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Childhood dream of becoming a teacher on the way to becoming reality through EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Ella Ralph is in her second year of the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT.

As a child Ella Ralph (Ngai Tahu) always dreamt of becoming a teacher and she is now on her way to achieving that through the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT.

Currently in her second year of the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), Ella, 19, won a Year 13 Scholarship which paid for a year of her study at EIT. The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees.

The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study.

Ella, who attended Napier Girls’ High, says that while the scholarship was an incentive to go to EIT, what sealed the deal was that the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) allows candidate teachers to spend two days per week at a partner school.

“I looked at a few different universities, but what sold it for me was that you actually work in a school for two days per week.”

Ella, says she also loves the programme.

“It’s really awesome. It’s heaps of fun and the lecturers make it really  hands-on .”

“When we are in our lectures, it’s almost like we’re in a classroom. They implement heaps of things that you could use in the classroom.”

Last year Ella was placed at Te Awa Primary and this year she is at Bledisloe School.

She says that apart from the placement she also enjoys the fact that the programme allows students to connect with the community.

“We do quite a lot with the community, including visiting maraes.”

As for the future, Ella says that she is looking forward to becoming a fully-fledged teacher when she finishes her degree, but also does have ambitions to one day become either a Principal or Deputy Principal or even to work for the Ministry of Education.

She is keen on staying in Hawke’s Bay, but also would like to travel as well. As for studying further, she has not ruled that out, but would like to spend a few years practicing her craft.

Associate Professor Emily Nelson, the Programme Coordinator for the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), said: “We love the energy our students bring to our programme and our educational community as Candidate Teachers.”

“We are really enjoying supporting Ella along her journey and we are looking forward to seeing where teaching takes her.”

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Public lecture highlights impact of nature-based learning at EIT’s Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 mins ago

Associate Professor Emily Nelson presented the fourth public lecture in a series: ‘Reconnecting Through Research’, at MTG Hawke’s Bay, organised by EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC).

The ‘Learning in Nature’ research project at the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre on EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale shows the benefits of children connecting to nature, Associate Professor Emily Nelson says.

Dr Nelson, of EIT’s School of Education and Social Sciences, presented the fourth public lecture in a series: ‘Reconnecting Through Research’, at MTG Hawke’s Bay, organised by EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC).

EIT Emeritus Professor Kay Morris Matthews, also Associate Researcher and Curator at MTG, introduced Emily as a “good academic citizen”.

“Emily Nelson was raised in Hawke’s Bay and has made a significant contribution to growing teachers in our region.”

Her lecture titled: ‘Learning in Nature: Emerging Values, Visions, Cautions and Potential’ focused on the research which began life as a developmental evaluation of the establishment of EIT’s Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre and was conducted jointly by Associate Professor Nelson and Professor Bronwen Cowie, University of Waikato.

The Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre promotes biodiversity management, connection to nature and sustainable futures and was sponsored by the Air NZ Environment Trust and spearheaded by Ngāti Pārau, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation.

Dr Nelson explored the value gained by educational groups who visited the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre over the 2020/21 period.

The research involved over 40 participants, including contributions of 509 photographs, 13 interviews, 22 voiceovers, and 90 visual data nuggets. This comprehensive data collection highlights the transformative potential of nature-based learning environments.

She reflected on the perspectives on learning and connecting to nature shared by local primary school students and their teachers, particularly those from Bledisloe School who was an early adopter.

“At a time when we are grappling with a global ecological crisis and growing disconnection from nature in our daily lives, the stakes for connecting with nature are high.

“Young people are positioned increasingly as the hope for humanity’s future. But beyond adult-centric agendas, the Learning in Nature research paints a refreshing picture of human and more-than-human agency, very personal connections with the land and its inhabitants at Ōtātara and children’s bespoke visions for their futures.”

Dr Nelson said children’s bespoke connections with the natural world during their visits stimulated their curiosity and care for nature.

