Situation Magazine - Issue 21, August 2016 by Southern Institute of Technology

The Magazine of the SIT2LRN Distance Students August 2016 Issue 21

• Melanie Langlotz • New Zealand Diploma in

Agribusiness Management • Postgraduate Diploma in

Business Enterprise on-site programme • Meet the Student Liaison Officer • Industry; Professional Development through SIT2LRN

About SIT The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) is one of 18 government polytechnics and institutes of technology offering tertiary education throughout New Zealand. SIT programmes are accredited and approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority up to master level. SIT has a proud history of vocational education and training. For over 40 years we have been providing students with quality education across a range of subject areas and at a variety of levels including postgraduate study. This variety enables you to enter your training at the level that suits you and to progress as you are ready. Many of our programmes link to higher level qualifications at SIT and other institutions in New Zealand and throughout the world. We are constantly developing these relationships to ensure that our graduates have maximum mobility.

The Zero Fee Scheme Our Zero Fee Scheme means we pay your tuition fees, so all you have to pay for are the direct material costs for your course. This applies for all of our degree programmes and most of our diplomas and certificates, including distance learning programmes. Many of our graduates are able to start their careers debt-free! This is not an exaggeration – on any given degree, our students save between $10,000 and $19,000 on tuition fees.

Locations Our main campus is in Invercargill, and we have smaller campuses in Christchurch, Queenstown, Gore and Auckland.

SIT2LRN Contact Details Freepost SIT2LRN : Private Bag 90114 133 Tay Street Invercargill 9840 Free Call : 0800 SIT2LRN (within NZ) Telephone : 03 211 2699 ext 3320 Free Facsimile : 03 211 2698 Email : info@sit.ac.nz Website : www.sit.ac.nz Free Text : 2LRN (2576)

Welcome to SITUATION You’ve probably never heard of the fourth Earl of Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope. And there’s no real reason why you should have done, unless you’ve studied British history in the time of King George I. Born in 1694, the British statesman is possibly best known for the book Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), a collection of more than 400 letters sent over 30 years to his son. And among his witty recommendations on how to be a man and a gentleman is this little gem: “Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Take a moment to read that again. It’s amazing that something written more than 200 years ago still has significant relevance. Think about - do you know the true value of time? In this issue, we’ve got students who have found ways to find time to fit in study as well as facilitators finding time to compete in epic adventure races. We’ve also got a tutor who has been a student – so he really knows the value of time and what it’s like to try to find extra time. Glenn Stridiron’s story is a fascinating one. His experience in studying at SIT2LRN is now being used to help the students he oversees and to enhance their learning experiences. Many out there might envy Sarah Fairmaid’s recent adventure race. You’ll never guess who her teammate was. But how does she find the time to train and race in events that last for several days, as well as be a SIT2LRN facilitator? And speaking of racing and studying - try doing that while you’re preparing for a multi-day cycle race in somewhere like Iran, where the internet connection isn’t the greatest. But that’s all in a day’s work for professional cyclist Brad Evans, who is living his dream while, with the help of SIT2LRN, finding time to prepare for the future. Someone with a simple philosophy about finding time is Hugo Zaat, who has almost lost count of the number of courses he’s taken through SIT2LRN. He’s now working towards his Masters in Applied Management on-site at the Southern Institute of Technology’s Invercargill campus with an emphasis on a subject that’s close to his (and many other students’) hearts – beer. But he also has to find time for the family and his job. He certainly knows the true value of time. A facilitator who has spent a lifetime working in the area that he’s passionate about is Professor Bill Glass. The occupational health expert will be speaking on September 20, at the Southern Institute of Technology’s Hansen Hall in Invercargill. It’s a time of massive change in the health and safety sector but he’s someone who has faith in the progress being made. His speech will explore health in the workplace – a topic that will be of great interest to students and industry. Change, like that happening in the health and safety world, is the one thing we know will be constant in the future. Change in everything we do is inevitable. The big question is are you ready for change? Are you adapting and learning as the world around you evolves? That’s something all our students have in common. They know the true value of time. They’ve also realised they need to know something, learn something new, to be ready for the future. The secret to success for them is finding the right time to do it and then finding the time to make it work. Life is what you make of it and time is the investment you need to make to get the life you want. Now, how can SIT2LRN help you get what you want? Make your time truly valuable. Remember, “no idleness, no laziness, no procrastination”.

CONTENTS

Production Manager: Teri McClelland

Cover photo:

Editor: Mark Hotton

Melanie Langlotz

Contributors: Claire Allison, Nathan Burdon, Jane Marrah Co-ordinator: Vicki Popham Art Editor: Elana Bai

09 Houston Lim

15 Anna Ramenskaia

SIT2LRN Programme Profile

-Bachelor of Applied Management facilitator

10 Darlene Thomas

-Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise on-site student

New Zealand Diploma in Agribusiness Management

06 On-site Programme Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise

08 Facilitator Profiles 08 Sarah Fairmaid

-Event Management facilitator

16 ChĂŠ-Louise Bryant -Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety graduate

17 Darren Whittingham

21 Meet the Student Liaison Officer Pauline Te Maiharoa

Student Profiles

-National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Level 5) student

11 Hugo Zaat

18 Stephanie Dow

-Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise graduand

-National Diploma in Adult Education and Training (Level 6) student

12 Melanie Langlotz

19 Philippa Van Kuilenburg

-Postgraduate in Business Enterprise graduate

-Diploma in Professional Coaching graduate

Industry; Professional Development through SIT2LRN

14 Glenn Stridiron

20 Brad Evans

Project Management

-Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise graduand

-Graduate Certificate in Communication (Public Relations) graduant

OSH Profile Professor Bill Glass

Degree Monitors

-Certificate in Health Sciences facilitator

Michelle Wallace Donald Reid

SIT2LRN PROGRAMME PROFILE

New Zealand Diploma in

AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT Equipping students with the necessary business skills they need to be effective agribusiness managers is the goal of the new SIT2LRN New

Programme manager Lucille Hatley said industry demand for experienced people with the vital business skills and knowledge needed to run the nation’s agribusinesses led to the creation of the new diploma. The diploma offers a foundation in core transferable business skills such as business planning, financial management, human resource management, resource management and sustainability and reporting, with the material tailored to the specific requirements of the agricultural sector.

community for agribusiness-focused training and this diploma will go a long way to filling that void in the sector. The industry has been crying out for it so it’s great for us to be able to pull it all together and produce something that will bring genuine benefits to the rural sector and the students,” Lucille said. The flexibility of SIT2LRN’s remote access learning system will make it easier for students to juggle their studies around their day-to-day work, particularly with seasonal demands on workload, Lucille said.

Zealand Diploma in Agribusiness Management that’s being launched next

Lucille has received many enquiries from prospective students who are excited about what the course will offer. It has been developed in conjunction with industry representatives to produce trained agribusiness managers who have the necessary skills and training to make significant improvements to an agricultural business.

“The course is designed to allow people to gain the skills and knowledge they need while they continue to work. Doing it through SIT2LRN makes perfect sense because most of our students won’t be close to a town or city where a more traditional classroom-style learning format might be offered,” she said.

year.

