Issue 17 • June 2012 - Waiariki Institute of Technology

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Staff profile Nadene McClay Industry Placement Coordinator The reason most people study is to get a job, right? And most often it’s easier to get a job when you have relevant experience, good references and know a few people too. Waiariki helps students do just that by ensuring work experience and industry projects are built into a large number of their courses and getting the students out there into the workplace. As student numbers at Waiariki are growing fast and more industry experiences are needed, a new position has been established at Waiariki to facilitate this and Nadene McClay has been appointed as industry placement coordinator. Nadene will work with Waiariki’s academic staff, supporting and enhancing the systems already in place and interfacing with industry. She joined the institute in May and she’s already been out in the community getting the word out about the win-win opportunities for local businesses and Waiariki students. “Industry will realise what a great opportunity this is for them to get some work done for free, but it’s much more than that,” Nadene explains. “Students can also bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the workplace, and it can be a chance for companies to try out potential future employees and help direct their learning. “Some of the students they build a relationship with during their work placements will go into other parts of the sector, increasing the company’s network of good contacts in their industry, which can also prove very useful.” Nadene worked for many years in Brussels in industry relations with the European Union bodies, and says that industry placements, projects and research by students is standard practice in Europe. “We would sometimes have students with us who had done placements in a range of different sectors and so brought us up-to-date knowledge and experience of other areas that we would never have had access to otherwise. “It’s really a win-win – for students, for industry and for Waiariki!” PAGE 4 | Preparing nurses for the future Ngaira Harker-Wilcox can see a future New Zealand where health care delivery by nurses will become more diverse and increasingly require an ability to manage health care within the community setting. Waiariki’s director of the School of Nursing and Health Studies believes health professional are listening to their communities and this has changed the delivery of health care. Examples of this are the new primary health care approaches where nurses and other health professionals work more collaboratively to support health needs. Ms Harker-Wilcox believes the nurse’s role is a key in any health care team. The skills and knowledge they acquire in their training are broad, allowing them to have a base that can be built upon and lead to many possibilities in health care. “Many of our nursing graduates are making a difference to families both in the hospital and community setting,” she says. “Our graduates have also continued with study and many completed specialist nursing papers which continue to develop their knowledge.” Of particular interest to Ms Harker- Wilcox is strengthening relationships with health providers in the region. “It is vital we are cognisant of the ‘real world’ and understand that theory and reality are often quite different. As the director I encourage our staff to get to know our community health providers. It is important that we as a school work in partnership with our providers and get a sense of what they require within their workforce.” Ms Harker-Wilcox knows a thing or two about grassroots health issues, having come from a hospital, district and practice nurse background on her way to her current role. Born in Wairoa and trained in Napier Meet the team at the School of Nursing and Health Studies: (back row) Jane Lane, Sarah Bosher, Brighid McPherson, Christine Mercer; (front) Ngaira Harker-Wilcox, Denise Riini, Jonathon Hagger, Liz Pennington. at Eastern Institute of Technology, she graduated in 1987 and then picked up her first job at Rotorua Hospital. Rotorua has largely been her home since, working in various roles, except for a working and studying jaunt in the USA. In 1995 she took up her first role tutoring at Waiariki and fell in love with the mix of nursing and education. “I really loved that side of nursing,” she says. “I’ve got an interest in new up-andcoming nurses. There’s a lot of diversity in that … you’re always learning in education and keeping up with current research. “My vision for our school is to provide excellent, high calibre, quality education Growing up in Invercargill, Luke Rikiti started a slow migration north, stopping in Blenheim with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, serving in East Timor, then in Wellington at Victoria University, before eventually settling in Rotorua in 2006 to learn more about his Te Arawa heritage. Hailing from Ngāti Pikiao (Ngāti Hinerangi, Ngāti Hinekiri), his background in commerce, Treaty settlements, peace keeping, land development, and fostering iwi and international relations has given him a range of experiences to establish and develop the inaugural position of iwi relationships coordinator for Waiariki that he started in January of this year. “Our focus is iwi within the Waiariki region first and foremost,” Mr Rikiti says. “We have four campuses and a number of satellite sites where Waiariki courses are delivered. Across all of these we have a number of iwi studying. An iwi stock take has been my first priority.” By providing iwi snapshots directly to iwi organisations, Mr Rikiti hopes he can help them support their own tribal members. for students but also make them workforce ready and flexible with the skills to work in that future. They need transferable and generic skills because there are a lot of changes in the health system and they do need to move from different areas.” Ms Harker-Wilcox has carried out much research and is very strong in understanding and advocating the needs around Māori health. “Our school has a really great opportunity to install in every nurse that comes through this qualification an understanding of this community, and what’s involved in improving Māori health.” A homecoming for iwi relationships coordinator Luke Rikiti, iwi relationships coordinator, hopes to support iwi in identifying and promoting educational needs of Māori in the region. “These snapshots can help iwi see where their members are studying and hopefully gear their investment, for example through scholarships, to support them. “This information can assist iwi to see where their own capacity is, identify gaps and encourage study to areas relevant to their own needs.” Talking to iwi, it is also fundamental toward building meaningful and working relationships with them throughout the region. “Across our campuses staff already have relationships in place with iwi organisations. I will be supporting these staff to enhance and support this engagement.” Mr Rikiti also believes his role includes assisting iwi as they implement and develop their educational strategies. If they don’t have a strategy, he may be able to provide advice to help create one. “Iwi within our rohe are at various levels of development. Some have the resource to invest in members, some don’t. Through Waiariki, I can work to help iwi find solutions to achieve educational aspirations for their communities.” Waiariki Today www.waiariki.ac.nz