“In a time where children’s independent mobility is increasingly limited, they had adventures and free-exploration in a diverse landscape. The questions they asked, the interests they followed up at Ōtātara indicated that they were making the place their place. This care and belonging for nature is identified in research as pivotal for pro-conservation and pro-environmental behaviours flourishing.”

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Thousands of New Zealanders failing to get proper bowel cancer screening, EIT-led research finds | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Dr Chey Dearing, a Principal Academic Staff Member (PASM) in EIT’s School of Nursing, has led research that shows that tthousands of New Zealanders, especially people of Māori ,Pacific, or Asian ethnicity are not getting proper bowel cancer screening.

Thousands of New Zealanders, especially people of Māori ,Pacific, or Asian ethnicity are not getting proper bowel cancer screening, EIT-led research has found.

The new research, led by Dr Chey Dearing, a Principal Academic Staff Member (PASM) in EIT’s School of Nursing, shows that in ten years more than 7,000 eligible people tried but failed, due to an error with the bowel cancer screening test or it not being done properly.

The research has just been published in the New Zealand Medical Journal with Dr Dearing as the lead author. The article is entitled Attempt to engage, yet failure to obtain successful bowel cancer screening: more likely in Māori, Pacific peoples, Asians, men and high deprivation areas. Other authors are Louise O’Connor, Gastroenterology Nurse, Gastroenterology Department, Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital; Georgia C Dearing, Health Science Student, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland; and Bernard McEntee, Consultant General Surgeon, Gastroenterology Department, Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

Dearing says the people who are most likely to miss out on proper screening are people of Māori or Asian or Pacific ethnicity. Males were also more likely to miss out.

In New Zealand, bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer (CRC), is the second highest cause of cancer death. The researchers sought to characterise a unique population, the individuals who attempt to engage one or multiple times with screening yet fail to ever obtain successful screening. They did this by analysing data from the New Zealand National Bowel Screening Programme from 2012 to 2022.

The research shows that more than 7,000 individuals (1.26% of all participants) have attempted but failed to be successfully screened in the national bowel screening programme. In the first place, many factors including ethnicity, gender, language barriers and socio-economic status reduce participation in such screening. Targeted interventions to improve Māori and Pacific peoples’ participation show modest 2–5% increases or even reduced participation.

Dearing says that 7,126 (1.26 percent) failed to get tested properly for a variety of reasons. Bowel cancer screening tests that were returned but were unable to be processed are known as “spoilt kits”.

“Spoilt kits are technical errors, including reasons such as consent forms not being signed or dated, barcodes not being attached to the sample, insufficient sample collected, kits being outside expiry dates and other similar errors,” says Dearing.

Further compounding the issue was that when someone submitted a first “spoilt” kit, even though they were sent another (with some even contacted directly) they failed to respond or sent a second faulty kit back.

Dearing says that there are important variations in the failure to successfully receive CRC screening by gender, age, ethnicity, deprivation level and screening year, but says there are some solutions available.

“We suggest drop-off location checking services for all participants are required at locations determined after consultation with stakeholders. This might be in high-deprivation areas, or where culturally appropriate, perhaps located on maraes and other community centres.”

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Using exercise to improve mental health and tackle obesity persuaded woman to study sport and exercise science at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Toni Palermo is enjoying the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at EIT.

Toni Palermo decided to change careers and enrol in EIT’s Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science in a bid to set an example that exercise can improve mental health and tackle obesity.

After years of working in finance and administration in Australia and New Zealand, Toni , 43, realised that she wanted more and to set an example for her children. This led her to enrolling at EIT.

“What prompted me to do it is probably mental health and my children. Over the last few years I really got into my exercise and I found it really good for mental health.”

“After seeing statistics on obesity among New Zealanders in general, especially children, made me think that maybe I could help change things. So, I’m trying to influence my children and prove that you’re never too old to do anything.”

