Category: Eastern Institute of Technology

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

A new promotional video, featuring promising young actor Akuhata (Augs) Keefe (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Kahungunu), has been released by EIT | Te Pūkenga to showcase the wide variety of programmes on offer at the institute.

The video, which was commissioned by the EIT | Te Pūkenga Marketing Department, was directed and produced by Hawke’s Bay video production company Indelible. Company Director Dan Browne together with brother and videographer Andrew shot the video on locations in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, with EIT|Te Pūkenga staff and students featured in supporting roles to Akuhata. The classroom scenes were filmed at Taradale High School.

The video opens with Akuhata, who was once an EIT Trades Academy student, as a young school leaver looking for a career path. He is shown as a school student looking at studying nursing, computing, vet nursing, business studies, creative practice, Māori studies, sports science, environmental studies, wine and viticulture, trades and teaching. The video ends with him as a teacher welcoming young students into his own classroom.

EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness says the video is an important visual opportunity to show the wide variety of certificate, diploma and degree programmes on offer at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

“We are proud of the skills and academic pathways that we offer to a range of learners from school leavers to mature students. We cater for all needs, be it those embarking on a new career or those seeking to change directions.”

“This video is targeted at high school students who may not realise that they have a quality option to study in their chosen career right here on their doorstep.”

The video is being shared across the EIT | Te Pūkenga social media networks, emailed to all students, shared on campus and regional learning centres and in high schools.  The video can be viewed here. 

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

The NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care [Level 5], which has been a success at the EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay Campus since 2022, will be rolled out at EIT | Te Pūkenga in Tairāwhiti from next year.

The one year programme gives the learner the opportunity to gain a qualification that will support the practice-based education and care of infants, toddlers, and young children in a range of early childhood contexts. This qualification is appropriate in Kohanga Reo as well.

The field-based programme, which was due to have started this year, provides a balance between theory, research and practice. Learners spend two days in face-to-face learning on campus mixed with online learning and then undertake a minimum of 12 hours per week in a licensed early childhood education service.

The level 5 NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care is the same as first year of the Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education).

Subject areas include child development, how children learn, supporting children’s learning, reflecting on your practice, communication, te reo Māori and artistic languages of children.

Leading the new programme is EIT | Te Pūkenga lecturer Tania Hagen, who has nine years’ experience as an ECE teacher and was appointed as a Member to the Order of St John – by the Governor-General for her services to St John NZ for promoting an inclusive and interactive youth programme. “Learners will have a chance to learn something on campus and then put it into practice at a centre and then come back to say how it worked or not. This adds a reflection aspect to their learning.”

“We’ve been around to see most of the centres and the Kindergarten Association is fully supporting us. Most of the centres can’t wait to have on campus learning happening again in Gisborne.”

Tania says that because the diploma is the first year of the degree offered at the Hawke’s Bay Campus, it gives many people a chance to get into tertiary study and come out with a qualification. Dependant on numbers there is an opportunity for the full degree to be offered in Tairāwhiti in the future.

Tania says they are expecting the first cohort of students next year to be quite diverse.

“There’s been  enquiries from the schools for school leavers and also mums who have been raising children but now want to embark on tertiary studies so they can get back into work.”

“We have seen a couple of male learners show interest, which is great to see.”

Tania says she has one hope for learners who finish the diploma.

“I want the students to come out with a passion for teaching in ECE. When you’re working at a centre, you get to watch the children grow from a baby into graduating to go to school. It is a special thing for teachers.”

Tracey Tangihaere, Executive Director, EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti, says: “This qualification is perfect for our region – it is delivery in person and on site. It’s a great start to a great career in ECE and beyond.”

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

EIT | Te Pūkenga students (ākonga) took advantage of a recent trip to Taupō to gain valuable tourism experience in the North Island hotspot.

Accompanied by two lecturers in the School of Tourism and Hospitality, Nikki Lloyd and Karen Banks, the ākonga used the opportunity to learn outside the classroom.

Nikki says that as part of their assessments, the NZ Certificate in Tourism (Level 4) ākonga have to analyse the visitor experience of different tourism destinations.

“We take them through to Taupō because it’s achievable in a day and it’s different to Hawke’s Bay, and there’s lots to see and do. They have a look around and then we experience the Hukafalls Jet before we come home.”

She says that the trip to Taupō had been included in the programme for the past six or seven years.

