July 1 2017 Digital Edition

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JULY 1, 2017 Electionlink 07 When it comes to education, nothing is excessive Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi Last month, I had an opportunity to meet and interact with students of the Papatoetoe High School in South Auckland. With less than three months to go for the General Election, it was a welcome opportunity to share with our children the importance of our democratic process, the need for all New Zealanders to vote and how ensuring that we vote leads to positive outcomes for our society. I told the students that New Zealand has one of the most generous student support systems in the world, spending over $1.14 billion in 2015-2016 and over $4 billion in total on tertiary education. Supporting Students Our National-led Government is committed to supporting students with a contribution toward the costs associated with tertiary study, and we are the first government to ensure that the financial support available to students is adjusted every year for inflation. Since 2010, student loan and allowances policy changes have targeted student support spending for the most impact. This has increased the Government’s ability to invest elsewhere in tertiary education, and target support to where it can be most effective. Student Allowances provide grants for students from low-income families and those most in financial need, while student loans enable students to meet their share of the costs of study through interest-free loans. Substantial investment Budget 2017 invests $132 million for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment over four years. This includes $69.3 million for increased tuition subsidy rates at qualification level three and above, supporting providers to continue to deliver quality skills for industry. There is $52.5 million for the Performance-Based Research Fund to promote high quality research in tertiary education. There’s $6.8 million to support sustainable growth in the international education sector to strengthen the net benefit to New Zealand and its value to our regions. $3.5 million of reprioritised funding will meet increased demand for workplace-based literacy and numeracy programmes in 2018, giving more people the skills and confidence to engage in the workplace and community. Budget 2017 Family Incomes package aims to reduce the pressure that rising costs are placing on low-income families. Some of the initiatives will directly benefit students. Accommodation benefits The initiative with the most direct impact for students is an increase to the Accommodation Benefit, a supplement to Student Allowance payments recognising the accommodation costs of students who do not live at home. From April 1, 2018, about 41,000 students will receive more assistance for accommodation costs as a result of an increase in the Accommodation benefit rate. Around 26,000 students living in areas with high accommodation costs, principally Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch will have $20 a week increase. For around 15,000 students who live in areas with relatively lower accommodation costs, such as Hamilton and Palmerston North, the increase to the maximum rate will be lower. This Government is committed to supporting our education system from school through to varsity level to deliver the best education possible – ensuring every young New Zealander has the opportunity to succeed. Modernising the system Budget 2017 will see the largest injection of new funding into our education system since this Government was elected in 2008. This funding will focus on modernising and expanding our education system, as well as supporting our most at-risk students. With Vote Education receiving its largest ever budget – $11.6 billion – our children are starting school better prepared to learn and leaving school better qualified. There is $458.9 million of additional operating funding over the next four years, largely to help primary and secondary schools accommodate roll growth. $456.5 million is being invested in school property including six new schools, the expansion of two schools, 11 special education satellite units, and 305 new classrooms nationwide. $386 million of additional operating funding for early childhood education providers will provide 31,000 further early learning places over four years. $63.3 million of additional operating funding over four years will support students with additional learning needs, including expanding specialist behavioural services. $60.5 million boost over four years for schools’ operational grant funding. $34.7 million of new funding will provide specialist behaviour services for an extra 1000 children. $9.4 million over four years will support students with English as another language through the ESOL programme. $7.6 million is being invested in Māori language curriculum resources and there is $6 million to support young children with difficulties talking and listening. We understand value that our community places on education for their children. We will continue to listen and invest in our children who are New Zealand’s future. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi is Member of Parliament on National List from Manukau East. He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Law & Order Select Committee and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Police Minister. There is a promise at the end of the Tunnel transport infrastructure envisioned decades ago is a major change so it will take time for people to get used to the new roads for those who will just want to drive on them for the first time, to commuters and other road users determining their new travel patterns. Like you, I am looking forward to checking it out. Dr Parmjeet Parmar is Member of Parliament on National List since September 2014. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi National List MP based in Manukau East A 1/131Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland Dr Parmjeet Parmar I am looking forward to driving through the Waterview Tunnel when it opens to traffic early this month. Once open, it will transform the way people and freight move around Auckland, and herald the biggest change in Auckland’s transport system since the opening of the Harbour Bridge in 1959. It is the final link in the Western Ring Route – a second route through Auckland, bypassing the city centre, creating greater reliability and resilience. Mammoth Project The $1.4 billion tunnel will help unlock Auckland’s potential as a world class city and secure its future economic prosperity. And it will also greatly benefit the communities in our Mt Roskill-Mt Albert area by freeing up local roads by transferring traffic onto the state highway network. The twin 2.4 km-long, three-lane tunnels and a giant motorway interchange at Great North Road are the final piece in the Western Ring Route, a new 48 km system linking the West of Auckland, Manukau, the City, and the North Shore. It is a significant part of the strong investment the Government is putting into Auckland. Transport Options It will also provide more transport options. New bus shoulder lanes will mean more efficient journeys for people using buses to travel to and from the central business district and demonstrate the Government’s commitment to better public transport. Significant upgrades and an extension to the Northwestern Cycleway will provide a safe, separated and enjoyable route for pedestrians and cyclists, between the city and western suburbs. The completed Western Ring Route will provide a better balance of traffic flows across the entire road network, it is not designed to remove congestion altogether. Depending on the time of day, people will be able to see what best route will work for them, providing for a more balanced network. Better traffic flow Ramp signals similar to those already operating where State Highway 20 joins State Highway 1 will help to regulate traffic flow on both ramps leading into the Waterview Tunnel and the east-bound ramp out of the tunnel. The ramp signals are not operated in isolation and are designed to be controlled by operators who are managing the entire road network. Ramp signals are one of many tools to manage the network, these include things like variable speed signs, variable message signs to inform customers and direct traffic, and the over height detection system. The signals are not expected to lead to significant queues. This is a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated piece of P F E bakshi.co.nz 09 278 9302 09 278 2143 Bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz /Bakshiks @bakshiks Funded by the ParliamentaryServiceand authorised by Kanwaljit Singh BakshiMP, 1/131Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe
08 Educationlink JULY 1, 2017 Getting people into jobs the best bit at MIT Learn English with us Englishƒorwork and everyday liƒe Visit www.englishlanguage.org.nz nz to contact your local centre Sponsored Content With the job market buoyant and the cost of living in Auckland rising, choosing study over work is getting harder and harder. “I wanted to do a Bachelor’s but never had the time as I was constantly working,” says Nazyd Ahmed, “I was not keen on doing a three-year degree, because that’s a lot of time off.” After arriving in New Zealand ten years ago, the 40-year-old – originally from the Maldives - worked his way up to heading international sales and marketing at a private training establishment. “When you have a team that works under you, it makes you nervous because many of them have degrees and you don’t.” MIT Programme Ahmed, who left school at 16, but had years of on-the-job experience chose to study at the Manukau Institute of Technology because of its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. It will allow him to complete the normally three-year Bachelor of Applied Management in half that time. “What it means is if you’ve worked in a specific area, say if you’ve been an operations manager for five years we can assess how that translates in terms of the qualifications we teach,” says Dr Lehan Stemmet, associate dean of MIT’s Faculty of Business and IT. MIT assesses whether previous experience and qualifications gained in the workplace make an applicant eligible for RPL. From there students are assigned a mentor who will hold professional conversations so they can demonstrate relevant knowledge while Nazyd Ahmed their existing skills are matched to course credits. These skills are assessed under six criteria including whether they are course requirements, currently in use in the workforce and up to the standards expected by employers. Identity Profile “We need to have evidence you meet the requirements. We look at ‘who are you, where do you want to go, what have you done, where are the gaps and then we come up with an individualised programme to fill those gaps,” says Dr Stemmet. “People who work in hospitality are a classic example. They may have started off young sweeping floors and worked themselves up to management in a hotel chain in operations or human resources but they don’t have a qualification to match that experience. They might have trouble moving up or find they can’t jump sectors.” Responsive Staff Nazyd Ahmed – who started his working life as a chef - looked into the programmes offered by AUT and Massey, but chose MIT because he found staff at the business school approachable and responsive to his needs as a learner. “It’s been a very pleasant journey. I’m not young as such. It was hard to get my head around being in class again. I don’t have an academic background so coming back to school was a challenge but they made me feel comfortable and confident,” he says. After graduating, Ahmed will have plenty of options in front of him, returning to the education sector is one of them, while moving into the area of change management is another. Growing campuses Every year, 16,000 students choose to study at the Manukau Institute of Technology. MIT is one of the country’s largest providers of technical, vocational and professional education. First established in 1970, the institute now has nine campuses across the greater Auckland region. MIT’s stated purpose is ‘to get people into great jobs.’ Last year, 79% of graduates went into employment or further study. To make an appointment to speak with one of the institute’s RPL facilitators, phone 0800-626252 or email enquiries@manukau. ac.nz Manukau Institute of Technology (Faculty of Business & IT) is the Sponsor of the ‘Business Excellence in International Trade with India’ category of the Tenth Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2017. PROUD S PONSOR O F IUSED MY EXPERIENCE TO GET QUALIFIED Got the experience, but not the qualification you need to advance your career? At MIT, your work experience or previous tertiary study may count towards achieving anationally recognised qualification. MIT offers credits towards programmes in Business, IT, Tourism, Business Administration and more, to recognise your hard-earned skills and knowledge. Save time. Save money. Get qualified faster with MIT. Contact us for courses starting July. qualifyfaster.co.nz 0800 62 62 52 BIT212_03 INL_RPL_J
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