“There’s no doubt that there’s a massive demand in the rural

“This is really exciting because rural workers will be able to upskill

SITUATION August 2016

SIT2LRN PROGRAMME PROFILE

“One of the biggest benefits of the course for the students is that they can apply real-life experiences from their own businesses to the case studies. So not only are they learning as they proceed, but they’re also developing policies and plans that they can implement in their own agribusiness.” without having to leave the farm or their community. The knowledge they will gain will be invaluable in helping to improve their job performance and enhance their future employment opportunities.” The course is designed for those who are in a management capacity in an agribusiness and want to expand on their existing skills and knowledge, as well those who have some industry or other relevant experience and want to upskill and move into a management position in an agricultural business. Graduates will obtain the relevant skills and knowledge to undertake various roles in the agribusiness sector, whether it’s in an autonomous management capacity as part of a team. It’s likely they would have control over the management of an agribusiness or a unit within an agribusiness.

financials, business sustainability including environmental, economic and social sustainability, investment opportunities, marketing, communications, succession planning, and asset management plans. Students will also learn how to prepare an agribusiness report (AGB104), which will incorporate being able to analyse the environmental, economic and social sustainability risk factors associated with the development of a sustainable agribusiness. Another paper (AGB103), will assist students to develop knowledge and skills required to manage natural and/or physical resources for agribusiness sustainability. This is an increasingly important area that agribusiness managers need to be aware of, particularly around compiling and analysing physical resources and understanding environmental management practices that enhance sustainability. With human resource management an ongoing challenge for the rural sector, one paper (AGB102) will be devoted to help students learn how to manage staffing requirements in an agribusiness. This will be assessed by students creating a human resources plan for the management of an agribusiness health and safety policy that covers off managing employment requirements, termination procedures, cultural p considerations, and professional communication processes, along

with recruitment, selection and induction procedures. Financial management for agribusinesses will also be covered comprehensively (AGB101), with the goal for students to develop knowledge and skills needed to manage an organisation’s financial requirements. On completion of this paper, students will be able to identify and analyse the management requirements for a financial plan for an agribusiness, demonstrate knowledge of the New Zealand tax system as it is applicable to the management of an agribusiness, and show an understanding of the management of capital requirements of an agribusiness. The five papers offer a comprehensive and intensive way to develop the necessary skills required to excel in the agriculture sector. “One of the biggest benefits of the course for the students is that they can apply real-life experiences from their own businesses to the case studies. So not only are they learning as they proceed, but they’re also developing policies and plans that they can implement in their own agribusiness.” Lucille said. Prospective students wanting to enrol in the programme should be in a position to access financial and production performance information about a specific business, and to manage production factors of a specific business.

All applicants need to demonstrate a keen interest in agribusiness management and have academic attributes that demonstrate they have a likelihood of successfully completing the programme. It’s also recommended that students have a minimum of three years of agribusiness experience, which may include previous training or qualifications. Among the skills that students will develop is how to prepare, manage and monitor a strategic business plan for an agribusiness (AGB 100). This will cover the development of a strategic business plan that includes

SITUATION August 2016

ON-SITE PROGRAMME

PROFILE:

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE The entrepreneurs of tomorrow are being created today through the Southern Institute of Technology’s (SIT) Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise. The programme was introduced in the early 2000s, and until the introduction of the Masters of Applied Management programme earlier this year was the highest level business programme at SIT. Programme manager Julian Galt has been involved since its inception and is proud of the way the course is delivered and the results produced. The diploma's success lies in the "real-world" way that it is conveyed, Galt said. “It’s characterised by the fact that it’s a very applied programme. The tangible outcome of the programme is that the students produce a plan for a business that we assume they are going to establish,” he said. The programme is targeted toward applied business skills and is structured into two parts. For the first 24 weeks, students are in face-to-face classes on-site covering business papers that include entrepreneurship, marketing, human resources, research methodology and communications. Students then move into a 32-week dissertation phase where they are working outside of the classroom on an assignment of between 20,000 and 24,000 words. The dissertation phase comprises two parts – a research section where students research the proposal they are developing, and the creation of a business plan, which is effectively a plan for the development and implementation of a business concept. “The programme has evolved over the years to where the on-site

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students, who are the bulk of our students, are coming to SIT from various parts of the world,” Galt said. SIT also offers an online course through SIT2LRN, which is mainly subscribed to by students from within New Zealand who study parttime and have other jobs. The success of the on-site course is borne out in the fact that a new intake for the Postgraduate Diploma now starts every month to help satisfy demand, Galt said. The 18-month (three semesters) fulltime course is a Level 8 programme, open to students who have completed a bachelor degree or equivalent. Some students have also completed their Masters degree, but come to the Postgraduate Diploma attracted by the applied nature of the programme. Galt describes the taught section of the programme as a "pressure cooker". “Students come in, they are given an orientation and then they make their way through those papers. The last paper they do is a research methods paper, because we want them to go away and do some primary research – usually on something like potential customers, what those customers want, and something in the context of where they are going to set their business up, which might be Auckland, Goa in India, or Beijing,” he said. “Students can complete that dissertation phase in Invercargill, Auckland or China. They are allocated a supervisor, who has

the role of guiding and advising the student. The students regularly send in drafts of their progress – those are commented on and they learn from that and are steered towards a conclusion. "It all works very well. We have a very high completion rate – most of the students who get into the dissertation phase finish it successfully.” Galt’s pride in the work being completed by the students is obvious. “These students are generally very motivated, they want to succeed. They don’t want to get poor grades and they get stuck in. Their motivation is right up there and we see some excellent students coming through with absolutely stunning ability and very interesting backgrounds,” he said. “Many of our students are quite young, but we had a student quite recently who was in their 60s. These are students who are looking to transform their lives and make some progress in the world, so they are really good value.” While students might be focused on starting their own business, the programme also sets students up well to add value to existing businesses. In a rapidly changing environment like the business world, entrepreneurship and innovation are vital components to success. “Students will come in with a range of starting points. Many of them have an idea of what they want to focus on and because the taught papers are quite applied, they concentrate that focus quite quickly,” he said.

ON-SITE PROGRAMME

“They usually focus in on something that they take right through to the dissertation, but some might change their mind and that’s a developmental exercise through the first part of the programme. They are looking for a concept that will work as a business, but also one which works in terms of the assessment.” With the world changing daily, Galt is constantly impressed with the breadth of business ideas being investigated. “A lot of students are looking at businesses in hospitality, but I had a student in a recent intake who was looking at setting up a furniture manufacturing business in India." "We’ve had students who have been looking to set up everything from beauty salons to online magazines. There’s no one trend to it. They are often very interesting projects, and quite often very unique and clever ideas."

Another factor in the success of the Diploma is the experience and dedication of the staff who help deliver it, Galt said. "Everybody who is contributing to the programme has been here for some time and is quite experienced. We feel we have a really strong team delivering this and we get really good results because of that.” Staff roles fall across teaching the face-to-face classes, supervising dissertations and marking dissertations, with a highly-skilled workforce. “Many of the people have been either in business themselves, or are still in business and supervise students part-time.” An exciting addition to the SIT programme offerings has been the introduction of the Masters in Applied Management, a Level 9 programme.

The Masters programme has been configured so there is a pathway for students from a bachelor degree, through the Postgraduate Diploma, and on to the Masters programme if they wish. “Some students come into the Postgraduate Diploma in Business and they’ve got qualifications that are good enough to get them into a Level 8 programme, but not a Level 9 programme, which is the Masters programme,” Galt said. “There are cross-credits between the two programmes, so there are papers in the Postgraduate Diploma in Business which align with the requirements of the Masters paper and you can cross-credit those. Once you’ve proved your ability in the Postgraduate programme, you can staircase your way into the Masters programme and finish at Level 9 rather than exiting with the Postgraduate diploma.”

Another factor in the success of the Diploma is the experience and dedication of the staff who help deliver it, Galt said.

SITUATION August 2016

FACILITATOR PROFILE

Sarah

Fairmaid Certificate in Health Sciences ( Pre-entry) and ( Intermediate ) facilitator

You can't describe Sarah Fairmaid’s ‘hobby’ as ordinary. The Wanaka mother-of-two is a facilitator for SIT2LRN’s Certificate in Health Sciences, combining that role with her passion for adventure racing. For the uninitiated, adventure racing is one of sport’s most extreme undertakings. Typically a multi-disciplinary team sport, adventure or expedition, racing takes place in unmarked wilderness with races running for anything from two hours to two weeks on as little sleep as possible. It pits competitors not only against other teams, but also Mother Nature and themselves, which can create some interesting experiences. “I got injured playing hockey years ago and I got into multisport while

SITUATION August 2016

my injury healed, through a friend and her dad Bill Godsall, and then I’ve been racing on-and-off ever since,” Fairmaid said.

Fairmaid, who grew up near Balfour in northern Southland, usually competes in two overseas races a year during the New Zealand winter.

“It’s become normal for me, but I guess when people look in they see it as being really quite extreme.”

Sponsorship and prize money are required to make ends meet. This isn’t a sport you get into to become a millionaire.