This year has also seen the EIT | Te Pūkenga tourism offering become part of a new unified tourism programme in Te Pūkenga

“Essentially, Te Pūkenga is unifying the programmes of study. It means that everybody in the Te Pūkenga network that teaches tourism will teach the same tourism program. We’re offering the new program for the first time this year, but they’re actually based on what we had previously at EIT, so the network will pick up the EIT programme, but with some adjustments, tweaks, making it better.”

“We took the EIT programme as a basis and we upgraded it, essentially. But we’ve tried to keep industry visits where we can. This is one of them that we’ve kept on.”

“Most of our students have been through to Taupō before, but they haven’t necessarily looked at it through the eyes of what it offers the tourists. They go and have a look at what’s available. We go to the I-Site and we talk to them about who comes to Taupō and what do they want to do when they’re there.”

“We also went to Huka Lodge and had a tour around there, which is pretty special. And then we went to Wairakei Resort and had a look around there. They’re quite different markets that they appeal to. And then we have a look at what you can do, as well as where you can stay.”

For ākonga, it was a meaningful experience.

Helena Street, 18, who also works at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers as a waitress, says she has been enjoying Level 4, which was a “step up” from last semester.

“We’ve been learning a lot more about the world side and geography type stuff, which has been good to expand our knowledge.”

“I definitely have enjoyed the trips going away and actually being able to get out of the class and actually see the stuff that we’ve been learning about.”

Nineteen-year old Jo O’Halloran, says she has also enjoyed the programme.

“When we went to Taupō we got to meet with the different businesses, like the hotel accommodation provider people, and then also the jet boat people. It was interesting learning about that. And we’ve also had a lady who runs an events company in Hawke’s Bay come and talk to us once, and she was really interesting. It was cool to hear about the different career paths you can go down from the course.”

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

Having risen through the ranks of Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ), Ed Hindmarsh realised that he needed greater skills and knowledge to apply to the workplace, so he decided to study at the Tairāwhiti campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga.

It is a decision that he does not regret and now he is on the cusp of completing his Graduate Diploma in Business (Level 7). Ed is currently a Senior Station Officer at the Gisborne Fire Station in Tairāwhiti.

“I joined Fire and Emergency New Zealand in 2003, and progressively worked my way through the ranks. When I got nearer to the officer ranks, I identified that I didn’t have any formal training to lead and manage teams. I believe now, 20 years later, it’s very clear that learning and developing is critical to getting great performance for an organisation, as well as individuals and teams.”

“I have certainly benefited from my business and leadership studies throughout my career with Fire and Emergency New Zealand.”

Ed’s association with EIT|Te Pūkenga began when it was still the Tairāwhiti Polytechnic, when he enrolled in the NZ Diploma in Business. He finished this in 2014, but as the years passed by, he always wanted to go further.

“As I progressed through the ranks and got into the more senior management roles, I knew that the organisation and teams that I lead would benefit from me having greater skills and knowledge to apply to the working environment.”

“So that’s why I chose to go back. Well, I’m still there.”

With work, his young family and outside horticultural interests filling up his time, Ed fits in his study as he can. He has another five papers to do and plans to get back into it again in the new semester next year.

Despite COVID-19 disruptions, Ed has enjoyed the programme, which he says has had a strong impact on his career.

“I think one of the most critical things is to get the workplace environment as positive as we can across all facets. It’s crucial have the right knowledge, skills and attributes for managing and leading to be able to impress that. It’s identifying little issues that you can foresee occurring and then nipping them in the bud immediately so that no one even knows that there was going to be an issue. That is what success looks like in our environment.”

Forty-one year old Ed says he will not hesitate to recommend EIT | Te Pūkenga to anyone looking to further their education.

“I’d recommend the EIT School of Business to anyone that has a desire to be a manager or to be a leader of people. If one wants to be effective in leadership, or enhance their leadership potential, then I’d definitely recommend a course of study like this.”

Joanna Frame, Programme Leader in the EIT | Te Pūkenga School of Business in Tairāwhiti, says: “It has been an absolute privilege to have been a part of Ed’s academic journey.”

“The Graduate Diploma in Business is the perfect qualification for ākonga such as Ed who have significant experience at a managerial level and are wanting to enhance their knowledge in a specialised area of business.”

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

An IDEAschool ākonga (student), on the cusp of finishing her degree, has won a merit award at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards.

Aiaikitekura Kavana says she is very proud.

“I didn’t realise I had won a Merit Award on my collection at first, and I’m flabbergasted. At my age, you feel blessed to be rewarded for your ideas.”

