Category: Eastern Institute of Technology

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Horses microchipped as part of EQuiChip Initiative by EIT | Te Pūkenga Professor | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

15 mins ago

EIT | Te Pūkenga Professor Nat Waran (right) with a group of veterinarians, vet technicians, vet nurses, RDA and Pony Club volunteers and Veterinary Nursing ākonga (students) at the Napier RDA.

Horses in Hawke’s Bay that were displaced due to Cyclone Gabrielle will now be able to be traced as part of a microchipping initiative led by EIT | Te Pūkenga Professor Nat Waran.

Prof Nat Waran, Professor of One Welfare at EIT | Te Pūkenga created the EQuiChip initiative.
The initiative enables the equestrian community in Hawke’s Bay to take positive preventative measures to help reduce some of the risks and stress associated with being unable to find and identify horses if they are separated from their owners in unforeseen circumstances.

As the Chair of the Companion Animals New Zealand, the organisation responsible for the National Companion Animal Register (NZCAR), Nat is keen to increase awareness amongst responsible horse owners of the need to microchip and register their much loved animals so that they have a better chance of finding them if they are lost or separated.

“Although some far more impacted than others, Cyclone Gabrielle affected all of the Hawke’s Bay equestrian community. From pony club and leisure horse owners to elite equestrians and racehorse trainers.

Nat says while there were many stories of horses that had timely evacuations or were lucky to be quickly found, there were also those who were swept away by the flood water or trapped in silt, their whereabouts unknown.

“In the days after the cyclone, many of our community searched for their horses, posting desperate Facebook messages, circulating photographs for identification, and contacting the emergency centres. In circumstances like this, being able to more effectively identify a horse and its ownership through a microchip will help improve the chances of reuniting a horse and its human.”

Nat says the Hawke’s Bay equestrian community has pulled together to support each other over the past months, including getting behind the EQuiChip initiative.

“Whilst the project won’t change the impact of the devastating event that affected many local horse owners, we will, I hope, through this initiative, ensure that we are better equipped to protect our horses in future.”

EIT | Te Pūkenga NZ Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6) Ākonga (student) Sophie Freeman with Vet Renae Griffin.

Megan Williams, the head coach for one of the local pony clubs, is a vet nurse for VetsOne and an EIT | Te Pūkenga veterinary nursing student who is completing the new degree .

Megan’s personal experience following the cyclone where she couldn’t locate her children’s pony who had been swept away by the flood water in Dartmoor Valley meant that she didn’t hesitate when asked to help with the EQuiChip days.

“It took three long days before very luckily our pony, Poppy was found alive. I would recommend having all horses microchipped and registered on the national animal register so that they are easier to identify and can be returned quickly to their owners. Fortunately, despite having such a traumatic experience, Poppy is home now and appears none the worse for it.”

Three free ‘one-off’ events have been held in Napier, Hastings and most recently at the Waipukurau Racecourse (August 12), with more than 150 horses and ponies microchipped. They hope to see more owners contacting their vets to have theirs done too.

“It’s great to have had such wonderful support from colleagues in MPI, SPCA, ESNZ, local veterinary groups – VetServices Hawke’s Bay and VetsOne and the BioTherm Chip manufacturers (MSD).

“We are also extremely grateful to our venue hosts – RDA Napier, Hastings Showgrounds (VetServices Hastings) and Waipukurau Racecourse – along with the many local volunteers from local pony and riding clubs, including the vet nursing staff and students from EIT | Te Pūkenga.”
Emma Martin, the programme leader for veterinary nursing at EIT | Te Pūkenga has been assisting with the events.

Leanne Harkness, EIT | Te Pūkenga eMarketing Coordinator, has also been heavily involved.
With seven horses herself, who were not displaced, she has been traveling near and far collecting donated hay and delivering it to owners in need for the past six months.

Sophie Freeman, who is in her final semester of the NZ Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6), has gotten behind the initiative.

During her studies, she has been working as a vet nurse, and spent three weeks out in the field in the aftermath of the cyclone finding horses to “bring closure to families”.

“Obviously it’s hard when you’re trying to identify animals out there and get them back to their families. Especially when so many went missing. And we weren’t quite prepared to track owners down, which is why we’re doing this so we can have another way to identify them.”