Extreme? Like the time Fairmaid’s team descended on a watering hole in Lake Tahoe, in the United States, desperate to satisfy their thirst in baking hot conditions. “It was only once we got down there that we saw this massive mountain lion, so we decided to hold out for a while. There have been some crazy moments,” Fairmaid recalled. “I got bitten by a brown snake once, that was one of the more scary moments. They are deadly poisonous, but it must have been either a really small, juvenile one, or it didn’t latch on properly because it didn’t kill me." "That was only scary in hindsight because I didn’t realise at the time – it was only when I got home and my leg started to waste away. I remember thinking I’d stood on a stick and it had whacked me on the leg.” As a course facilitator, Fairmaid’s role involves supporting students through the Pre-entry and Intermediate Health Science programmes. “Health Sciences at SIT2LRN is either for people who are wanting to retrain, or bridging a gap between high school and a more specific course like nursing or midwifery. We’ve had a few people also go on to university,” she said.

Last year she was part of a team which finished seventh at the adventure racing world championships in Brazil. This year she competed in New Zealand’s major adventure race - the GodZone - in a team that included an adventure racing rookie by the name of Richie McCaw, with the team raising funds for children’s charity Cure Kids. “You get quite into your own thing when you are an athlete, so it was nice to race to raise money for something that brings a lot of good into the world. It was quite cool,” Fairmaid said. “Richie went really well. I would say he’s quite a capable guy, but that goes without saying. He learns things super-quickly and he trained really well before it.” A career highlight remains that race in Lake Tahoe last year where Fairmaid’s team won with a team made up of three females and one male – top teams generally include one female amongst their team of four. “That was one of the first times in the world that a team with three girls has won at that level. I’ve had some other big wins overseas, but that was pretty special.”

FACILITATOR PROFILE

Houston Lim Bachelor of Applied Management facilitator

Houston Lim brings a wealth of business experience and a passion for accounting to his work as a facilitator for SIT2LRN’s Bachelor of Applied Management. With a background of 12 years in business in Kuala Lumpur, Houston, his wife, and primary school-aged sons moved to Invercargill in 2014 so he could complete his Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise at the Southern Institute of Technology. It was Houston’s second time studying in New Zealand; about 15 years earlier he had moved here to complete his accounting degree at Nelson Polytechnic, returning to Malaysia afterwards to work. The family settled in to New Zealand’s southernmost city, with the boys attending Invercargill Middle School, and Houston serving as treasurer on the school’s board of trustees. Completing his postgraduate studies well ahead of schedule, before Houston had even submitted his dissertation he was offered a role as a SIT2LRN facilitator on the Bachelor of Applied Management, and tutoring for a semester on campus. His academic role draws on his business experience in Kuala Lumpur, where his career path included roles such as accounts supervisor/cost and management executive for a ceramic ware manufacturer, and director and factory controller for a sewing thread manufacturer and trading house. His work saw him take responsibility

for organisation costing, budgeting, forecasting and supervision of accounts. In 2003, Houston established his own company, a garment accessories wholesale and retail business. He spent 12 years as managing director, and managed the accounts department, overseeing cashflow, financial planning, statutory reporting and liaising with external auditors and bankers. Solid accounting knowledge and practical business experience have made him a proactive strategic thinker in business planning and implementation, and he's bringing those skills to the academic environment. “I totally enjoy the process of collating existing knowledge sources and my hands-on experience in real-life business. As a tutor and facilitator of several accounting and business management papers, I strive to gain insights from current issues which echo my previous work experience." This year, Houston has focused on facilitating distance learning students, and that has enabled him to continue the work despite the family’s move in June to

Christchurch to take up a job opportunity offered to his wife. The move has also provided Houston with the opportunity to access the necessary resources for the preparation of his research proposal for his next-level study in the accounting field. The flexibility that online facilitating offers has given Houston a better work-life balance, allowing him to spend more time with his family, and compares favourably with 10 and 11 hour working days in Kuala Lumpur. He’s working with up to 60 students right now, and said a highlight of facilitating was discovering the really motivated, enthusiastic students. “When you see their assignments, you can see they've put a lot of effort into them.” Life is busy with work, family, plans for a trip back to Malaysia, and gearing up to put a proposal together for his research, but if there is some spare time, Houston enjoys reading. But with his view that it's important to keep upskilling, either through formal study or personal efforts, that book’s not likely to be a thriller or mystery novel, but rather a textbook of some description.

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Darlene Thomas Event Management facilitator

When the company she was currently working for restructured in 2010; she took advantage of an offer to contract back her services. She quickly picked up additional marketing and event management work through word of mouth and referrals. “Working for myself was always something I was going to do, but it’s such a big step going out on your own,” Darlene said. After taking the leap of faith she has never looked back, also deciding to step out of Auckland for a better lifestyle in the Waikato. “I love the flexibility that working for myself offers, however like any sort of contracting it also has its challenges, particularly when work has to be turned around quickly. Given that so much work is conducted remotely over the email and phone nowadays, I find it does suit my lifestyle and I don’t really mind working unusual hours.”

Darlene Thomas left the corporate world of Auckland almost six years ago, looking for a change of pace and a better lifestyle. Originally studying marketing and advertising, Darlene found herself more involved in event management in every marketing role she took on.

Escaping the rat race has also allowed her to find more time for her passion. “I love tramping, off-road running and walking. It’s just so much more accessible and easier to do now I’m out of Auckland too. The outdoors is definitely my stress relief, my out.” Her event management experience led to her being asked to develop two event management papers for SIT2LRN. A Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Diploma in Event Management, plus a Bachelor of Applied Management with an event management major are all now offered through SIT2LRN. After developing MGT 223 (Event Management) and MGT 305 (Advanced Event Management) Darlene decided to continue on and became a facilitator of both papers because she wanted to ensure what she’d developed was actually practical and beneficial to students. “I’m enjoying giving back and helping people understand the intricacies of event management. Some students are looking to gain roles in event management, while others are already working in the sector and want to gain more knowledge or obtain a formal qualification.” "Being able to direct and assist students in their journey is one of the best benefits of being a facilitator", Darlene said. “My first experience of tertiary study was when I had no practical experience in the marketing and advertising field, just a desire that it was what I wanted to do. After working for a few years I then went back to complete more study and realised how valuable that practical experience was to my learning. Hence, I try to align student activities and assignments as closely as I can to real life situations.” It’s not easy juggling ‘normal life’ and contract work with the demands of facilitating. Darlene said she thinks she has mastered working under pressure from the years working in event management, which has also given her a good understanding of what her SIT2LRN students regularly face. And her advice to students? “Learning good organisational skills makes such a difference” she said.

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STUDENT PROFILE

HUGO ZAAT Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise graduand

Hugo Zaat has undertaken various programmes of study through SIT2LRN and much of it has been devoted to that perennial studentrelated subject … beer.

But it’s not quite for the reason usually associated with tertiary students. Hugo first studied through SIT2LRN in 2008, completing two National Diplomas in Business (Level 5 and Level 6). Since 2012, he’s also completed a National Diploma in Project Management, a Certificate in Renewable Technology, a Certificate in Business Coaching and a Diploma in Professional Coaching. This year he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Enterprise and began working towards a Masters of Applied Management onsite at the Southern Institute of Technology’s Invercargill campus. But how does beer link to study? Hugo’s goal has been to work out whether or not there is a potential professional future in a subject he’s passionate about: craft beer brewing. He’s also aiming to achieve personal growth through his studies to help his career. Originally from the Netherlands, the 34-year-old moved to New Zealand in 2003. He’s now married with two children, living in Invercargill, and has a fulltime job as the asset management coordinator for the Southern District Health

Board, which creates obvious time management challenges to juggle everything alongside his study. But he maintains the secret is to choose when to commit what time to what activity, and make sure this balances with everything else in life. “Make it work for you, do more sooner rather than later, and keep your spouse happy above all else.” He’s looking forward to the challenges that the Masters course will offer, and particularly – although not surprisingly – his research project on craft beer and its consumers. Craft beer is clearly a subject he loves. His dissertation for the postgraduate diploma was divided into a business plan that examined the possibilities of starting a craft brewery in Invercargill, as well as an in-depth market research that researched the demographic of the Kiwi craft beer consumer. Given the number of SIT2LRN courses he’s taken, it’s not surprising that he’s a big fan of remote learning because of the flexibility it offers. “That was something that was essential to me and my lifestyle. I work fulltime and travelled back home to the Netherlands during my study.

