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EIT student holds first exhibition after winning prestigious scholarship | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

1 min ago

EIT IDEAschool student Olivia Wilson pictured with part of her first exhibition Chipper at the Hastings Community Arts Centre. Photo/ Heather Wilson.

Bachelor of Creative Practice student Olivia Wilson is celebrating her first solo exhibition, after winning the prestigious David Fine Scholarship.

The 25-year-old student, who is in her final year of the three-year degree, has been able to bring her creative vision to life at the Hastings Community Arts Centre thanks to the scholarship.

“Winning the David Fine Scholarship was a surprise, but a very exciting one. It’s an honour, and I really wanted to do David Fine and his family justice.”

Olivia’s exhibition, Chipper, draws inspiration from Cyclone Gabrielle and was initially her Level 7 project which required students to solve a problem.

“Cyclone Gabrielle was and still is a huge issue for Hawke’s Bay and I thought that through the opportunity of the David Fine Scholarship, I could do my piece for the Hawke’s Bay Community. A lot of us, following the weather event, suffered from mental stress. I could only relate this to my own experience, and I wanted to help others feel better.”

The Chipper exhibition includes Olivia’s 2D and 3D design work, along with photography and prints from fellow EIT student and fine artist Oriane De Lacey.

A key part of her exhibition is a kinetic windmill design, which Olivia says is a nostalgic reminder of childhood and a grounding symbolism.

“My intention behind Chipper is to simply make you feel good. I want to help you open doorways in your search for a happy life. We all know what it can feel like being stuck in the humdrum of daily life. I wanted to introduce colour to a hard hit Hawke’s Bay community – not just in its literal sense. I also somehow wanted the installation to convey a more positive association with weather.”

“The reaction has been great,” Olivia says. “I’ve loved seeing people’s smiley faces, especially my grandparents, alongside the installation.”

She thanked her team and family, along with her sponsors Resene, Carters, Richard Kepka Builders and Heather Wilson Artist.

Olivia’s passion for design started in high school, where she earned a scholarship in her final year at Napier Girls’ High School.

“My happy place from the get-go has been design. I love concepting and developing ideas and watching them come to fruition. I’ve always known that my passion lies in being creative, and I’m super stoked to almost have a degree and be in my final year.”

Olivia credits her time at EIT as transformative.

“When I left high school, I became quite unwell. I spent several years recovering and learning to manage my illness. I was encouraged by my therapist and my family to enrol at EIT. This decision has been a catalyst for some of the most positive changes in my life to date.

“EIT has been some of the best years of my life – my tutors have really encouraged me, and I feel a very strong sense of community at EIT IDEAschool. I have also made some golden friends.

“I find it really hard to believe sometimes how far I’ve come in relation to where I was. I am now incredibly well, and I think that’s because I have purpose. I owe those who encouraged me along the way, a massive thank you.”

While her two-week exhibition finished on Friday (September 13) the installation has been reinstalled in The Atrium at EIT.

IDEAschool Design Programme Coordinator and Senior Lecturer Anthony Chiappin said: “Livvy and her cohort of third year Bachelor of Creative Practice students have worked together to realise this exhibition”.

“For us it not only showcases the incredible talent we foster within the programme, but the huge amount of support by which the design lecturers who teach the students give, selflessly beyond the call of duty. Lecturers Beck Wheeler, Roger Kelly and Mazin Bahho supported by the rest of the crew, namely Diane Wilkie and Estelle Booth, have been pivotal in seeing this vision through.

“The best part about the education paradigm at IDEAschool is the one on one attention paid to each student, where they get much more real world experience from lecturers who practice in the real world. Overall Chipper can only benefit the entire community, and by default shine some light on the horrific 2023 we all experienced.”

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Connemara failure highlights urgent need to address ferry fiasco

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The power loss of the Bluebridge ferry Connemara in the Cook Strait last night highlights the importance of a resilient publicly-owned interisland ferry service, says the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ).

MUNZ National Secretary Carl Findlay says this issue with the Bluebridge service alongside other previous issues demonstrates the need for high-quality and fit for purpose ferries on the strait. 

“Once again it’s just been a matter of the quick thinking of a highly skilled crew and good luck with the conditions that there has been a safe recovery of the vessel and people aboard.

“We can’t keep relying on luck.

“Cook Strait is the most critical route for New Zealand’s freight transport system and it needs to be resilient. That means public owned and rail enabled ferries that are reliable, safe, and fit for purpose.