“A bit of sport and exercise every day in anyone’s life is a benefit, no matter if it’s just a walk down the road or you’re playing hockey, netball or rugby.”

Toni, who had enrolled in the Certificate in Te Reo (Level 2) at EIT a few years ago, says she did some research on where to study, but chose EIT because it is close to home.

“I live in Waipukurau, so there’s a bit of travel each day, but it was the closest institute to home and this was the best option for my family.”

While Toni dabbled with pursuing a career in the police, she is now set on becoming a high school PE teacher after her studies.

She has no doubt that she is doing the programme for her, but it was an adjustment to begin studying again.

“To study so long after I was at high school has definitely been a huge change for me, but I love the content. I think that the programme itself is incredible and the opportunities we’ve had are really cool.”

“The tutors that I’ve had are amazing and they definitely care about everybody. They’ve been really supportive when I’ve had struggles. They have encouraged me to keep going and said that they see me as being quite an influence within the class.”

Dr Andrew Garrett, EIT’s Head of School, Health and Sport Science, says: “It’s great to see Toni’s return to study, as a mature candidate. With real and definitive goals of integrating exercise into people’s lifestyles to enhance their health and quality of life.”

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Having an impact on people’s lives at heart of EIT educator’s philosophy | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

16 mins ago

Dr Gareth Allison is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business

An EIT educator who spent time working at an Indigenous tertiary institute in Australia’s Northern Territory, says that having an impact on people’s lives and in communities is key.

Dr Gareth Allison, who is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business, says that his job as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Tertiary Education and Research at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education gave him an insight into the role that education can play in people’s lives. He also spent part of his time there in the acting CEO role.

“What was great about the roles was what you were doing as an organisation was making a real impact on people’s lives. In that context it was changing the lives of people, families and communities that had been damaged by colonialism“

“We had a wide variety of offerings from very low level literacy and numeracy programmes delivered in the prisons, right through to postgraduate courses. I enjoyed my time there and it really was a place where I learnt a lot of lessons.”

Gareth, who joined EIT in May as postgraduate programme coordinator and lecturer in the Schools of Business and Computing, is looking forward to his new role heading the School of Business. He has also been appointed Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre.

He is originally from Kaikōura and has worked extensively within the tertiary education sector since receiving his PhD from Lincoln University. He has worked at Lincoln University, Auckland University of Technology, Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, the University of Canterbury and Ara Institute of Canterbury as well.

Gareth, who ran his own business in Christchurch for about a year after returning from Australia, says that he decided to come to EIT because it had always had a good reputation in the Polytech sector.

“I enjoy this sector a lot, its applied and real and I feel that you can make more of a difference.”

“I think that after what this community has been through, it’s a chance to make an impact and to do something meaningful, which is, to me,  quite important.”

Research has been an important part of Gareth’s career and he is enjoying connecting with EIT’s rich research culture. His own doctoral thesis examined Cross-cultural motivations for the consumption of luxury products, but his interests are now more about multicultural marketplaces, food marketing, and ethical consumption.

He says that he is looking forward to the challenge of being Head of three distinct schools (Business, Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre).

“My job in that space is to help to grow those areas till they are sustainable and vibrant and doing all the things they need to do.”

He says that while an important part of the School of Business was the postgraduate programmes in Auckland which focused on international students, he is keen to grow the undergraduate offering in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, as well as postgraduate offerings for domestic students in Hawke’s Bay.

“What i’d like to see is for the business school as a whole to be more engaged with the region that we’re in, to be more relevant, to be more a part of the community that we live and work in, and to be a real contributor to the economy of this region in terms of developing skills and creating opportunities for businesses and for students.”

“I’d also like for us to be more connected to all of our stakeholders, including Māori, and to increase our relevance in that space over time.”

John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says: “EIT is delighted to be able to appoint Gareth who brings a breadth of Australian educational leadership and management experience, and a deep understanding of delivering educational outcomes to learners that often find access and success at tertiary education difficult.”