“This posed no difficulty as there were no specific requirements, other than keeping my supervisor up to date, in terms of writing the dissertation.” While some students might think online learning creates an environment to become demotivated, he believes SIT2LRN’s great support system helps students to remain motivated and focused on small milestones rather than getting snowed under by the magnitude of their project. “The most inherent value on studying at postgraduate level at SIT2LRN is becoming empowered to systematically tackle a major research project in a particular field. " “This is a major personal achievement and shows prospective employers that you are committed and capable to problem solve, while working to a particular academic standard.” Hugo has some simple advice for anyone considering studying through SIT2LRN. “Do it, you will not regret it. However, make sure it is about something you wish to actually do, or base it on something you are passionate about.”

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STUDENT PROFILE

MELANIE LANGLOTZ Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise graduate

When the film industry went through a challenging period, Melanie Langlotz saw it as timely opportunity to reconsider her career choice.

Now she’s at the forefront of a new gaming genre that is revolutionising how people play digital games. She had been working in the film industry as a visual effects artist but when the industry fell on hard times, budgets were shrunk, salaries cut, and her career hit a ceiling. Her health had suffered from sitting behind a computer for long periods of time and she realised a decision needed to be made to move forward. “I looked at possible transferable skills to move into another industry and realised that management was the most likely one.” Melanie chose to study with SIT2LRN because she believed it provided the perfect professional development opportunity to complement her existing skill base in the film industry. “I started with a small business management certificate at first and enjoyed it quite a lot.” Although she’d seen her father run his own business, she was unsure how successful owning one would be. But she soon found that being a good entrepreneur had nothing to do with talent. “The more I studied, the more I realised entrepreneurship is something you can learn.” She landed her first job as a general manager at a post-production house and began studying towards the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise. “When I enrolled, I remember one section asked about the business project I wanted to work on."

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“It took me a while to decide what that was going to be. Little did I know that filling out the enrolment form for my course would change my entire career path forever,” Melanie said. “I wanted to create a new entertainment format for young people and while I wasn’t entirely sure what that looked like; it felt like an exciting start into the unknown.” Halfway through the programme, Melanie left her job to join a startup company that was working with geospatial augmented reality; technology she felt could spark her business project. Augmented reality is when the live view of a physical, real-world environment is augmented or supplemented by

While I kept studying, I started to get a better understanding of how all those business components we learnt about during the post grad degree fitted together. I became more confident and determined to complete my final thesis with a real business project I could use as a case study.

computer-generated input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data – such as the new craze Pokemon Go. “I had pitched my business idea to my employers who couldn’t quite imagine what I was talking about,” she said. “Eventually I was introduced to the Ministry of Science and Innovation who told me they knew someone who could help me create my business idea and that was exactly the startup I ended up working with.” Melanie landed her first role as business development manager and it was agreed that she could use some of her work time to research her study business project. “While I kept studying, I started to get a better understanding of how all those business components we learnt about during the postgraduate degree fitted together." “I became more confident and determined to complete my final thesis with a real business project I could use as a case study.” While working on her thesis, she developed the world’s first prototype of a virtual extinct bird park in Otorohanga using geospatial augmented reality. “Imagine you could use your smartphone or tablet and interact with a life-size moa who has got its own real outdoor park and its own real territory." “The bird can interact with you and has got attitude and if it gets angry, it will fully rear up … four-metres [high] in front of you, kick you and you can feel the vibration through

STUDENT PROFILE

your phone or tablet,” Melanie says. “I was pretty proud when our moa made it on to TV3 News.” She found her thesis to be the toughest part of the programme because she had trouble finding academic evidence to prove her ideas had merit. “I was so passionate about my project and enjoyed it so much and for the first time ever I was asked to prove why it would work, how we would be making revenue and why we would have an audience." “This was the moment where I realised that theory is one thing and putting it into practice is another.” Melanie struggled with working long hours and fitting in study, putting in five to 10 solid hours of study over the weekends to keep up. Her vision was what kept her going. “My family had to be pretty patient because I was studying pretty much every weekend." “I remember my stepdaughter, back then aged 7, asking me why I had to do homework, after all I was an adult. I explained to her that learning never stops and sometimes if you have an idea, but don’t know how to do it, you need to first learn about it and then give it a really good shot,” she said.

That desire to keep learning is an important one to have for anyone looking at further study, but Melanie believes it is vital to know why you are studying. “What will it get you other than a degree or a qualification?" “For me it was the vision of financial freedom, enjoying what I do, getting paid what I am worth and moving into a new technology that excited me.” While she’s enjoyed moving from the film industry, it hasn’t quite been the dream run - after graduating, Melanie and her entire team were made redundant. But that turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to her, she said. “Together with my colleague Amie Wolken, we started our own company called Geo AR Games.” The pair applied for a three-month female business incubator in Chile which paid them a $20,000 equityfree fund to validate their business idea. They were successful and this gave them enough time to write their own new geospatial augmented reality prototype. The company’s games are designed to get children off the couch and active outside using outdoor mixed reality technology. This combines digital gaming content with a real-

time video feed on smart phones or tablets to create immersive experiences that allows users to explore digital content outdoors by walking and running while playing the game. They then joined another female business incubator in Wellington, Lightning Lab XX, to both validate their business idea and gain serious market traction. “We could not have done this obviously without the support of our families, who believe in us,” Melanie says. “We have now completed Lightning Lab XX and are raising our first investment round. We have two products in the market [Sharks in the Park and Magical Park], both available on iOS and Android and we are currently running pilots with Auckland and Wellington councils to use our products.” Melanie said the process has been a rollercoaster ride, but the SIT2LRN postgradute diploma prepared her really well for it all and gave her the initial structure she needed to turn an idea into reality. “I am really glad I made my decision back then to study." “Without it everything would have just remained an idea.”

SITUATION August 2016

STUDENT PROFILE

GLENN STRIDIRON Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise graduand

By day, he is the programme manager for the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) School of Hospitality and a cookery tutor, but by night Glenn Stridiron was one of the hundreds of students gaining new qualifications through SIT2LRN. Over the past few years, Glenn studied part-time towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise. He completed his studies this year, and will walk across the stage to receive his diploma in December. While Glenn’s now settled in the academic world, his pathway to his current job and new qualifications was somewhat more circuitous. He became a glazier when he left school, then moved into the hospitality industry, beginning at the bottom. “I started washing dishes, working as a kitchen hand, and just through my sheer passion for food, I progressed to being a head chef.” His CV includes several awards for best restaurant, he's a national judge for hospitality competitions, and has trained winning teams. English-born, his parents moved the family to Invercargill when he was a child. As an adult, he travelled and worked around the world; in Australia, Spain, England, and throughout New Zealand. Eventually, Invercargill called him back about 20 years ago. “I intended staying for six months, but it just sort of worked for me, and I became head chef for a number of restaurants around Invercargill. It's a good place to live in, there are opportunities.”

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Glenn’s work and reputation saw him offered a role at SIT. He completed his National Diploma in Adult Education (Level 6), and became qualified as a senior judge for cooking competitions, but it was a previous head of faculty, Alan Hughes, who recommended Glenn study for a Postgraduate Diploma. “It's been a great journey. My postgraduate research was in

He's impressed at SIT2LRN’s distance learning structure. “It was part-time training so I could do papers as I wanted to, I could work around my work hours. I enjoyed it, it wasn't pressured." tourism, the concept was to take people overseas on a culinary immersion tour, using my past experiences, skills and knowledge.” Glenn said he'd love to put his studies into practice one day. He's impressed at SIT2LRN’s

distance learning structure. “It was part-time training so I could do papers as I wanted to, I could work around my work hours. I enjoyed it, it wasn't pressured." “I found the process very clear, easy to follow, the timeframes were good to do the study and training, there was sufficient time to complete the tasks, and facilitators if you needed to contact someone.” And while the qualification is Glenn’s, he believes studying has also brought benefits for his students. “I've been able to show my students that I know what it's like to be a student. I understand assignments, deadlines, I know the pressures. And I've gained an understanding of how to approach your study, strategies, how to manage tasks and projects.” He admits he had no interest in being a student when he was younger. “Coming into this environment as an adult learner, my life experience, focus and drive pushed me forwards. As an adult learner, you have a lot of stuff to back you up. You're taking academia and real life skills and combining them. “I've really enjoyed it, coming into a teaching environment, and being given the opportunity to study and learn. I've been given the opportunity at SIT to learn, study and travel. "It's been an amazing journey.”