“It’s worth noting that the Connemara is much newer than the ships run by Kiwirail and was built by the provider rumoured to be the Government’s frontrunner for new interislander ferries, StenaLine.

“Just last month the shareholding Minister, Nicola Willis, was in Parliament touting the benefits of private ferries. This shows once again how wrong-headed that statement and her decision to cancel the iRex project was.

“It’s getting close to a year without a decision or even the final negotiation of the iReX cancellation that is likely to cost us hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The government needs to swallow its pride and go back to Hyundai to negotiate the iReX deal.

“It’ll cost us more now because of this government’s rash decision to cancel the original deal but nowhere near as much as how much a failed ferry system will cost our freight customers, our economy, and the safety of our crews and passengers.”

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After years of personal and employment challenges, student finds fulfilment in EIT hairdressing programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Vanessa Hopping is doing the NZ Certificate in Hairdressing (Level 3) at EIT.

An EIT student, who faced years of personal challenges and job uncertainty, has finally found fulfilment doing the NZ Certificate in Hairdressing (Level 3).

Vanessa Hopping, 31, attended Ōtūmoetai College in Tauranga, but left early, finding that school was not for her.

“I did my first year of hairdressing when I was 18, but I ended up leaving and moving to Australia, just due to personal circumstances. I was going through a really hard time with family and on a whim, honestly, just moved over there, because my brother lived there.”

She worked in a number of different jobs including at a supermarket, as a nightclub DJ and on a tomato farm, but did not really feel they were for her. While she was in Australia, Vanessa fell pregnant, but as she was not in a good relationship, she decided to move back to New Zealand.

She lived with her grandparents in Hamilton where she gave birth to her daughter Ruby. After that she decided to study travel and tourism, but although she completed the programme, she did not feel that it was the career for her.

After that she spend a number of years moving around and trying to get jobs in salons, but never really settled down.

“I was trying to get an apprenticeship, but just no one would take me on, because it had been too many years since I’d done hairdressing.”

Vanessa says that she went through a period of time where she focused on her daughter and “basically did enough to survive”.

A personal tragedy when an aunt died and the traumatic birth of her son Phoenix, in which she almost died, made Vanessa finally reassess her life.

Vanessa says that she feels like she has always had “to battle something”, but that this has made her resilient.

“I’ve been through quite a journey.”

A job as a security manager at Farmers in Hastings gave her some satisfaction, but eventually she left that role as she was not spending enough time with her children.

“I was burnt out and needed some time for myself.  I knew I wanted to do something with my career.”

She decided to email EIT to find out about availability on the hairdressing programme and how she could use her earlier qualifications.

“I said: ‘ Hey, this is my situation. I’ve done this hairdressing course before, but is there any refresher course or anything like that?’ I just emailed at the right time in my life, because that’s when they said that the hairdressing programme had changed.”

Vanessa got a student loan ad enrolled the NZ Certificate in Hairdressing (Level 3)in February.

“It all happened really fast and it all just fell into place for me ever since then. It’s just like my miracle.”

She has no regrets about the career she has chosen.

“I absolutely love it. I love it so much. I feel very passionate about it. I always loved hairdressing and used to practise braiding hair on my dolls.”

“Even when I was as young as 13, I used to colour my hair and my friends hair as well. It’s just something that’s really just stuck with me my whole life.”

“And I knew that I wanted to come back to it. I just never thought I was going to be able to.”

She is finding the EIT programme very rewarding.

“My favourite thing is colouring hair and making clients feel happy, even just helping them relax.”

“I’ve always wanted to be in an industry where I help people. And this is where it’s something that I can do that I love that also helps people.”

“It’s a rewarding thing to do. And I think it’s reflecting in my results.”

As for the future, Vanessa currently has a part-time job at Vivo in Havelock North and is hoping to get an apprenticeship next year.

“I just want people to know that whether you’re 18, 30 or even 50, 60, you can do whatever you want. You just have to keep trying, even if it doesn’t work out in the moment.”

Courtney Cook, EIT’s Hairdressing Programme Coordinator and Lecturer, says: “Vanessa is a driven learner who has continued to apply 100% focus while in the NZ Certificate in Hairdressing (Level 3)course.”

“We admire her determination and resilience in the fact that she has two children and works outside of class yet when she arrives for the day she is focused and provides professional services that her clients continue to return for.”

“She inspires her peers in the programme and has been a constant support for everyone.  Vanessa is an inspiration for those who have a dream and never stop until they reach their full potential. We have seen Vanessas confidence blossom in both herself and her skill set this year and it has been so amazing to watch. We wish Vanessa all the best and cannot wait to see her achieve big things within the industry.”

