity for our most recent graduates in the first instance, as well as current students”.

“The opportunity was to enable them to have the curtain pulled back on their spheres of interest, their professional domain, their relevant industry sectors, just to hear directly from people in those areas, so that they could have that credible, authentic exchange with them.”

A high-calibre roster of distinguished presenters and panelists included Nick Larsen, Tech Workforce Lead at Tataki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), the region’s economic development agency. Nick’s presentation contextualised the role skilled migrants and international students play in the local tech, digital commerce and innovation ecosystem, linking their contribution to TAU’s strategic, inclusive workforce development goals.

Garry Green, Founder and Managing Director of Quanton, an Auckland-based AI and automation business transformation enterprise, detailed how his company attracts, nurtures and retains the talent that makes up Quanton’s diverse workforce.

In a similar vein, Dan Kabuuka, Programme Director at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, gave attendees first-hand insights into workplace environments and cultures. Personal journeys toward fulfilling professional positions of responsibility, involving responding positively to multiple and complex challenges, were shared by Harini Nanayakkara, Group Compliance Manager at Xplor and high-profile technologist and leadership specialist Gareth Cronin.

Critical and up to date labour market and recruitment expertise was provided by Simon Meehan of Absolute IT and Wayne Fry of Hunter Campbell.

Both experts were able to elaborate on current trends and developments, employer requirements and expectations, and connect these to ongoing and forecast economic cycles, with Wayne generously commenting: “I enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the rest of the panel, the interaction with the students and a well-planned and run event. I’d be delighted to be involved or support future events that you might have.”

Brendon says that he was happy at how successful the event was.

“It was pleasing to see industry guests and attendees mingling enthusiastically long after the scheduled ending of the session. Feedback from all participants was extremely positive, positioning us well to repeat the event in 2025.

A recent EIT IT graduate Rahul Mathew said: “As an attendee, I found the talks truly thought-provoking and insightful. I appreciate the opportunity to engage with industry experts and hope this initiative continues to support future talents in New Zealand’s job market.”

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EIT’s Te Kura i Awarua Rangahau Māori Research Centre scoops top awards | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 mins ago

Te Kura i Awarua’s Professor David Tipene-Leach (left) and Chris Bryant-Toi with the awards the Maori Research Centre won at the 2024 Hawke’s Bay Heritage Awards.

EIT’s Te Kura i Awarua Rangahau Māori Research Centre has scooped top awards at this year’s 2024 Hawke’s Bay Heritage Awards, winning both the Māori Realm and the Supreme Winner awards.

Te Kura i Awarua, led by Professor Annemarie Gillies and Professor David Tipene-Leach runs a number of ‘heritage projects’ including the Henare Matua collection of Repudiation Movement letters of the 1870s, the JT Blake manuscripts of the 1880-90s and the raising of two Heritage Symposiums, bringing archivists and curators nationally to Hawke’s Bay. The team has also been involved in the repatriation of Te Poho-o-Kahungunu wharenui carvings, bringing them to Hastings for the 2023 Symposium before they returned to Pōrangahau.

The Hawke’s Bay Heritage Awards are, according to the Art Deco Napier website, “the Hawke’s Bay communities’ opportunity to recognise and celebrate those whose talents and energies preserve our cultural heritage and inspire us to connect with our past, so that we can all feel more confident in our future”.

Professor Tipene-Leach says:“ I think that the nomination originated from the 2023 Auaka Tumutumu Symposium which Archives manager Chris Bryant-Toi curated.”

“We are excited to have won these awards because our work has significance for this region. But it wasn’t just Te Kura I Awarua winning the awards – it was great to see a range of Māori recognised.”

“One example is Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu which won the Future Heritage Award for the wonderful design and construction of their new premises. Another was my uncle, Rangitane Tipene, who won the Heritage Hero of Hawke’s Bay Award. He has been working on the Te Poho o Kahungunu carvings for 45 years including retrieving and restoring the 12 we did own and tracking down the six that had been lost to museums in the 1910s. He also curated three exhibitions himself, supported two major MTG exhibitions, filed a Treaty of Waitangi claim for their return and then was here to receive them back. Many of them were part of our 2023 Symposium.”