STUDENT PROFILE

ANNA RAMENSKAIA Anna is a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise on-site student and this is her story in her own words.

Just imagine. October, 2014. I was at a meeting in my native city Irkutsk, Siberia, related to education in New Zealand. There I heard one valuable phrase - “Get your foot in the door …” - and I started to think about my opportunities, about whether I should use them or not. October, 2015. I had passed my exams and had been successfully enrolled for the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise (Level 8) at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). I chose to study at SIT because of its affordable course costs, and because Invercargill seemed to be an attractive but unknown place. August, 2016. I’ve almost finished my main course that I am studying and am closer to the second stage of the programme – writing a dissertation. Time goes fast, doesn’t it? Somebody could think that my story goes suspiciously smoothly, but it doesn’t. To study in a foreign language is a challenge. To study a business programme in a foreign language is even more complicated.

It feels as though I’ve been asked thousands of times why I chose the business field. The answer seems to me to be so obvious: the present day requires you to be a multi-faceted person, and knowing the theory of business is one of the necessary parts for a successful life. I’m also planning to support my husband in his business projects in the future. Well, even after four months of study at SIT I feel I’ve become like a vessel filled with knowledge from listening to lectures, writing assignments, and reading additional literature. I feel more confident to soon move to the next level – to start new projects. I’m aware that business (I mean serious business with real money) is a matter of practice, and to be competent I need to know much more … but the first step is already done: without the theoretical base it would be harder. In a nutshell, the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise is a “concentrated” course. For six months you are taught several papers closely related to business – such as marketing, human resources management, innovation and principles of accounting. Although it is not in-depth study, it gives enough of a snapshot of how a company works in New Zealand. Time limits for each paper make you work harder, read more and think faster. Eighty per cent of study is supposed to be your own self-education, so time management is another challenge. Each class usually includes a piece of theory and a piece of practice: we are asked to apply the concepts that we’ve learnt. I can say, this works! “Imagine that you have found a company”, the tutors say. Analysis of such “imaginarium” enables us to

see a more realistic picture of what we want to make in the future. As for assignments, students find them challenging but interesting. Tasks are varied – from a classical analytical report to a modern video presentation. Plus, each one is accompanied with a wonderful word – deadline! One of the most important things I’ve realised is that assignments require team work. You need to work in a group, with students from other countries with different backgrounds, experiences, and ambitions to achieve a common goal - to get a common mark. But working in a team is not always easy because sometimes you need to grow socially in order to work productively with others. What does it mean to be an international student? It means to enjoy the company of multicultural people and the possibility to learn something new about New Zealand as well as other countries. This is particularly relevant with the work that we are doing at present. Today, I often look back to those words about “getting your foot in the door”. It is satisfying to feel that your decision put you on the right path, even if the ‘door’ turned out to be so far-far away - actually, a two-day journey. But it has been worth it.

SITUATION August 2016

STUDENT PROFILE

CHÉ-LOUISE BRYANT Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety graduate

When she was growing up, Ché-Louise Bryant was a self-proclaimed “scaredy cat” who had an aversion to risk-taking and had ambitions of becoming a doctor. She studied all the science-related subjects at high school, and headed off to university to study first-year health sciences.

an apprentice and needed to learn the ins and outs through practical experience, and then document that for my assignments.”

commercial construction company Leighs Construction, where she says the majority of her training really “kicked in”.

“And then I realised I didn’t like blood nor did I really want to cut into people,” she said.

While studying, Ché had plenty of opportunity to put what she has learnt into practice into her two health and safety roles.

“When I started at Leighs as the HSE Assistant, my role was to support the Health and Safety Manager in managing the health and safety management system for a whole company.”

Ché got a job at a chicken processing plant as maternity cover in the sales team, and when her contract was up she was offered a role as compliance assistant, which had a lot to do with food safety and a small component of health and safety. “Until this time, I didn’t realise that health and safety was an option for a career. I did a bit of investigating and found out about SIT2LRN’s [Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety], and decided that was the path for me,” she says. Ché didn’t find the workload too difficult because her employer was supportive and allowed her to complete work on a Friday afternoon if necessary. “I would add an extra half hour or so on my work day every day to get through the material, and add some hours through the weekend,” Ché said. Finding a way to fit study into a working week is vital if students are not to overload themselves, she said. “My first papers I left until the last minute to complete assignments, and stressing over it on the Wednesday night was not productive at all." “Make sure (particularly with this qualification) you have the ability to access materials that you need. I almost treated mine like I was 16

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“The first, I started as a SQTE [safety, quality, training and environment] administrator for a large civil

My qualification has definitely helped me with my role, and without it and the hands-on experience, I would not know where to start with designing, implementing and maintaining a safety management system. contractor. My role there was to assist the SQTE Manager in the dayto-day running of the region.” Ché moved to a coordinator role and spent a summer in Tekapo, assisting a manager overseeing health and safety on the site of the relining of the Tekapo Canal. She found this a huge challenge, both living away from home and gaining experience on how safety is managed on site. After two years in civil construction, Ché moved to Christchurch-based

In May 2015 her manager left the company and Ché took on a few of the responsibilities, with help from the wider team. “I went through my first external audit on my own and managed to attain ACC WSMP tertiary level, since then we have also had our Auckland region externally audited and AS/ NZS 4801 certified.” Her role now is Health and Safety Advisor – Safety Management Systems, which means she is responsible for the continual improvement of the company’s safety management systems. “My key goals are to work with our site teams in ensuring that our health and safety system both adds value to the team and remain compliant with legislation and AS/ NZS 4801.” Ché is currently focusing on reviewing the incident reporting system and implementing a contractor pre-qualification system. “My qualification has definitely helped me with my role, and without it and the hands-on experience, I would not know where to start with designing, implementing and maintaining a safety management system.”

STUDENT PROFILE

DARREN WHITTINGHAM National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Level 5) student

Being proactive in his study and getting involved in online course discussion boards has been invaluable for a New Zealand-born student who has been living in Australia for the past decade.

A Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History graduate, Darren Whittingham found himself working in Newcastle as a workplace system trainer for not-for-profit family support service Interrelate, a role he thoroughly enjoys. “I have had previous customer service and IT system support roles, but I found that I was drawn towards training and enjoyed this aspect of my role at Interrelate more than anything I had done before.” He decided to study through the SIT2LRN distance learning programme because he wanted to be able to reinforce his ongoing training experience with a recognised qualification, something that would also make him marketable for any future career opportunities. “I heard about the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Zero Fees Scheme from my mum, who lives in Auckland, and saw SIT2LRN and the National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Level 5) information on the SIT website and thought it sounded perfect.” After researching the papers, he thought he knew what to expect from the course, but the content has blown him away, far exceeding his expectations, he said. “The structure of all the papers are excellently put together, and they flow together and work harmoniously,” Darren said. “They allowed me to use the

knowledge and skills I gained in one paper as a way to achieve and gain a deeper understanding of what was being delivered in a different paper.” He has been able to continue working fulltime while completing his study, although managing to fit everything in has been challenging at times. “It does take effort and selfdetermination, but it is all worth it, to get those encouraging and positive comments from the facilitators when you do a good job with an assignment.” Time management has been a major consideration because of the other priorities he has, so Darren is a regular user of the calendar on Blackboard. “Blackboard is a wonderful tool. The calendar was a lifesaver, and I cannot speak highly enough of the discussion boards. “I have only ever studied on campus, in a face-to-face capacity previously, and admittedly was a little nervous about online learning and distance study, especially completing this from outside New Zealand,” he said. His biggest tip to other students would be to get involved in the discussion boards and reply to other students’ postings. “Doing that, and receiving feedback, encouraging comments and constructive advice made me really feel like I was part of something larger than just me sitting at a computer by myself, reading

the course material and writing assignments." “There is a whole network of support out there for you and through Blackboard and the student email I was able to use it, and it made my adventure in distance learning all the better for it.” The study also brought immediate benefits to his current role. He found the theory of much of the course papers was directly beneficial to his own delivery training and he also gained a deeper understanding of the mindset and different learning needs of his trainees. “I now have a far better understanding of the importance of making the trainings I run interactive for those I am teaching,” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that this course has improved my trainings and how I deliver them.” He praised facilitator Rose Michaels for her help with two of the papers. “I know she enabled me to make the trainings I run better than they would have been otherwise.” Darren enjoyed the experience of completing his certificate and is seriously considering completing the National Diploma in Adult Education (Level 6) next year. “I will certainly do this through SIT2LRN and would not hesitate to look at other SIT2LRN courses in the future.”