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EIT Tairāwhiti inviting prospective students to learn what’s on offer at information day | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

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EIT will be holding an information and enrolment day between 9am and 6pm on 16 October at the EIT Tairāwhiti Campus.

EIT Tairāwhiti is inviting prospective students (ākonga) to attend an information and enrolment day next month to see what career opportunities await.

The event will be held between 9am and 6pm on 16 October at the EIT Tairāwhiti Campus. Events will also be held on the same day between 10am and 2pm at the Wairoa and Ruatoria Learning Centres.

EIT Tairāwhiti Executive Director, Tracey Tangihaere, says that EIT is unique in offering people a full range of qualifications from certificates to postgraduate level, with full-time, part-time and online study options available.

“We are part of our community and we offer people of all ages the opportunity to stay close to whānau but still achieve their tertiary education dreams.”

“Whether you’re looking to get qualified, retrain, upskill, or just exploring your study options, come chat to our staff about how EIT may support you.”

Tracey says that EIT has been serving the Tairāwhiti community and local businesses for many years and is proud to have produced many graduates who are now part of a variety of industries in the region.

Check out EIT Tairāwhiti on Facebook and Instagram for more information or phone 0800 CALL EIT.

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School students to be tested at EIT fitness and skills competition in Mahia | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

10 mins ago

Students from Wairoa College and Ngata College Services Academies and the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Trades Academy Services programme will test their skills, fitness and resilience in a competition based in Mahia this week.

Students from Wairoa College and Ngata College Services Academies and the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Trades Academy Services programme will test their skills, fitness and resilience in a competition based in Mahia this week.

The competition, organised by EIT’s School of Trades and Technology will take place tomorrow and Thursday (18-19 September).

EIT Trades and Technology Head of School, Todd Rogers, says the competition is an opportunity to test the skills the students have been taught in the programme throughout the year.

The competition consists of groups from each academy tackling a 15km course carrying Army packs, logs, steel bars and completing tasks along the way such as a carrying an “injured” person up Mokotahi hill and pushing a vehicle 1km with all their equipment.

Students must navigate to each point throughout the night, with the competition beginning at 5pm and finishing no later than 3am.

“This is the first time an event of this nature combining all academies has been facilitated in our region hopefully we can make it an annual event,” says Todd.

“Not only will these activities test the individuals’ skills and fitness, it will require them to work together and back each under extreme conditions.”

“All the courses are greatly supported by New Zealand Defence Force  recruiting (Defence Careers) and the NZ Police in Mahia and Gisborne.”

“We are looking forward seeing these youngsters show what they are made of.”

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Chinese university staff visit EIT as part of training and mentoring programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

12 seconds ago

Staff from Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) recently spent five weeks at EIT in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay as part of a training and mentoring agreement.

Staff from a Chinese university recently spent five weeks at EIT in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay as part of a training and mentoring agreement.

The visit stems from a partnership that EIT has with Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU). The Joint Education Programme partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020. That first year saw 230 students starting on the campus in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, Southeast China.

Approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) paved the way for EIT to deliver its degree programmes in China. The joint venture supports the delivery of two of EIT’s degrees, the Bachelor of Creative Practice and the Bachelor of Computing Systems, with two majors offered in Information Systems and Intelligent Systems.

ZYU staff visited EIT for the purposes of their training. During their time at EIT they developed an understanding of contemporary New Zealand teaching, learning and assessment methods, while spending time enhancing their English language proficiency.

Earlier this year an EIT delegation visited China where it held joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further the partnership and attended the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communication College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students, who started in 2020.

A recent visit by Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) staff to EIT stems from a partnership that EIT has with Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU). The Joint Education Programme partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020.

The delegation of senior EIT staff, were joined by the EIT Deputy Dean of the Data Science and Communication College who is a resident in China.

John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says the visit was symbolic of the success of the partnership between EIT and ZYU.

“Visits like this build on the solid basis of the relationship and it was a pleasure to host our colleagues from China in this way and for them to experience our culture, campus life and academic practices.”

“We are pleased that our staff have the opportunity to teach in China and for us to welcome ZYU lecturers with the ultimate aim of providing quality education for all out students.”

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Manahau crew being denied access to representation

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Manahau barge grounding at Westport could have led to a disaster, but crew are being prevented from talking to Union representatives. 

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says there are serious questions emerging about the incident.

He says the grounding of the Manahau could have resulted in the loss of life and the loss of the ship if the vessel had come ashore elsewhere on the West Coast.