“The Tamateapōkaiwhenua Post-Settlement Governance Entity also got nominated and Highly Commended for the Future Heritage Award. They have been great with their steadfast support of the claim process over an 11 year period and facilitated Ngāti Kere and Heretaunga contact with the Auckland, Otago and Whanganui Museums.”

Professor Tipene-Leach says that the projects Te Kura i Awarua has worked on shining a spotlight on some little-known history of Hawke’s Bay.

“I have been involved with the Henare Matua letters for five years. Matua was the leader of the Hawke’s Bay ‘Komiti’, which was based around several mid to late-19th century rangatira in the area who banded together to both prevent land sales and repudiate land sales that were clandestine, fraudulent or otherwise damaging to local hapū.”

“We also have the JT Blake records – Blake was a Native Land Court translator and his own records are more detailed records of court proceedings than what he provided to the Judge”.

Other work being done by Te Kura i Awarua Rangahau Research Māori Centre includes projects being done by a team led by Professor Gillies on improving the listing of archaeological sites at Waimārama and the development of what are called Traditional Knowledge Labels for those sites.

“These labels give more detailed and specifically local information on listings and the process connects local hapū more closely with significant sites.”

Mr Bryant-Toi is working on the restoration of the Te Ara a Tāwhaki wharenui at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus and the design of the newly furbished building and facilities on campus.

“It has been a privilege to be involved in such significant work, which showcases important periods in the history of Te Matau-a-Māui,” he says.

Professors Tipene-Leach and Gillies hope that this sort of recognition assists the Centre to navigate the challenges currently facing EIT and to continue the ongoing development of Māori research capacity in Hawke’s Bay.

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EIT awarded RSE worker training contract | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

11 mins ago

Paul Hursthouse, EIT’s Director – Business Relationships and Transitions, with Meriama Taufale, Team Leader – Engagement and Transitions, Business Relationship Unit at EIT, in a vineyard on the Hawke’s Bay campus after the announcement that EIT has been awarded a contract to provide Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers with education and training opportunities.

EIT has been awarded a contract to provide Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers with education and training opportunities over the next five years.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed that EIT won the tender for Phase III of the RSE Worker Training Programme, which provides opportunities for Pacific RSE workers to access skills training while in New Zealand. The programme offers opportunities for RSE workers to develop meaningful and transferable skills that support the sectors that work in and deliver tangible benefits to the participating Pacific countries.

More than 7,000 RSE workers have benefited from training over the last six years. Phase III will see New Zealand commit NZ$10.7 million over the next five years to support over 10,000 RSE workers to engage in training opportunities. This phase will focus on increasing the number of RSE workers who can participate in courses, piloting new courses to respond to Pacific countries’ and workers priorities including agricultural skills, and a pilot on formal recognition of learning.

Paul Hursthouse, EIT’s Director – Business Relationships and Transitions, welcomed the news and said that EIT was excited and proud to have been chosen to provide training for the workers.

“EIT has a proven reputation of providing top-quality education and vocational training across all tertiary levels. EIT is part of the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti communities with strong links to the primary sector, and looks forward to delivering training to RSE workers across New Zealand. We are a trusted education provider with a proven track record.”

“The RSE scheme plays a significant role in New Zealand’s economy and we are pleased to partner with MFAT and horticulture employers to offer RSE workers opportunities to develop and acquire new skills.”

The programme is set to be begin next year and will initially be delivered in Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty and Malborough/Nelson.

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EIT student wins Top Student Wine at Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

22 seconds ago

EIT student Ngaun Siau (right) won the EIT Top Student Wine Award at this year’s A&P Society’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards. She is pictured at the awards ceremony with EIT’s Head of the School of Viticulture and Wine Science.

A second year Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science student at EIT has won the award for the Top Student Wine at this year’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.