SITUATION August 2016

STUDENT PROFILE

STEPHANIE DOW National Diploma in Adult Education and Training (Level 6) student

Having a supportive employer has given Stephanie Dow the flexibility to continue working while studying towards a qualification that will have endless benefits. A non-sworn member of the New Zealand Police for the past 18 years, the National Diploma in Adult Education and Training (Level 6) student lives on a 116-acre farm just north of Wellington with her husband Andy and their son Lukas. She started her career as a communicator in the Communications Centre in Wellington answering both emergency and general calls from the public. From there Stephanie became a dispatcher, responsible for dispatching police officers to incidents reported through the communicators. Both roles involved shiftwork because the centres are constantly manned and although the work can be exciting and varied, they are not for everyone, she said. “You hear and deal with the worst and saddest situations, but also some of the most rewarding, and at times funny ones as well.” Stephanie shifted into training after Lukas was born because she found shiftwork was too difficult when trying to balance family life. “I had always enjoyed coaching and mentoring staff, so when a training role within the Communications Centre came up, I applied and got it. “After about four years in the training role, I eventually needed more of a challenge and so I became a Teaching and Learning Advisor at the Royal New Zealand Police College.”

SITUATION SITUAT UATION ION August 2016 2

Her role involves designing and developing training packages for various audiences within the police force, primarily the Communication Centres. “I am lucky enough to still have the opportunity to deliver training as well, through the suite of police trainers courses, and advanced trainer/training manager’s course, and a training design course." “I also run a trainers course for police officers from around the Pacific and it was the follow up to this course that saw me training in Niue for three weeks in May this year.” Stephanie had been keen to gain her National Diploma in Adult Education and Training for some time, but was concerned it would be too difficult to study while working. “I was fortunate that my supervisor could see the value and encouraged me to go for it.” Most of the papers Stephanie has completed so far have had direct relevance to her role with topics including designing a course, and training needs analysis, and evaluation. She has also been able to put some of what she has already learnt into practice. “My role is all about designing and delivering to adults,” Stephanie said. “If you design learner-centred lessons which are enjoyable for the participants, you will succeed.” Her family and colleagues have been

Stephanie’s tips for other students contemplating distance study are to appreciate that the facilitators are there to help and support, not to leave things until the last minute, have the confidence that you know your subject, and be selfish – set aside the time you need to complete the work. understanding and supportive of her desire to complete the programme. “One of my work colleagues has frequently said to me, ‘you’ve got this, you are doing it already, it’s just about writing it down and calling it a name’.” Stephanie’s tips for other students contemplating distance study are to appreciate that the facilitators are there to help and support, not to leave things until the last minute, have the confidence that you know your subject, and be selfish – set aside the time you need to complete the work. Although her employer is keen for her to complete further study, Stephanie is more interested in completing the qualification and having a rest. “I think I will take a break for a while and stop my head from spinning,” she said. “I am looking forward to finishing my diploma, but in saying that, I reserve the right to change my mind about further study.”

STUDENT PROFILE

PHILIPPA VAN KUILENBURG Diploma in Professional Coaching graduate

When a friend enrolled in the Diploma in Professional Coaching needed a study buddy, Philippa Van Kuilenburg went one step further and enrolled in the same SIT2LRN programme. The Auckland woman has a strong background in education with qualifications in counselling and group facilitating in addition to a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Psychotherapy and a Postgraduate Psychodramatic Role Trainer Certificate. She’s also written a thesis on coaching and has been trained in the use of experimental group methods. Clearly competent in the coaching field, Philippa decided it would be interesting to see what the programme offered and what others thought coaching entailed. “I felt I would gain something from the process and I was happy to support my friend in the process." “I did find completing the programme complementary to my current knowledge and skills as it provided me with an understanding and perspective of ICF [International Coach Federation] and how other organisations perceive the role of coach,” she said. “The programme offered a number of tools that were very familiar to me as well as some that were new.” At the time of study she was, and still is, self-employed as a contracted workplace assessor, coaching modern apprentices and assessing several qualifications in the workplace.

“I have since changed my work focus [early 2015] and have moved more fully into the counselling area and group facilitation,” Philippa said.

She suggests mapping out the dates and setting out timeframes for reading, research, writing, and editing.

“This involves contracting to an Inner City Women’s group to facilitate groups with a focus on family violence, anger management and life skills.

“Make use of local libraries or develop your own for extra reading."

“The work has seen me working in the women’s prison, community

"Treat your facilitator as your best friend so they are your coach as well. They can’t read your mind. They want to help you succeed. The only silly question is the one you did not ask.”

“The course provides the core reading and looking beyond that including other perspectives will develop your thinking and understanding.” Before embarking on any study, Philippa believes it is important to identify your learning style. “Some people are writers and some are not. If you are the latter you may find you are more eloquent when talking, so record your answers then write them up afterwards." “Treat your facilitator as your best friend so they are your coach as well. They can’t read your mind. They want to help you succeed. The only silly question is the one you did not ask.” Philippa constantly utilises her coaching skills in her work.

groups and in organisations.” Studying requires a mind-set that involves commitment to devoting time to study, Philippa said. “It is a discipline that involves an ability to manage time, willingness to engage in exploring areas that are not familiar and an ability to negotiate and communicate ones needs.”

“There is always a component of coaching when working with counselling clients who require some skills or cognitive development.” She was happy with the programme and has recommended it to others who want a qualification in this area. “It is a useful introduction to the subject.”

SITUATION August 2016

STUDENT PROFILE

BRAD EVANS Graduate Certificate in Communication (Public Relations) graduand

When he won the Tour of Southland last November, Brad Evans added his name to a list that includes many of the best cyclists New Zealand has ever produced. The 24-year-old Dunedin rider climbed into the yellow jersey with victory atop Bluff Hill during the second stage of New Zealand’s most prestigious stage race, and went on to win the SBS Bank-sponsored race by more than a minute. Winning an event he had followed since childhood capped off an outstanding 2015 season for Brad, who also won the Tour of Tasmania. He has backed that up with a busy racing schedule on the other side of the world this year, something the SIT2LRN student combines with his studies towards the Graduate Certificate in Communications (Public Relations). Racing for the Drapac Professional Cycling team, Brad has had an impressive travel itinerary, even for a pro bike rider. Azerbaijan, Iran, Belgium, Spain, Korea, and Austria have all been ticked off – he's lost count of the countries he’s raced in this year. That doesn’t always make for ideal distance learning conditions, especially with less than optimal wifi, but Brad is pleased he’s been able to keep up with his work despite the challenges, both on the bike and off. “I’ve been keeping up and progressing through despite this semester throwing up some

SITUATION August 2016

difficulties, including illness and crashes. There is some down time to do some study, but a lot of time is taken up with travel, whether it be by plane, bus, or car. Reliable wi-fi is very hard to come by in some countries and some countries have bans on websites like Facebook.” The Tour of Iran has been a standout this season, although not for cycling reasons. “Iran was crazy - especially the mad driving. For transport the race organiser had arranged to hire taxi vans, including drivers, who proceeded to race each other around the place, including in heavy traffic in the cites. I thought we were heading for a major crash multiple times per day." While some athletes find it hard to mix competition with studying, it’s a prerequisite at Drapac, where as soon as they come into the team they're encouraged to think about a future beyond the sport. Along with being good role models and ambassadors for the team, a pillar of Drapac’s overarching philosophy is about the transition back into the real world when competition comes to an end. “I have chosen event management and communications as areas I would like to work in, in the future,”

A sporting career is always limited in length and learning transferable skills and gaining qualifications [through SIT2LRN] is important for the transition back to normality.”

