Western News: July 05, 2016
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WESTERN NEWS Tuesday <strong>July</strong> 5 <strong>2016</strong> 23<br />
CONTINUING EDUCATION<br />
Horticulture<br />
Training for<br />
Christchurch<br />
Residents<br />
if yOu would like to enjoy gardening,<br />
improve your property value, produce fresh<br />
vegetables and fruit or get a job within<br />
the horticulture industry, this flexible<br />
programme can help you gain the necessary<br />
skills.<br />
skills update training institute has<br />
partnered with ara to offer an introductory<br />
‘no fees’ horticulture blended learning<br />
course which combines both classrooms<br />
and online learning methods.<br />
tutorials have been scheduled weekly<br />
during evenings including the occasional<br />
weekend field trips to suit those currently<br />
working full time or part time. Our<br />
experienced tutors, Ryan young or Hamish<br />
kelland, are also available by phone and<br />
e-mail outside of classroom hours.<br />
Ryan, the winner of various horticultural<br />
awards and titles, says “as your learning<br />
facilitator, i will assist you throughout the<br />
duration of the programme and provide<br />
guidance for each assessment.”<br />
“i am passionate about sustainable<br />
horticulture and really enjoy working<br />
with students to achieve their study and<br />
educational goals” says Hamish, who has a<br />
wide range of experience across the industry<br />
as well as teaching in the tertiary sector.<br />
enrolments are still open for <strong>2016</strong>. Call<br />
or email our team today. study over 40<br />
weeks and earn the sought after national<br />
Certificate in Horticulture Level 3.<br />
Pasifika engineer<br />
reboots Plan A<br />
Pasifika students are slowly<br />
gravitating towards engineering. Third year<br />
Bachelor of engineering technology student<br />
at ara institute of technology, Richard Ofa,<br />
urges them to think long term.<br />
Richard is motivated. He has worked at a<br />
semi-skilled level. after graduating from an<br />
it qualification at ara (then CPit), he took<br />
a temporary job as a CnC machine operator<br />
at skOPe. The money was good at the time,<br />
but several years later he was still in the same<br />
position.<br />
Richard took stock and realised he wanted<br />
to be an engineer, designing the products<br />
that he had been assembling at skOPe. He<br />
needed an engineering qualification.<br />
The ara three year engineering degree<br />
offered evening classes, which allowed<br />
Richard to continue working. “i have<br />
a responsibility to my family and the<br />
community, so not working isn’t an option,”<br />
he says.<br />
Richard negotiated to work part time at<br />
skOPe and launched into his engineering<br />
studies. “Coming back to study, working with<br />
computers, doing 3d modelling, it’s what i<br />
have always wanted to do.<br />
“i love problem solving, being creative and<br />
coming up with new ideas. for my third year<br />
project, skOPe gave me a project to work<br />
on. it’s a sliding door design, a new design. i<br />
am quietly confident it will work out.”<br />
The degree will certainly open doors for<br />
Richard. “i am hoping to get a full time<br />
design job with skOPe when i graduate.<br />
My long term plan is project management<br />
– i will probably come back and do some<br />
project management papers at ara in five to<br />
10 years’ time when i have some experience.<br />
“My family are happy, in that island<br />
way, now they can see the value of the<br />
qualification.<br />
Meanwhile, Richard is seeing more<br />
Pasifika students in engineering. “The first<br />
year i was the only fulltime Pasifika student,<br />
but numbers have increased in the last<br />
two years, including the number of female<br />
Pasifika engineering students.<br />
“The biggest challenge is managing the<br />
workload of studying and working. i work<br />
three days a week and study full time, so i<br />
look forward to a sleep-in on the weekend,”<br />
he says.<br />
to find out more about studying<br />
engineering at ara institute of Canterbury,<br />
visit ara.ac.nz<br />
STUDY<br />
HORTICULTURE<br />
Enrolment are now open.<br />
Entry to this programme is open to NZ<br />
Citizens and Residents and students<br />
over 18 years of age.<br />
Intake start dates are subject to<br />
student availability.<br />
No<br />
Fees!<br />
Hamish<br />
Kelland<br />
Ryan<br />
Young<br />
021 222 9678<br />
ryan@skillsupdate.co.nz