Ngaun Siau, 26, won the award at this month’s A&P Society’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards for her wine – Dalan Cabernet Franc 2024. The student wines are judged by the same criteria as all the other classes and Ngaun’s wine received 95 points from the judges – a Gold medal.

Ngaun, who is from Taiwan, says that she was very excited that her wine was chosen as the Top Student Wine, sponsored by EIT, and says that she enjoyed the awards evening.

“I made four red wines this year. The award-winning Cabernet Franc was harvested from the Te Awa vineyard, where I worked for the summer.”

“It took me three days to harvest and a month to make my wine. The grapes were hand-harvested, partially whole bunch fermented for a fruitful wine style.”

She got the name for her wine, Dalan, from the language of a tribe in Taiwan.

“It means ‘roads’ in Puyuma, but it’s more like the things that your heart is calling; the path you take to follow your dream.”

Winning the award was a highlight of what has, at times, been a challenging, but reward two years at EIT Hawke’s Bay.

Ngaun arrived in New Zealand to begin her first year one month before Cyclone Gabrielle struck last year. She moved into EIT student accommodation where she made friends with other students.

“We received a lot of help from the Hawke’s Bay community after the Cyclone. I appreciate how people here care for each other.”

“The most difficult thing was that we were not able to use the wine-making resources on campus since we had all moved online.”

Ngaun says that she comes from an agricultural background with her family having grown rice and other crops for centuries.

“Agriculture has always been fascinating to me. What caught my eye about viticulture was how everything starts from a small vine and becomes an aged wine.”

Ngaun says that it was New Zealand’s approach to organic and regenerative agriculture that attracted her to study here.

“I realised that it would be a good place for me to study and understand more about sustainable wine growing.”

After school Ngaun worked in the construction industry and also in farming, but soon decided that studying viticulture and wine science was what she wanted to do.

“Once the worst of COVID-19 had passed, I decided to make the move to New Zealand.  I did my research and really liked what EIT had to offer, especially its strong practical component.”

Ngaun credits her success to the nurturing and supportive environment at EIT.

“The staff are really friendly and the lecturers’ doors are always open. Our school winery staff, the winery manager and the lab staff there are quite amazing. They always have new ideas or something they would suggest us to try.”

“We share a strong connection with the local wine industry, where our lecturers have worked or are still involved. There is no boundary for us in accessing the industry.”

“It is a very supportive programme for me to study here. In this environment I can fully immerse myself in my studies, knowing that the entire programme will have my back.”

Sue Blackmore, EIT Head of School for Viticulture and Wine Science said: “The whole V&W Team are excited that Ngaun received a Gold for her student wine.”

“She spent long hours in the winery tinkering with ‘Dalan’. And as the wine name suggests Ngaun is passionate about winemaking and her future in the wine industry. We wish her well”.

“All Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science students get a chance to make wine from year one of the degree, work a commercial internship in year 2 and complete a research project aligned with industry in year 3.”

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EIT Viticulture and Wine Science student wins A&P Society Young Vintners Scholarship at Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

1 min ago

EIT Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science student Tammy Madigan has won the A&P Society’s Young Vintners Scholarship at this year’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.

A third-year Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science student at EIT has won the A&P Society’s Young Vintners Scholarship at this year’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.

Tammy Madigan, 37, is an adult student who has had to juggle family life to complete the degree. She relocated from Australia in 2021 to do her qualification at EIT in Hawke’s Bay.

Tammy, who grew up in the Blue Mountains of Western Sydney, but lived for many years in Brisbane, was awarded the scholarship at a ceremony earlier this month. The scholarship includes money towards her fees, the opportunity to work on a vintage at Craggy Range Winery and the opportunity to be an associate judge at next year’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.

She says that she was honoured to be selected as the scholarship recipient and excited to accept the award at the Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards surrounded by the leaders and legends of the industry.

Having worked for many years in the retail industry in Australia, as the years went by, she became progressively more interested in viticulture and decided that she wanted to  pursue her studies at EIT. She has moved over with her husband Niall, who works as a cardiac sonographer at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, and her three children – two girls and a boy.