Brad said. “A sporting career is always limited in length and learning transferable skills and gaining qualifications [through SIT2LRN] is important for the transition back to normality.” However, he has no plans to call time on his cycling career yet. “I will aim to stay professional for as long as possible as it is doing what I love, for a job.” Brad hopes to return to Southland in November to try and defend his crown, although he’s aware that the only certainty in cycling is there are no certainties.

MEET THE STUDENT LIAISON OFFICER

PAULINE TE MAIHAROA Student Liaison Officer

SIT2LRN takes its responsibilities for caring for students seriously, especially when it comes to providing equal opportunities for learning. To go with a health nurse, councellor, programme managers who offer course advice, the Learning Assistance Unit, Disability Liaison, Tauira Tautoko (Maori student support), Pacific Island student support, and Chaplaincy, SIT2LRN has created a new role of Student Liaison Officer.

support would be for them.

Meet Pauline Te Maiharoa. Can’t find Blackboard? Not sure about crosscredits? Your cat has killed your laptop? She’s here to help.

Pauline doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but she will work hard to find the ones she doesn’t have.

“I’m the ‘connector’ between students and SIT2LRN,” Pauline explained. “Student liaison is all about helping students to engage with their studies and achieve their goals. Sometimes students may want help or to talk with someone, but aren’t sure who to contact - so they can contact me and I will help them connect to the right person or area.” SIT2LRN created the role after listening to student feedback about what the most effective means of

Pauline is excited about the job. “I am passionate about people and am genuinely interested in our students. I like people and I like to help where I can. Often a problem is much simpler from another’s point of view.”

“I listen to their needs and if I can’t help, then I seek the right person who can find a solution to the problem. I always do my best to ensure that the outcome is quick and easy.” Student needs are many and varied, ranging from practical to emotional support. “I've received phone calls from Dubai and London, then spoken to the distance students down the road in Bluff. Emails come in from both locals and people all around the world."

“Queries can be anything from information on cross- crediting to students wanting to change their path of study. I reassure our students, help keep their confidence up and, as I say, 'show the love'.” Pauline comes from a customer service-orientated background, including retail and aged care. “I am a born and bred Southlander. My husband and I ventured into rest home ownership and we did that for 16 years, going out of our way to make people’s lives as comfortable and happy as we possibly could,” Pauline says. “We moved to Christchurch for about 20 years and I went into the management of retail stores and again, enjoyed looking after the customers. I am passionate about customer service and helping people get what they need and I think this is a strength that I bring to this job. "I am very excited about my new role, and, I must say, I work with a great team.” SITUATION August 2016

OSH PROFILE

PROFESSOR

BILL GLASS

Occupational Health and Safety facilitator

Asbestos-lagged pipes, an excessively loud engine room, extreme seasickness, and an overweight captain in his 60s with fair skin who got heat exhaustion because he insisted on playing deck tennis with a much-younger first mate.

Wondering what this odd mix has in common? They were just some of the things a young Dr Bill Glass had to deal with while working as a ship doctor on a trip from New Zealand to England in the 1950s. It’s easy to see why he described it as an “interesting insight into occupational medicine”. An hour spent with the nowProfessor Bill Glass provides a fascinating insight into the New Zealand history of occupational medicine – the ‘health’ in workplace health and safety. He’s spent more than 60 years in both the private and public sector trying to make workplaces healthier, so it’s encouraging to hear that he’s optimistic about the health and safety legislation introduced earlier this year. “Those of us who have been in health and safety for some time see the Act as a big step forward.” He believes industry wants more guidance around health and safety

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and the Act goes some way in providing that. “Employers want legislation they can understand – not too draconian – but steps forward that can give them some parameters.”

“It will be based on case studies in which these principles can be drawn from particular cases that show how the problems were resolved and perhaps one or two where it wasn’t resolved.”

Prof Glass will be giving a presentation sponsored by WorkSafe New Zealand - Occupational Health Issues at Work - to students and industry representatives at Hansen Hall, in Invercargill, on September 20. He’ll explore how to address the health of workers, particularly in light of the new legislation.

It was as a medical student that Prof Glass developed his interest in occupational health, partially motivated from lectures given by public health professor Sir Charles Hercus, and a visiting lecture by the country’s first occupational health doctor, Tom Garland, a pioneer in the field.

“I’m going to focus on asking what are the health issues? Do we know the extent of the problems? And how do we go about investigating occupational health issues to determine what the causative factors are that can then lead us to the solutions?”

“I have no idea why they triggered an interest in me but they did,” he said.

The key in the future will be how to identify, measure, and intervene in worker health for positive change, he said.

It may also have had something to do with seeing the work-related injuries his father, a builder, used to come home with that honed his interest, he said. That interest was further heightened upon arriving in England. “I was trying to get a job in a hospital but of course with only one year of

OSH PROFILE

"... I think the course that is being run through SIT2LRN is unique, firstly because it’s part of the Zero Fees Scheme." experience as a house surgeon, no one wanted to know me.” His only contact was a senior lecturer in occupational medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who suggested he focus on occupational medicine. He got a job in public health, and began studying towards diplomas in public health, and industrial health. The idea of helping workers suited his political leanings and humanitarian drive that he’d inherited from his mother. “I was sympathetic to the situation of working people. They were expendable. Their health was expendable. Their life was expendable. Although society had moved from slavery and beyond the industrial revolution … working people were not seen as partners in the productive process.” “They were seen as people whose labour was there to produce the goods or services – no one cared about them.” After returning to New Zealand, he had roles in Auckland and Timaru,

before deciding to focus on industrial health, becoming a medical adviser in occupational health in Auckland. In 1967 he became involved in the creation of medical clinics in industries in Auckland. “It was a time when the Department of Health was encouraging firms to take a greater interest in the health of their workforce, so they were subsidising industry if they would employ a part-time GP to run a clinic in the workplace.” “This was really quite innovative and it continued on for quite a time.” He would go on to work for several large companies, including New Zealand Forest Products, Wormald, LD Nathan, and ICI New Zealand. They employed fulltime nurses and he would come in for half a day as required. “The companies recognised the importance of their staff and the importance of caring for their staff, so I saw that side of industry that had a humane face.” “They were concerned about people and it was nice to work in that environment. But it started to fall apart in the mid-80s, when the crash came … companies started to offload things that didn’t produce money and health and safety stuff was all kicked out.” “The whole thing was lost and still has lost its focus. Whether we’ll get it back again I don’t know, but I think the course that is being run through SIT2LRN is unique, firstly because

it’s part of the Zero Fees Scheme.” “And while it’s focused on safety, it’s beginning to see that health and safety are two sides of the coin and you can’t do one without the other.” He’s pleased to see the refocus on health in the workplace, with his employer – WorkSafe New Zealand – set to launch its strategic plan this month that focuses on workplace health as well as safety. “That is a challenge for WorkSafe – to change the attitude and culture in the workplace.” “Changing the way people think and behave is not easy. But it’s a challenge New Zealanders have to face.” He acknowledged the change would not happen overnight because it required a shift in culture and mindset. Worker safety wasn’t new, but understanding the importance of worker health needed greater acceptance amongst employers. “Things like management attitudes and systems need to be reviewed. It needs to be recognised that issues like badly managed overtime, badly managed work shifts, and bullying, are sorts of attitudes that can make a contribution to workforce absenteeism, anxiety, mild depressions, stress, fatigue. These things are going to come up and assume the same importance that safety aspects currently have.” “Change is possible. When there is a will, there will always be a way.”