It was proving very difficult to talk to the Indonesian and Myanmar crew on the Manahau, and the Union was taking legal action, says Mr Findlay.

“Our representatives were blocked from visiting the Manahau by port security acting on the instructions of operator WMS and the company continues to try and prevent crew from accessing representation and support.”

Yesterday evening a Union lawyer and officials had a pre-arranged meeting with crew and the meeting was interrupted by a company representative who drove off with crew members.

“We are extremely concerned about the attitude of WMS, the company who operates the Manahau, and its approach to the rights of crew and legitimate public interest in this debacle.”

Mr Findlay says it appears the situation is being controlled by the private company responsible for the problem in the first place, and authorities needed to step up and assert themselves.

The Maritime Union is affiliated to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) representing over 1 million seafarers in more than 200 seafarers’ unions across 106 countries.

Maritime Union officials are empowered to act as ITF inspectors aboard ships.

“Crew members should have independent support and advice, as the company that put them on this vessel can’t be trusted to do the right thing.”

Mr Findlay says information about the seaworthiness of the Manahau has been forwarded to the Union by several experienced maritime professionals who have had interactions with WMS.

“Some key concerns expressed were the Manahau was underpowered for the rugged West Coast maritime environment, and more suitable for shallow river work.”

Another concern was that a well-informed New Zealand crew with local knowledge and nautical information would not have anchored in Buller Bay during the forecast bad weather.

The 97.53-metre and 3706-GT self-powered barge Manahau had only just come into service in August 2024 carrying mineral sands out of shallow draught port Westport.

Mr Findlay says the Manahau had a foreign crew and the flag state was Niue, despite being supported by coastal shipping funding from the Government. 

He says the Maritime Union supports funding for New Zealand coastal vessels, but in this case taxpayer money had gone towards what appeared to be an inappropriate vessel employing an overseas crew that was not even flagged to New Zealand.

“There were undertakings made by the Government and the company that seafarer jobs would be created, and what we see instead is a cynical exploitation of loopholes and shortcuts.”

“New Zealand needs to build its coastal shipping capacity, and that means New Zealand owned, operated and crewed ships operating at accepted and high quality standards.”

Mr Findlay noted the tragic loss of the collier Kaitawa in May 1966, which sailed out of Westport and travelled up the west coast with coal bound for Portland cement works in Whangarei via the North Cape.

The Kaitawa encountered heavy seas off Cape Reinga and foundered on the Pandora Bank in heavy seas, and sank with loss of all 29 crew.

“The Maritime Union do not want to see a similar situation and we say the Manahau should be removed from service pending full investigation into its suitability.”

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Passion for academia and achieving educational reform for Māori learners important for new EIT Head of School | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

1 day ago

Zac Anderson is EIT’s new Head of School: Education and Social Sciences and the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.

A passion for academia and achieving educational reform for Māori learners are important for EIT’s new Head of School: Education and Social Sciences and the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.

Zac Anderson, who joins EIT from Tamatea High School where she was Deputy Principal, says that the opportunity to work at EIT was too good to pass up.

“I’ve been in New Zealand for twenty years from Australia, and I’ve always known EIT to have a fantastic reputation. I am feeling very fortunate to have been chosen and I think that it is going to be a great job.”

Zac’s role will see her leading a diverse team of social workers, early childhood and primary school professionals, and those teaching in the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.

“The kaupapa of the different departments within the school that I’m head of is all based on care for humans or animals, and teaching others to be the best they can be.”

Before Tamatea High School, Zac held various management positions at schools in Hawke’s Bay and was employed at the University of Waikato for four years. During her tenure at the University of Waikato, she was part of the Poutama Pounamu team led by Professor Mere Berryman, embedding transformative changes in culturally responsive pedagogies in kura throughout Aotearoa.

Zac says she sees her role as building her team, but also getting to know stakeholders in both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti and getting to know what the community wants and needs from EIT’s graduates.

“It is about building the relationships with the stakeholders and the advisory groups in our different areas. I think this  is going to be really important for me, so I know what they need and then we can make sure that it’s reflected in our teaching and learning programmes.”

“I’m excited that I work across both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, because I know Gisborne, in particular, and the surrounding East Coast area. I lived and worked with Wairoa-based communities for so long, and there’s unique needs on the East Coast compared to Hawke’s Bay.”

Zac has a Master’s in Education, where she looked at critical leadership to achieve educational reform for Māori learners, “which is my passion”.

“I’ve been learning Te Reo since I arrived in New Zealand, but I’m nowhere near where I want to be. And I love that learning journey about the tikanga and the kawa of what it means to immerse yourself into te ao Māori.”