New Zealand’s top awards for amateur fashion designers, in its 35th year, were held in Gore at the end of July. It is widely regarded as the event where young designers showcase their talents.

Aiaikitekura didn’t attend the awards in person, instead watching online.

“I was watching it on my phone with other students. So, when I heard my name, I said, “Yay, they’re calling out all the students’ names’. It wasn’t until my tutor rang me to congratulate me. And I said to her, ‘I was wondering why everybody was sending me messages’.”

The 66-year-old is in her final year of a Bachelor of Creative Practice (Fashion) and previously graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Practice (Visual Arts & Design) in 2015.

Aiaikitekura moved to New Zealand from the Cook Islands when she was 10 years old. Her collection ‘Colonisation’ was inspired by her life experience as an immigrant living away from her homeland.

By incorporating her love of weaving and sowing, the three piece collection merges her Aitutakian heritage and her grandchildrens Scottish heritage.

Her love for fashion began on the Islands when she would spend time with her mother and other ladies in the village sewing Tivaivai (traditional Cook Island embroidered bedspreads).

Over the course of her degree, Aiaikitekura says she has fallen in love with the design process.

She is now working on a five-piece cultural collection, which will be showcased at the annual end of year EIT | Te Pūkenga IDEAschool Fashion Show in November.

This time, she is branching outside of her comfort zone.

“I’m doing things that I don’t normally do, like using lots of colour. It will be culturally based and will incorporate weaving. The theme is nature, and I am adopting the colours of the cultures close to me; Cook Island, Scottish and Māori.”

Once graduated, Aiaikitekura hopes to create community programmes for young children to learn the art of sewing and weaving.

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

Tala Sogafai Utumapu, 23, has worked as an administrator of an Early Childhood centre for many years, but has always harboured the desire to qualify as an ECE teacher.

Having attempted an online programme through another provider, Tala decided EIT | Te Pūkenga was where she needed to follow her passion.

Having completed the EIT | Te Pūkenga Study and Career Preparation programme, Tala enrolled in the Level 5 Diploma in Early Childhood Education at the beginning of the year.

It was a tough start to the programme as Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay, devastating the campus in Taradale.

“Because the cyclone hit, we had to push back our starting date. It did put a hold on it, and we have to do our classes online now, but they understood our situation and they managed to push us through and encourage us.”

Tala says, that while she was personally impacted by the Cyclone, EIT | Te Pūkenga was very accommodating in allowing for the disruption.

It has however, not deterred her from pursuing her education.

“Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an early childcare teacher. It just took a while for me to fully make that commitment.”

“I decided to enrol at EIT and just that process of enrolling again made life easier. That fully helped me confirm that, yep, I’m going to become a Pasifika teacher. And I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and it just took a while. But going through EIT, it just made the whole process easier. “

“Being in administration at an early childcare centre, it kind of also pushed me to do my studies and become what I really wanted to be.”

Tala says she first began working as an administrator for her church, King’s House Church, for about one-and-half-years volunteering, which led to her becoming an administrator at the Church’s Early Childcare Centre. She has been there for about three years.

Doing the Diploma programme has given Tala confidence.

“I know studying, it’s definitely not easy, but through the support from EIT and the teachers and even classmates, they want you to succeed. They don’t set you up to fail. They set you up to succeed, and they see your potential. So just having that, and knowing the staff has your back and is encouraging you, it just makes things easier for me.”

She is enjoying the programme so much that she plans to continue next year and transition over to the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

“My ultimate goal is definitely to go and do the bachelor’s. I felt like the diploma will help  me build that confidence, get into my studies, just to know the information, it sets me up to go forward in the Bachelor programme.”

Tala is still working part-time at her Church’s centre but plans to return as a teacher when she qualifies.

“I see myself, after the diploma and degree, at the centre being an early childcare teacher. I’m just really excited. I was thinking of just going to do my diploma, but I thought, no, I can do it. It’s given me that confidence and the boost to continue and complete the degree So hopefully, after everything is done, I will be at my centre, teaching and not in the office.”

Tania du Plessis, the Early Childhood Education Programme Coordinator at EIT | Te Pūkenga, said: “In our early childhood teaching programme we offer flexible options, such as enrolling in the Diploma first before moving on to the bachelor degree, just as Tala has chosen to do.”

“Our team of teacher educators are fully dedicated to your study success and you can be assured of our full support every step of the way. Our qualification is highly regarded in the wider ECE community, with experienced and passionate mentor teachers to guide you in your practical experience. Enquire today!”