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Top Auckland car dealership chooses EIT for EV training | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 hours ago

A top Auckland car dealership chooses EIT as its preferred option to train its auto-technicians in the latest electric vehicle technology.

Andrew Simms Motor Group, which has six dealerships across Auckland, first began enrolling auto-technicians in EIT’s NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) last year.

Andrew Simms Group General Manager Aftersales, Travis Cross, said that his company had sent  members of their team to an EV programme at another provider in Auckland last year as well as sending three people to EIT.

“We just wanted to test the water with the offerings that were available. And from the response we got back, the offering from EIT was relatively more substantial and significant than what was on offer locally up here.”

“We made the choice based on that, that we’d actually support EIT by flying our team there, putting them up in accommodation for the night to get a better level of training out of the programme that was offered.”

Travis said that the setup of the programme was ideal for his team in that it combined online classrooms with three practical block courses at EIT in Napier during the year.

“The environment at EIT is quite intimate so our technicians have good access to the tutors.”

Travis says that EVs have changed the dynamics of the industry and it was important to have a training organisation upskilling their technicians.

Scott Cunningham, the Programme Coordinator for Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering [Level 5]  at EIT, said that creating a solid industry connection with Andrew Simms motor group has been positive for both EIT and Andrew Simms.

“The high number of trained technicians coming through our programme have been able to extend their knowledge in the EV and Hybrid sector and  successfully diagnose uncommon and complex faults in these vehicles. They also now have a greater understanding of how all the systems and subsystems function and operate in depth.”

“We have also been able to keep in touch with these technicians after the programme and have received feedback on late model vehicles they have successfully diagnosed and repaired with their newly gained knowledge.”

“Andrew Simms Motor Group has continued to enrol more technicians throughout the year and EIT appreciates the support and commitment to our programme.”

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Cyclone Gabrielle experience motivates EIT educator to be even more positive | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Geoffrey Mather is EIT’s new Head of Computing.

A near-death experience during Cyclone Gabrielle has motivated Geoffrey Mather to be even more positive than before.

Geoffrey, who has recently been appointed EIT’s new Head of the School of Computing, says the Cyclone forced him to  reimagine his life and not “sweat the small stuff”.

“I don’t worry about a thing now, instead I just get on and do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

Geoffrey, who was the Assistant Head of the Schools of Business and Computing at the time, was living semi-rurally near the Napier Golf Club at Waiohiki. He says that he was fast asleep at about 5.30 am on the day the Cyclone hit last February.

“I was woken by this torrent of water and my mobile’s torchlight showed that there was about 2 foot of water in my bedroom.”

Wherever he went in the house there was rising water and Geoffrey realised that he needed to get out.

Attempts to break windows proved futile, so he made his way to the kitchen where there was a high window that he could climb out of.

“I pushed the window out and jumped into the torrent of water that by this time was running around my place.”

As he tried to make it to safety he came across his landlord and together they were able to make it to higher ground, eventually ending up at a neighbour’s house.

“About this time, I sent a message to John West, my boss, and it’s quite funny on reflection, but it said something like, ‘Hi John, I don’t think I’m going to be able to get into work today’.”

Having escaped with his pyjamas and his mobile phone only, it was the start of a period of rebuilding for Geoffrey and he credits John West and EIT for their understanding, support and compassion.

“When I did come back to work, I initially came back part-time, and also got some counselling through EAP, which I am also very grateful for.”

Since coming back to work, Geoffrey has been acting Head of School for Tourism and Hospitality, Computing and English Language.

He says this has helped him master the art of multi-tasking and ironically given him focus, but he has also benefitted from the counselling and has even created a podcast about his experience.

“My podcast is called Cyclone Gabrielle Smash-up. It’s six episodes and it’s just me sharing. The first episode is a slightly longer account of what happened on that fateful day.”