Charity House partnership for a better community Students will begin building a better community through the new Waiariki Institute of Technology Charity House Project. Starting in 2013 and running for five years, one house per year will be built by trades students with the support of the business community and then auctioned off with the proceeds going to Rotorua charities. Waiariki launched the project recently, partnering with the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce to gain sponsorship and support from local suppliers, tradesmen and professionals. Mike Fogarty, section manager for construction training at Waiariki, says the project is exciting because it will benefit the students and the community in a big way. “It’s a hands-on experience that will give them a good understanding of the dwelling,” he says. “They get to work on a real live project from start to finish – it’s a great foot in the door of the industry.” The construction of the house will be headed by the pre-trade carpentry students and incorporate the pre-trade electrical students. Several sponsors of Charity House have offered their products or services at no charge for the next five years. PlaceMakers of Rotorua will supply the building plans and materials as well as some services, while ADT Armourguard has committed to providing and installing a basic alarm system and six months of free alarm monitoring. MediaWorks Radio will advertise the initiative and Professionals McDowell Real Estate Ltd, one of the first local businesses to support the project, will market and auction the houses each November. Additional sponsors are still needed. Building of the first of five houses is expected to begin in February and be completed in October of the same year. Success through growth at Waiariki After a substantial lift in student success rates in 2011, Waiariki is confident the performance bar will rise further this year. The region’s tertiary educational institute, with campuses in Rotorua, Taupo, Tokoroa and Whakatane, achieved an average course success rate of 72 per cent in 2011 compared to 65 per cent (2010), 50 per cent (2009) and 48 per cent (2008). It’s expected the lift in course success rates, coupled with Waiariki’s strong representation in government-targeted priority education areas for under-25 and Māori students, will have some impact when the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) issues its sector performance details in July. Acting Waiariki chief executive Keith Ikin said the institute had invested in For two consecutive years, Waiariki has successfully attracted a higher percentage of younger students. Rotorua Lakes High School students Jordan Martin (left) and Shilo Cullen learn about insulation from Mike Fogarty, section manager for construction training. considerable resources for the successful gains that saw more than 2,000 students graduate following study in 2011. “Growth in student numbers has permitted investment in infrastructure, buildings, IT and other services in supporting the students to achieve their educational goals,” says Mr Ikin. More than 20,000 students had attended Waiariki during the last five years. Among the investment, and complementing the work of tutors, there has been an increased level in the learner support area with 13 advisors engaged in bolstering learning as the institute continues to aim higher. “We can really assist our students’ success … And it is our goal to get closer to an 80 per Last year, 49 per cent more Waiariki students achieved success in their courses compared to those in 2010. The site for the project is still to be determined but it’s bound to be a highly visible one around Rotorua. It’s expected the charity recipient or recipients will be selected some time this year for 2013. The three-bedroom 114sq m house will feature a master bedroom with en suite, open-plan kitchen, bathroom, dining and lounge. It will be completely furnished, including drapes, carpet, heating, laundry whiteware and bedding. cent success rate this year,” says Mr Ikin. This year Waiariki was allocated the equivalent of 2,786 funded EFTS (enrolled full time students) by government, and there are currently 3,354 domestic and 840 international full- and part-time students enrolled. These numbers indicate the institute has started the year well, with 82 per cent of allocated government funded 2012 domestic EFTS enrolled for Semester 1 courses which started in February. “It’s a fantastic start to the year with strong domestic enrolments but that does mean it’s important for prospective students considering study in the second semester to enrol sooner than later to avoid missing out,” says Mr Ikin. Course success rates for Māori students also rose substantially with a 57 per cent increase over the previous year. Graduate profile Anzac Pikia National Certificate in Journalism Te Karere senior reporter Anzac Pikia started his journey studying the National Certificate in Journalism at Waiariki in 2002. The transition from school to campus life, in a new town and leaving the support of his whānau and friends was a little intimidating for the student from Te Awamutu. “It was a foreign town for me, no whānau or familiar places,” he says. Now sitting at his desk in downtown Auckland offices, he originally had aspirations to become a secondary school teacher. “Yeah, my high school Māori teacher inspired me, but university was a tad daunting for me at the time. Just filling out the application forms were enough to confuse me!” In his last year of school he thought he’d give journalism a try. During his school years he’d had a lot of fun mucking around with his mates, “... at kapa haka practise I would pretend to interview people. It was very funny at the time, we did interviews with what we called ‘natives’ on a dictaphone.” Once he started tertiary study he got the bug and did additional courses to improve his qualifications, studying Ataarangi, an immersion te reo Māori course. The journalism course at Waiariki gave him good grounding for his job prospects. “While the course focused on print journalism, the general news knowledge did prepare me for my job. I think also learning the ability to research well, articulate and write have all been useful for television, where we are required to present a story in a very small timeframe.” Moving away from home was new for him and to a new town where he knew nobody was also scary. “Once I settled, it was fine. Plus having whānau drive down regularly to bring care packages of kai and money helped!” Anzac happily recalls his course mates and the additional student support on campus. It was like an extended whānau. “Rotorua was great and I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the people and, of course, the people of other iwi who I studied with as well.” 0800 924 274 Waiariki Today | PAGE 5
Page 1 and 2: WAIARIKI TODAY fROm WAIARIKI TO lOn
Page 3: London calling for Waiariki Olympia
Page 7 and 8: The pressure cooker to national suc
Page 9 and 10: Sustain Waiariki By Steve Chadwick
Page 11 and 12: Waiariki provides doctors to Rotoru
Page 13 and 14: New technology for journalism stude
Page 15 and 16: Waiariki Academy of Sport Flying th

Issue 17 • June 2012 - Waiariki Institute of Technology

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