While they did scan horses they found, not enough were microchipped.

Sophie has seven horses and says microchipping them is something she has always done. “We get our cats and dogs done so it makes sense to get horses done as well.”

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Celebrations as cohort graduates from EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Campus | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Graduates from EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti on parade at the graduation ceremony in Gisborne today.

A cohort of ākonga (students) from EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Campus were celebrated in front of kaimahi (staff), whānau and friends as they graduated today.

After delays to the ceremony, first due to COVID-19 early last year, and again because of Cyclone Gabrielle, the Tairāwhiti Graduation Ceremony was held today (Friday August 4) at the War Memorial Theatre.

Of the 68 ākonga to graduate, 58 attended.

Kieran Hewitson, Te Pūkenga Tumu Whenua ā-Rohe 2 | Executive Director, Region 2, was the keynote speaker. Also in attendance was Te Pūkenga Chief Digital Officer Teresa Pollard and Huia Haeata, Tumu Whenua ā-Rohe 2 | Executive Director, Region 2.

Bachelor of Computing Systems graduates Joshua Vincent Reedy and Niamh Carroll Athy were recognised with special awards.

Joshua won the Cyclone Computer Company Ltd Award for Academic Excellence in the Bachelor of Computing Systems, and Niamh won the Spark Digital Award for Academic Excellence in the Bachelor of Computing Systems.

Ashleigh Marie Harding won the PricewaterhouseCoopers Award for Academic Excellence in the Bachelor of Business Studies Accounting Major.

Tracey Tangihaere, Executive Director of the EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Campus, says the ceremony was recognition of the talent coming through EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti.

“We wish to congratulate all ākonga for this achievement during some difficult times. They have done the mahi and now it is time for them to reap the rewards.”

“We are proud of the programmes we offer at Tairāwhiti which offers locals a wide range of career pathways to excel in.”

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Valedictorian says studying Māori Visual Arts at EIT Te Pūkenga has been a beautiful journey | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 hours ago

Bridy Rihari-Lundon (Ngāpuhi, Waikato Tainui is this year’s Valedictorian for the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT Te Pūkenga.

Bridy Rihari-Lundon (Ngāpuhi, Waikato Tainui), who is this year’s Valedictorian for the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT|Te Pūkenga, says that studying Māori Visual Arts at has been a beautiful journey.

Bridy, who is currently doing her Masters of Māori Visual Arts at Toihoukura, , is graduating today (Friday 4 August) with her Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts degree. The Tairāwhiti Graduation Ceremony will be held at the War Memorial Theatre.

Bridy says that at first she did not realise the significance of being named as Valedictorian, but she now is pleased that she is.

“So now that I understand, I am actually quite honoured to stand to speak and to represent not only just EIT and Toihoukura, but my friends and the whole campus.”

Brady says she has recently completed her Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts and is now on her Masters. She is doing this long distance from Waikato, where she is working fulltime at the kura Tōku Māpihi Maurea.

She has loved her time at EIT|Te Pūkenga and has grown as an artist.

“I’d say it’s been the most beautiful journey and probably one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I’m so glad that I went there. I wasn’t sure that was the right place for me, but after a year I knew that I was meant to be there, so it really helped me a lot.

This year’s EIT Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti
Valedictorian Bridy Rihari-Lundon with some of her work.

“One thing that taught me about myself, I think despite the long distance, living away from home, I had to find the beauty in this town, in Gisborne, and one was connecting to the land and sea, and second was allowing myself to open up and feel the warmth of the people.”

“I’m a painter, so I mostly just paint. I do draw sometimes, but this year I’m trying to actually interpret and incorporate a couple of other elements. I’m trying to spread out and dive into other mediums and become a quite diverse, multi-medium artist.”

“I’m looking at going into a bit of bone and stone carving in the future and doing ta moko.”

Last year Bridy received the Ruanuku Award, which is awarded each year to the top all round student at Toihoukura. The Ruanuku is a final year undergraduate art student who performs at a high level across a range of requirements. As part of award, two pieces of Bridy’s work have been selected by the Tairāwhiti Museum and purchased, through the support of Professor Jack Richards, for the Tairāwhiti Museum permanent Māori arts collection.