“It’s deeply important to me as a non-Māori leader to be very clear about what role I play as Tangata Tiriti in honouring the bicultural intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I am passionate about bringing practical effect to Te Tiriti in my daily practice. I will be enrolling soon in my PhD and no doubt this area of critical leadership to decolonise and indigenise our curriculum will be a focus of my research.”

Zac is mindful of the vital role research plays at an academic institute and she will be encouraging her staff on this front.

“Research really allows us to get the voice of our communities, our learners, our academics and our professionals, and really understand the nature of what we’re doing.”

“Research, to me, is all about making sure you’re at the cutting edge of practice , making sure that we’re taking into account what’s happening around the world, but for our own flavour here in Aotearoa.”

Originally from Australia, Zac has lived in Hawke’s Bay since 2004 with her wife, Kae Schlierike, and their three rescue dogs.

Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, said:  “We are thrilled to welcome Zac to our team. Her connections in to the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast community and inclusive approach to education are a perfect fit for our organization. We are excited to see the contributions she will make to the school and the wider institution. She has already made a positive impression with her energy and passion in her short time with us.”

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EIT lecturer’s research into ChatGPT in education shows challenges and promises | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 days ago

Amr van den Adel is a Senior Lecturer in the EIT School of Computing in Auckland.

ChatGPT in educational settings has potential benefits, but there are also challenges, research by an EIT lecturer has found.

The research, led by Amr van den Adel, a Senior Lecturer in the EIT School of Computing in Auckland, has recently been published in the renowned journal Educational Sciences, entitled ChatGPT promises and challenges in education: Computational and ethical perspectives. The other authors of the article are Ali Ahsan and Claire Davison, both from the University of Torrens Australia. Amr and the two other authors are all members of the Centre for Organisational Change and Agility at Torrens.

The study explores the integration of ChatGPT in educational settings. It highlights the potential benefits, but also addresses significant challenges like AI biases and the lack of emotional and interpersonal interactions typical in traditional education.

“The paper underscores the need for ongoing research to adapt educational strategies in response to rapidly evolving AI technologies, offering insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers,” says Amr.

“This paper investigates the integration of ChatGPT into educational environments, focusing on its potential to enhance personalised learning and the ethical concerns it raises. Through a systematic literature review, interest analysis, and case studies, the research scrutinises the application of ChatGPT in diverse educational contexts, evaluating its impact on teaching and learning practices.”

Amr says that the key findings reveal that ChatGPT can enrich education significantly by offering dynamic, personalised learning experiences and real-time feedback, thereby boosting teaching efficiency and learner engagement.

“However, the study also highlights significant challenges, such as biases in AI algorithms that may distort educational content and the inability of AI to replicate the emotional and interpersonal dynamics of traditional teacher–student interactions.”

“The paper acknowledges the fast-paced evolution of AI technologies, which may render some findings obsolete, underscoring the need for ongoing research to adapt educational strategies accordingly.”

Amr says that this study provides a balanced analysis of the opportunities and challenges of ChatGPT in education, emphasising ethical considerations and offering strategic insights for the responsible integration of AI technologies.

“These insights are valuable for educators, policymakers, and researchers involved in the digital transformation of education.”

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Kaitaki sentencing underscores need for new ferries

Source: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The sentencing of KiwiRail today for a 2023 incident on the Kaitaki interisland ferry highlights the urgent need for replacement ferries, says the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

KiwiRail was fined $432,500 for a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act brought by industry regulator Maritime New Zealand, following loss of engine power on the Interislander ferry Kaitaki on Saturday 28 January 2023. 

Hundreds of passengers and crew were left adrift on the ferry in severe weather conditions and a ‘May Day’ call was issued as the ferry drifted towards the Wellington coast, before power was restored.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the failure should never have happened. 

“It’s pretty clear that this is a failure by KiwiRail to do some basic maintenance. They’ve copped that and so they should.

“But you can’t look at this without the bigger picture. This is critical infrastructure that is ageing out and has been underfunded by successive governments for years.

“As far as MUNZ is concerned the last government’s plan to replace this fleet with the iRex project was already coming later than it should have.

“The cancellation of the new ferry deal by Minister of Finance Nicola Willis has put us back to square one at massive expense to the taxpayer. It’s gross negligence.

“The Government must provide a plan and a timeline for safe, publicly owned and rail enabled ferries as soon as possible.

“If they don’t. it should be them standing in the dock if this kind of failure happens again.”