SITUATION August 2016

INDUSTRY; PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SIT2LRN

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Infrastructure services company City Care has a long association with SIT2LRN’s project management courses. Established in 1999, City Care provides infrastructure services to more than two million New Zealanders in 17 locations throughout the country. The Council Controlled Trading Organisation (CCTO) has an annual turnover of more than $330 million and a workforce of about 1500 people. The company is committed to ongoing training, with two of its core values encouraging staff development – Better & Better and We Create Stars. Russell Keetley, Senior Project & Programme Manager – Landscapes, said City Care, as a company, was proactive in training and upskilling employees and was involved in a number of internal and trade programmes. To assist with this, the company has a training department that supports employees through these programmes. “The company offers opportunities to help people reach their personal potential and therefore help the business identify its human resource potential for its future." “This value is about educating, training, mentoring and coaching others whenever we can.” City Care’s relationship with SIT2LRN's project management courses came about six years ago. “We were looking at pathways for development of our new project managers, upskilling the existing ones and the SIT2LRN programme

was selected from the search of training providers. Many of the project managers had developed into the role from years of practical trade experience but had no formal training or qualification in the art." “We started as a small study group of project managers undertaking the National Certificate in Project Management (Level 4) course. As we progressed through this programme we mentored and coached others who started after us as this is the best way to reinforce learning. We set aside an hour a week initially for this, as individuals and as a study group, so that others were supported and not left behind.” Russell said some of the initial group moved on through from the National Certificate in Project Management (Level 4) to the National Diploma in Project Management (Level 5) programme, once again working as a supportive group, to help those starting Level 4 and others involved in the Level 5 study. The programme was promoted, and others – not only current project managers – joined the course. “Some of the course members have chosen, with company support, to undertake the blended delivery model rather than the distance learning option as this better suits their working environment and is probably a little quicker. This is one of the advantages of SIT2LRN's programme delivery, it is flexible enough for each student’s learning needs.”

Russell said the benefits of the programme really came from staff – as students – using their existing projects as the part of the course study. This, in conjunction with improved skills, increased the professionalism of project delivery. Referencing for the assignments came from City Care’s own company procedures, policies and systems, which in turn helped staff become familiar with those. “It was an advantage using projects we knew well as study material and it also gave us ideas to enhance these projects with alternative ideas.” Russell said many younger students would be familiar with the concept of life-long learners – the ongoing self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for professional development which enhances competitiveness and employability. “Older staff members, however, may have been away from study for many years and can struggle with this concept of continual upskilling and professional development. The SIT2LRN programmes assist with the idea of earn while you learn." “Communication with the facilitators throughout the courses has been brilliant and they have been receptive to questions and user friendly, as have the SIT2LRN support staff.” Russell has now gone on to further study in Project Management through SIT2LRN.

SITUATION August 2016

DEGREE MONITORS

MIC MICHELLE ICHELLE WALLACE W Bachelor of Applied Management Monitor

DON DONALD R REID Bachelor of Professional Communication Monitor An important requirement for degree courses is independent monitoring to ensure they remain up to standard and continue to meet industry needs.

Monitoring provides the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) with assurance that a qualification is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of the initial approval and accreditation, and that the qualification continues to be degree-worthy and still meets the needs of stakeholders. Michelle Wallace, from Southern Cross University in New South Wales, and Donald Reid, from the University of Tasmania in Hobart, are NZQAappointed monitors for, respectively, SIT2LRN’s Bachelor of Applied Management and the Bachelor of Professional Communication (BPC). Both are impressed at how SIT2LRN, Southern Institute of Technology’s (SIT) distance learning arm, operates and the qualifications offered. Michelle has been an academic since 1990, developing and teaching in several programmes, including a Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor and Master of Business Administration, Master of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). “Curriculum development,

SITUATION August 2016

assessment and learning issues are among my passions. I research in the areas of human resource management, learning and teaching, and gender issues in the workplace, and I have held a number of management roles in the university sector." Michelle was initially invited by SIT and NZQA to be the external academic member on the accreditation panel for the Bachelor of Applied Management. "I thoroughly enjoyed working with SIT, found its documentation very well prepared and was able to offer constructive and collegial suggestions. The programme was accredited and I was then invited by NZQA in consultation with SIT to be monitor for that programme." So far, Michelle has made one monitoring visit to SIT, speaking with SIT2LRN management, academic and support staff, the Advisory Committee and students, and then writing a report for NZQA. She will return early next year for the second monitoring visit. She has been impressed with SIT2LRN and the professionalism

DEGREE MONITORS and student-centredness of management, academic and administrative staff. "I see my role as a 'critical friend' to the programme and its stakeholders. I can offer objective suggestions based on my academic experience and knowledge of the Bachelor of Applied Management from its inception." "As I still design learning materials and teach at my university, including online, I have a very realistic perspective on what is 'doable' to support student learning. My research background is also useful to the programme in relation to new directions in management theory and practice." Donald trained and worked in journalism, public relations and communications before moving to academia. While working in Dunedin as the publicist for documentary maker NHNZ (the old natural history unit), he decided to do a part-time degree in film studies for fun, under the umbrella of the University of Otago’s Media, Film and Communication department. "I really enjoyed studying, did honors, then a MA, then a PhD, and while

doing my PhD I also started teaching at Otago more or less full time. In the course of my time at Otago, media teaching started to become a bit more vocational and more papers were added, teaching students the basics of newsgathering, writing etc, so it was here that my professional and academic lives merged.” In 2014, he became a lecturer at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. “My main research interests still lie predominantly in media studies; I write about public broadcasting in the digital environment, multiculturalism and the media, neoliberalism and the media, amongst other things. But a lot of my teaching here involves the practice of media production, including journalism, PR and multi-media content.” Donald first became involved with SIT in 2013 when he was invited to be on the NZQA panel examining the proposal for the Bachelor of Professional Communication. "I was impressed with the way Teri McClelland, SIT2LRN Head of Faculty, and her team had found a knowledge/market gap - notably the need for media professionals to enhance their practice with very specifically designed qualifications

… researched that market gap and designed such a beautiful, tailored suite of qualifications around this need.” In March, he was invited back to SIT as the NZQA monitor. "My role as monitor was to examine the documentary material provided by SIT2LRN about the BPC and to spend a day interviewing various involved parties. This included instructors and SIT2LRN governance staff, industry representatives who are involved as advisors, and students.” Donald said the impressive thing about SIT2LRN is the breadth of the qualifications and the rigour with which it monitors the effectiveness of its teaching and learning systems. "The feedback and monitoring systems employed by the team are an incredible asset." “I've totally loved working with Teri and the SIT2LRN team. SIT is a wonderful institution and I know the work put into the Bachelor of Professional Communication will pay off in the next few years when the various qualifications become the industry standard throughout New Zealand."

STUDENT SERVICES

Counselling Service Lois McMurdo Available Monday to Friday Phone: 0800 40 3337 Extn 8781 Email: lois.mcmurdo@sit.ac.nz

We are a free, friendly, confidential and accessible service to all students and staff. Some areas of counselling are: stress, goal setting, decision making, sexual abuse, referrals, relationships, pregnancy issues, setting limits, dealing with anger, anxiety, depression or grief, conflict resolutions, alcohol, drugs and gambling issues. Appointments can be made by phoning or you can email. We are able to provide phone counselling for SIT2LRN students. Skype is now available for students to access counselling.

Disability Liaison Claire O’Neill Phone: 0800 40 3337 extn. 8752 Email: claire.oneill@sit.ac.nz

If you have an impairment (permanent or otherwise) that creates a barrier or hinders your learning, please make an appointment with our disability liaison officer for confidential assistance. Support for examinations, equipment or advice is freely available. Verification of your situation will be required. It is our policy to provide quality learning opportunities which are appropriate, equitable and accessible. Be prepared for examinations, tests and assignments by visiting us well before they begin. SITUATION SI SI August 2016

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise Designed to meet the needs of graduates who wish to start their own business as well as those who want to learn about entrepreneurship, innovation and business enterprise management in an existing business. Students in the programme will not only be focused on creating new business ventures, but will also have a willingness and commitment to learn about new enterprise creation and development from theoretical and research based perspectives.

Offered at our Invercargill campus, we have eleven intakes per year. January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November.

Call today or email info@sit.ac.nz

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