Bridy is enjoying her life as a teacher. The aim is to eventually study for her teaching degree.

“I suppose because my purpose for now and probably for my future is to give back, and that’s what I’m trying to do. So it really makes me happy knowing that I can share my skills and my knowledge and pass it down so it carries on the art form and the teachings.”

For now Bridy is preparing for the Graduation Ceremony which will be held on Friday (5 August) at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne.

“I’m acknowledging the people, the campus, EIT, and Toihoukura, the staff and managers, administrators, all of that. And then I’m doing a little bit of reflection on my three years at Toihoukura, what it was like for me. I will highlight a lot of the opportunities that were offered to us and a few words of wisdom and congratulating my friends, of course, my peers.”

Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director of the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT|Te Pūkenga and Acting Head of Toihoukura, says: “Bridy is a great role model for young Māori Wahine, she exemplifies the value of Matauranga Māori and Toi Māori.”

“Toihoukura tutors are very proud of all their graduates today and comment that  Bridy has been a great ambassador across the country and in Canada creative sectors, I am sure she will be successful in her chosen career. We expect to her as a rising star in the Toi Māori skyline.” 

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Computing systems student set to become first in his family to graduate | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

35 seconds ago

Izaya (Izzy) Jahnke will graduate with a Bachelor of Computing Systems from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga tomorrow (Friday 4 August).

Izaya (Izzy) Jahnke is looking forward to graduating with a Bachelor of Computing Systems from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga tomorrow (Friday 4 August) as he will become the first in his family to do so.

It has been a long journey for Izzy, who went to school at Gisborne Boys’ High. Upon leaving school he received numerous scholarships to study engineering in Auckland. He spent a year and a half there, but returned to Gisborne after finding the going too tough.

Izzy says looking back the leap from school to university in Auckland had been too big.

“I guess I just had no experience at all. I felt like we jumped straight into the deep end at uni and I knew nothing at all, which was very high level coding and software development. So I kind of needed to come to EIT where they could have more one-on-ones and teach the fundamentals, the basics. I decided to pick up where I left at from uni and finished at EIT.”

Enrolling in EIT | Te Pūkenga in 2019 is a move he does not regret as he now prepares to graduate, which he describes as “quite an honour”.

“It feels like a dream has come true.”

Izzy’s father is German-Samoan and his mother is Māori (Ngati Porou), which makes his achievement more special for him.

“I guess I just wanted to show that as a Māori/Islander, you can get a high qualification such as degree, even if you are living in tough situations with financial issues. There’s always ways to increase and improve your growth.”

He says that what he enjoyed about the EIT | Te Pūkenga degree was the friends and colleagues he made.

“It helped me seeing everyone going through the same struggles and seeing them overcome them as well.”

Izzy says he found the three years fun and the lecturers and tutors supportive.

He finished his degree early last year, but has had to wait to graduate because COVID-19 delayed the ceremony.

While he was studying he had worked part-time in an orchard and has moved to fulltime while he waits to graduate.

The plan is to now begin looking for an IT job.

“I really love cybersecurity, however, at this time I’ve been doing my own hobby, which is fixing things and laptops, replacing screens and all. So I guess I will look at something along those lines, repairing hardware.”

As for studying further, it is something he is keen to do.

“It’s in my mind to either further the degree and do a Masters or return to engineering eventually. And then to specialise in either computing engineering or software engineering.”

EIT | Te Pūkenga Senior IT Lecturer Tina Blumenthal says: “It was our pleasure to have Izzy in the BCS programme. Not only did he achieve well throughout his study journey, but he also brought a positive, enquiring energy into our learning spaces, engaging others, and often coming up with innovative solutions to problems.”

“Izzy’s positive attitude, coupled with his professional smarts were evident at the outset.  He received the Spirit of GovHack Award, when a group of Tairāwhiti BCS students travelled to Hawke’s Bay to participate in the annual event. We wish Izzy all the best for the future.”

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EIT | Te Pūkenga Trades Academy Services Preparation programme leads to army career for two students | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 days ago

Josh Stephens from Karamu High School and Matthew Hatherell of Hastings Boys High School, who completed the Hawkes Bay School’s Trades Academy Services Preparation programme at EIT | Te Pūkenga last year, are now following their dreams in the New Zealand Army.