”I would like to find a way to create a platform where people can share from their experience what they went through, because something I have learned since Cyclone Gabrielle is that whether someone was impacted or not, everyone has a story.”

“I think it can be empowering, insightful, rewarding, not just for the person who’s sharing the story, but those who are receiving it. And I would like to create a way for those sorts of stories to be shared.”

Now living in Taradale, Geoffrey is looking forward to getting into his new role.

“I am excited by where computing and the school could go in the coming years. That excites me. And I’m eager to help make that a reality and propel the school forward.”

He says that his vision is for it to become EIT’s showcase and to deepen the connections and synergies between teams and communities.

“And not just in the Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti and Auckland regions where we deliver programmes, but also internationally. And at the moment, we have a large project in China with Zhejiang Yuexiu University. And another reason why I look forward to working alongside the School of Computing whānau is before joining EIT, I worked in China for 12 and a half years.”

“I think I therefore have an interesting lens within which to grow and support our China-based programme.”

Geoffrey also looks forward to being reunited with his Malaysian-born partner Kenny.  They met 20 years ago in Shanghai and have been living a long-distance relationship for most of that time.  Post the Cyclone, they applied for a Partner Visa for Kenny and are now awaiting Immigration New Zealand’s decision.

John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says: “EIT was delighted to have appointed Geoffrey when he started in April 2022. His subsequent appointment to Head of School reflects EITs commitment to empowering and growing managers.”

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Employment Partnership between Securecom, EIT- Te Pūkenga and Napier Port provides valuable pathway to keep Information Technology students in Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Securecom is launching a new-graduate employment partnership with the School of Computing at Hawke’s Bay’s Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT)-Te Pūkenga, and in collaboration with Napier Port, creating  a valuable pathway to address the chronic skill shortage in the region’s Information Technology (IT) sector. 

 EIT’s ākonga (students) will soon have the opportunity to apply for Securecom’s Graduate Programme, which allows them to gain practical experience with the New Zealand owned and operated managed security service provider, operating in the country for more than 20 years. Securecom currently manages the IT infrastructure of over 250 New Zealand based clients, including  Napier Port, providing students with the opportunity to navigate a series of milestones within the business.

 After completing their Bachelor of Computing Systems (BSC) degree, successful applicants will work at Securecom’s Napier office, with opportunities to work at Napier Port assisting the helpdesk team. Graduates in this programme will also have the potential to secure full-time positions with Securecom at the end of the rotation through the organisation.  

Originally launched in Auckland in 2017 to attract and retain new talent, Securecom is now expanding this successful graduate programme in collaboration with EIT Te Pūkenga and Napier Port.  

During a Securecom internship, new graduates will be paired with a mentor, typically a more senior engineer, who will provide ongoing support and guidance. Mentors play a crucial role in fostering professional development and success, guiding both personal and professional growth.  

This IT graduate programme is focused mainly on infrastructure/support and IT engineering, addressing the real need for skilled young professionals within Hawke’s Bay.  This initiative should be encouraging to any young person looking for career prospects, as they choose secondary school courses to meet tertiary study enrolment requirements.

Rachel Price, Securecom Regional General Manager, emphasizes that the graduate employment programme contributes with the company’s mission to provide excellent, consistent and value-driven services to customers. 

 “We believe our people are key to delivering this excellence. By investing in an inclusive and diverse workforce and offering graduate opportunities for New Zealanders, we are committed to developing the local talent essential for our success,” Price says.  

Richard Earwicker,  Napier Port IT Infrastructure Manager, says Napier Port has a strong focus on partnerships and community, and having EIT BCS graduates on board would be hugely beneficial.  

“We’re excited to help grow and retain talent at the port and in Hawke’s Bay,” Mr Earwicker says. “Napier Port is one of the biggest employers in the region, with over 300 employees in a wide range of careers.”  

