School students put through challenging but rewarding test of fitness and skills in EIT competition | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

An EIT fitness competition has seen students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti put through their paces in Mahia recently.

Students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti were put through their paces recently in an EIT competition that tested their skills, fitness and resilience.

The competition, organised by EIT’s School of Trades and Technology, took place in Mahia last week and saw teams from East Coast and Wairoa College Services Academies and the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Trades Academy participate.

The teams completed a 20km circuit throughout the night carrying logs, steel bars and military packs, and throughout the circuit they stopped and completed tasks such as putting up a 11 x 11 Army tent, a stretcher carry up Mokotahi hill and rope climb out of the river onto a bridge.

Tairāwhiti Trades Academy was the first team home in 5hrs 14 mins, with all teams back to camp by 2am.

EIT Trades and Technology Head of School, Todd Rogers, who completed the challenge himself, said that feedback had been positive and EIT would like to make it an annual event.

“Absolutely awesome effort from all teams involved, a challenging yet rewarding introduction to life in the New Zealand Defence Force.”

“I’d like to make special mention to the team from Wairoa College Services Academy who were mostly year 10 students with one year 12 and performed to a high standard coming in third place. It would be great to see as many students as possible transition into EIT’s Services Pathway programme or straight into the NZDF.”

Todd thanked Defence Careers and East Coast Company of 5/7 Infantry regiment for their support.

The Trades Academy, at EIT’s Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay campuses, works with secondary schools to provide year-long trades programmes to help students achieve NCEA Level 2 or 3 and prepare for higher-level study. The Trades Academy offers programmes that include automotive, trade skills, hair and beauty, hospitality, agriculture, and health and fitness. Students attend Trades Academy each week, gaining  vocational skills and getting hands on experience.

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.”

Karakia marks another step in reopening of EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay Campus | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

39 seconds ago

A dawn karakia was held this morning to mark the opening of three blocks – G, M and A at the EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay Campus.

A dawn karakia this morning marked a significant step in the reopening of the Hawke’s Bay campus of  EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Nearly a year after Cyclone Gabrielle caused extensive damage to the campus in Taradale, the blessing marked the opening of three blocks – G, M and A. The cyclone caused extensive damage to the Taradale site in February with up to 90 per cent of the ground-floor buildings – more than 500 rooms – being damaged by flood water and contaminated silt.

About 30 per cent of the Hawke’s Bay campus was able to be reopened for delivery in time for the start of Semester 2 in July.

The kaikarakia at this morning’s ceremony were Mana Hazel, Wirihana Raihania, Te Kaha Hawaikirangi, Piripi Smith and Chad Tareha. In attendance were EIT | Te Pukenga Staff and Management, Chris Olsen and Steve Price from Gemco Construction and Dylan Rodger from RCP.

EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness said the opening of the three blocks was an exciting development on the road to full reopening of the campus.

“The buildings A, M and G will enable significantly more delivery and student facing services to return to campus. Of note, G block is home to the Hawke’s Bay Secondary Schools Trades Academy, which will see secondary school students return to campus shortly.”

“We are very grateful to our staff, and our contractors and consultants who have worked hard to rebuild our campus. While we have appreciated the way the community has allowed us to deliver our programmes throughout Hawke’s Bay, it is good to be coming home and resuming normal services.”

“We are part of this community and it is important that people are able to see what we have to offer. We offer a full range of qualifications from certificates to postgraduate level, with full-time, part-time and online study options available.”