“Although it took a while for me to be able to commit to full-time study, I made the decision to permanently re-locate to NZ with my family in January 2021.”

“I’m a very practical kind of person and I really enjoyed the idea of doing a degree that also had a lot of practical learning. I’m more of a hands-on learner and enjoy learning on the job. There’s a little tiny vineyard on campus and there is just a lot of practical elements that I really enjoy.”

“I am extremely grateful that I am finally pursuing the dream, and I now consider Hawke’s Bay home. Since arriving I have immersed myself in various aspects of the industry while studying to obtain as much knowledge as possible.”

This has included stewarding for the Wine Awards and various DISH tasting events, cellar door work at Clearview Estate, a vintage internship at Te Mata Estate in 2023, and as a field technician for Croptide, an agricultural technology company specialising in real time crop monitoring solutions.

Tammy says that all these experiences have provided invaluable knowledge and connection to various people in the industry while developing a love for the Hawke’s Bay region

“While my interest in the industry was sparked by viticulture, I discovered a love for winemaking and would like to gain more experience and knowledge in this area as I pursue the goal of becoming a winemaker in my own right.”

She says that while Cyclone Gabrielle did disrupt her studies last year, especially having to move online and then off campus for a while, she and her cohort were not too badly affected.

“It was definitely a pretty interesting time. Initially it probably didn’t impact as heavily, being that I was in my second year and I was out doing the vintage at Te Mata Estate, which I was able to continue doing.”

With a hectic life of family, work and study, Tammy had to move her studies part-time for a semester last year, so will complete her degree during the second semester next year. She is also looking forward to taking part in the harvest at Craggy Range, which is part of her prize.

One thing is for sure, she is grateful that she chose EIT for a degree and she plans to stay on in Hawke’s Bay after she finishes her studies.

“I would like to purchase a house and settle in Hawke’s Bay for a little while. I might be able to duck off for some short stints to get some experience overseas or back home in Australia, but primarily, I’ll be basing myself here in Hawke’s Bay.

As for what path she wants to pursue in the future – viticulture or winemaking – Tammy says that she is unsure because she likes them both.

Sue Blackmore, Head of School for Viticulture and Wine Science says: “The V&W School wants to congratulate Tammy on this great opportunity provided for EIT students by the A&P Society and Craggy Range. Tammy is a very worthy recipient who as an adult student has managed to juggle the balance of a busy home life, full-time study and part-time work. Congratulations Tammy!”

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Award-winning theatre designer and visual artist appointed to head IDEAschool at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 days ago

Dr Sean Coyle is the new Head of School: IDEAschool at EIT.

An award-winning theatre designer, visual artist and researcher has been appointed to lead EIT’s IDEAschool.

Dr Sean Coyle started at EIT as the Head of School: IDEAschool last month. He came from Toi Whakaari – New Zealand Drama School in Wellington, where he was Academic Director. He completed an MA (Hons) in Art and Design at AUT and a PhD at the University of Tasmania.

“I am pleased to be taking this next step as Head of School, because I am really interested in the potential of what the IDEAschool can be. I’m incredibly passionate about creative education and I’m familiar with the creativity that exists in the Bay.”

Sean says that his father is from Napier, so he has spent time in Hawke’s Bay over the years. He is keen to be returning full-time.

“I’m 100 percent committed to getting to know the creative sector and the community in Hawke’s Bay because I feel it’s vital for a creative industry school to be connected in some way to those industries that we are training in. So, one of my number one goals is to touch base with and get advice from the local industry stakeholders.”

Sean, who was born in Melbourne to New Zealand parents, has built a career in the arts over a number of decades. Having spent his formative years in Australia, he finished his schooling at Bay of Island College in Kawakawa, where his family had a bookshop.