 “We prioritise investment in technology to ensure our business operates as safely and efficiently as possible. This includes over 170 security cameras across the port, automated mooring units, state-of-the-art buoy monitoring, such as water temperature, swell and wind monitoring sensors, mobile apps for container inspection, product damage and refrigerated container monitoring , a crane simulator, and more.” 

 “These are some of the exciting things going on at Napier Port that graduates can engage with, and we strongly encourage top students at EIT’s School of Computing to get involved in this graduate programme,” Earwicker says.   

The BCS capstone internship plays a critical role in meeting local demand for IT staff, refining the degree study programme in partnership with industry, and launching graduates into professional IT careers. Securecom are offering the next level in early career professional development for EIT’s high-achievers.

Further information about IT courses at EIT can be found below: 
 https://www.eit.ac.nz/subject-areas/computing/

or the BCS and the Graduate Diploma in particular:
https://www.eit.ac.nz/programmes/bachelor-of-computing-systems-bcs/
https://www.eit.ac.nz/programmes/graduate-diploma-in-information-technology/

Press release written and supplied by Napier Port.

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Top EIT researcher wins award from international organisation | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

7 mins ago

EIT Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award.

A top EIT researcher, Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award by the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA).

Pii-Tuulia is well known for her research on management, policy, and sustainability issues in international education, higher education, and the private sector.

Last year she co-edited two books – Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education and Sustainable Education Abroad: Striving for Change.

Pii-Tuulia is also an active peer-reviewer and holds editorial roles in international journals. She has contributed to the work of Higher Education Research and Development since 2019, initially as part of the College of Reviewers, and then, as an Associate Editor from 2020 onwards.

The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia announced last month that Pii-Tuulia is one of two recipients of the Associate Editor of the Year Award for 2023. The other winner was Sylvie Lomer of the University of Manchester in the UK.

The award was established to recognise the outstanding contribution made by the Associate Editors of HERD. Contributions of associate editors are assessed according to the following criteria: Timeliness, Commitment, Decision making, Quality of communication with authors and with the HERD editorial team.

Pii-Tuulia said that she was honoured to be recognised for her work by such an esteemed organisation.

“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous HERD authors, reviewers, and editorial board members, all passionate about making contributions to the field of higher education.”

“I am pleased to be able to play a role in ensuring these articles are published and contributing to the continuing success of HERD as a leading academic forum that informs and challenges researchers, administrators, and policy-makers concerned with the past, present and future of higher education.”

At EIT, Pii-Tuulia teaches courses in sustainable organisations and research methods.

Gareth Allison, EIT’s Head of the School of Business, congratulated Pii-Tuulia on the award.

“Pii-Tuulia is one of our most prolific and active researchers and this award is a testament to the high regard with which she is held in the industry.”

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EIT offers study opportunities with Year 13 Scholarships | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

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6 mins ago

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees.

EIT is once again offering students (ākonga) in their last year of school the opportunity to apply for a limited number of Year-13 scholarships to study their chosen career.

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees.

The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5  diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study. Students who live outside the region may be eligible for the scholarship in some programmes that are available nationwide.

EIT Liaison Advisor MacKenzie Ninomiya says the scholarship offers school students in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti the opportunity to remain at home and study what they are interested in.

“Some of our students are still surprised that they can study a degree locally. We’ve got some really specialised degrees which are well-renowned across the country.”

“Examples of this are our Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science; our Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts, which is based at Toihoukura in Tairāwhiti; or our Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.”

“We’ve got some degrees that are open to students nationwide, but primarily we want to focus on our Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti students to keep them local.”

MacKenzie says that not only is it cheaper for students, because they can live at home, but they also have the wraparound support from whānau, which helps them succeed. They also benefit from a lower student loan at the end of the degree.

Applications close on 27 September and more information can be found at https://www.eit.ac.nz/students/year13scholarship/. To register interest in the Year 13 Scholarship email yr13@eit.ac.nz.