Two former Hastings schoolboys who completed the Hawkes Bay School’s Trades Academy Services Preparation programme at EIT | Te Pūkenga last year are now following their dreams in the New Zealand Army.

Josh Stephens from Karamu High School and Matthew Hatherell of Hastings Boys High School took advantage of the programme to prepare for a career in the NZ Army.  The Trades Academy works with secondary schools and EIT | Te Pūkenga to provide year-long trades programmes to help students prepare for a career.

The pair graduated from their Army Basic Training in Waiouru on 9 June and have now commenced their careers. Josh is working as a Maintenance Fitter and Matthew as an Intelligence Operator.

Josh will undergo further training at Woodbourne Air Force base as he commences his apprenticeship in Mechanical Engineering with NMIT | Te Pukenga.

“ I liked the idea of completing a trade as well as participating in soldiering activities, hopefully I will deploy overseas upon completion of my apprenticeship,” says Josh.

Matthew is posted to Linton Military Camp where he will spend the next six months training in his role as an Intelligence Operator.

“My favourite part of Basic Training was living out in the field for seven days, it was challenging but awesome, I loved it.”

“The Services Preparation course helped us identify the path we wanted to take in the NZ Army, the tutors were really supportive and provided an awesome introduction to what army life would be like, without their help we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Todd Rogers, the Head of The School of Trades and Technology at EIT | Te Pūkenga, says he is pleased to see Josh and Matthew transition from Trades Academy to a career in the New Zealand Army.

“Our services pathway programmes in the Trades Academy and in Trades and Technology are designed to prepare students for life in the army or the police. We have tutors who are ex-army soldiers themselves who know what is required to be accepted into the military.”

“We wish both Josh and Matthew the best in their careers,” said Todd.

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Graduation a dream come true for Bachelor of Teaching student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Sara Hallgarth is graduating with a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga.

For many years a lack of confidence stopped Sara Hallgarth from following her dream to be a teacher, but tomorrow (Friday, 4 August) she will graduate with a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Born and bred in Gisborne, Sara, 39, is a mother of two young girls who has studied a range of subjects from driving training to te reo in the past. But it was always teaching where her heart lay.

“I’ve always wanted to do it, but never really had the confidence. So yeah, as soon as the kids got older and things were getting easier for us, I knew that it was time.”

“It was tough juggling because my husband, William, and I own a business, Peak Construction Gisborne, so it was hard to juggle life and things, but I feel like the lecturers there were so supportive, and they only ever wanted us to succeed. So having their support all the time was great.”

The highlight of the degree for Sara was the practical component which sees students spend two days per week getting practical training at local schools.

“It was fantastic. I was with experienced teachers throughout my training, so every teacher that I had as a mentor teacher had 20 plus years of experience so I was really lucky..”

The three years of study have not been without its challenges with Sara referring to her and her classmates as “the COVID graduates”.

Sara, who finished her degree in November last year, is now teaching at Mangapapa School in Gisborne, where she did her last practicum and where she also went to school as a young girl.

“I have come full circle and my girls also attended Mangapapa. I have great connections here. My nieces and nephews and family have gone through the school, so I just felt really connected. ”

She says that the degree at EIT | Te Pūkenga prepared her for the rigours of being a teacher of young primary school students.

“I think EIT really prepared us for that shock of reality, because the paperwork side does correlate to what we’re doing now. We have our expectations and EIT had their expectations and they are similar to being a teacher, even though we moaned about it a lot, that we had so much to do. But that’s the reality of being a teacher.”

Sara says she is keen to study further but is now focused on getting her registration as a teacher.

Before that she has the not so small matter of graduation, an event her family, including her daughters, Emily, 13 and Rosie, 11, will be attending.

Emma McFadyen, a lecturer in Primary Education at EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti, says: “Sara is one teacher from a cohort of twelve who will be graduating this year. It will be a moment of sheer joy for the teaching team and partnership schools as we watch this cohort cross the stage at graduation. Each individual has their own story, involving highs and lows, to get to this point in their journey, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”