His journey into creative practice began with a stint at Art School in Otago and then at Toi Whakaari, where he would later return as Academic Director. After achieving a Diploma in Professional Theatre, he worked in theatre and television in Wellington before going to Melbourne where he did a Graduate Diploma in Dramatic Arts Design at the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts. He also worked as a set, costume and lighting designer.

Sean’s career saw him teach at Toi Whakaari, at Northland Polytech in Whangarei, and then at the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts in Auckland where he became Head of School. His latest stint at Toi Whakaari – the last four years- saw him move from being the Head of Design and Arts Management to the Academic Director.

“I had been really interested in moving to Hawke’s Bay for some time, so when this job at EIT came up, it felt like the absolute right fit for me at this time in my life.”

Sean, who has relocated to Napier with his artist partner Grant, says he has always been “a fan” of smaller cities, so is looking forward to living here.

Another important aspect of his new role that Sean is looking forward to, is fostering a research culture in IDEAschool.

“I’m very passionate about creative research and I am an active researcher. I’m publishing as well as doing practice-based research. I also think it’s a necessity for staff that are involved in teaching degree programmes to be research active.”

“I’m interested in the ways that we can do really authentic and valuable research projects that utilise our practice as creative artists, designers and musicians. My aim is to push forward the IDEAschool as a hub of practice-based research.”

Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, says: “We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Dr Sean Coyle as the new Head of School: IDEAschool.”

“With a wealth of experience and a passion for nurturing creative talent, Sean brings a fresh perspective and innovative approach to our Faculty. His commitment to fostering creativity, critical thinking, and artistic expression aligns perfectly with the school’s mission. We are excited to see the positive impact he will have on our students, staff and the stakeholders across our local creative industries.”

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EIT Masters programme empowers IT professionals to make lasting impact in Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 days ago

Completing a Master of Information Technology at EIT has marked a significant milestone for three students, who balanced years of hard work, dedication, and full-time roles at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga with their academic pursuits.

Teriwa Graham, Tane Edwards, and Juanita Teariki dedicated their final projects to areas such as digital inclusion, cybersecurity, and the development of team-focused IT systems—projects that align closely with Te Taiwhenua mission –  to deliver essential health and social services across Hawke’s Bay.

The trio credits EIT’s supportive environment and the guidance of Associate Professor Dr Emre Erturk for their success in achieving this challenging goal.

Teriwa, Te Taiwhenua General Manager of IT, developed ‘people-centric’ IT solutions that simplify processes for staff and enhance service delivery.

“It’s about making sure high-quality data and information are provided to staff in a way that’s clear and helpful,” said Teriwa.

“Our goal is to give our frontline team the tools they need to make quick, informed decisions.”

Tane, a Business Analyst with 17 years at Te Taiwhenua, and Master of Digital Business graduate, addressed digital inclusion by promoting digital literacy and training community members who may lack confidence with technology.

“We live in a digital world, and there are those who embrace it and those who don’t,” he explained.

“The aim is to help people become more independent by equipping them with basic digital skills—whether it’s using apps, online banking, or other essential tools.”

Juanita, Te Taiwhenua IT Manager, concentrated on building cybersecurity awareness to protect the organisation and its users from cyber threats.

“Cybersecurity awareness is crucial, especially in today’s digital age, where anyone can fall victim to cybercrime. My goal was to improve our team’s understanding of cybersecurity and create strategies to keep everyone safer online.”

Reflecting on the support they received from EIT and Associate Professor Dr Emre Erturk, all three students credited his guidance as essential for balancing full-time work and studies.

“Emre has been incredibly supportive throughout our journey,” Teriwa stated.

Emre congratulated Teriwa, Tane and Juanita.

“Every student is unique and needs tailored guidance. Anyhow, our common interest in digital inclusion and transformation has made our synergies even greater.”

Tane added that this support was crucial as they navigated their demanding schedules, noting, “It’s rewarding to work on projects that not only improve our work environment but also benefit our community.”

Juanita concluded, “EIT has provided us with the tools and knowledge to drive meaningful change, and we are excited to implement these solutions in our roles”.