Waiariki Today Issue 16

WAIARIKI

TODAY

Permanent art exhibit

Issue 16

•

February 2012

installed at Waiariki

www.waiariki.ac.nz PLUS: Two Waiariki academy athletes heading to the Olympics

New wānanga opens • 2012 looking great • Overseas travel and exchange programmes for students • Training for Christchurch builders • New art exhibit features renowned artists • and more inside!

WAIARIKI

TODAY

Kia Ora

Rotorua | Taupo | Tokoroa | Whakatane February 2012

Issue:

John Snook Acting Chief Executive

16

Next Issue: June 2012 Acting Chief Executive: John Snook Editor:

Kia ora Waiariki community, Happy New Year. This year is shaping up to be the best ever for Waiariki and all staff are back, refreshed, energised and passionate about making a difference to the lives of our students.

Lyn Maner

Sub-editor: Sue Gunn, Maketing Manager Contributing Writer: Dr Toby Curtis Photos:

Kris O’Driscoll

Designer:

Tracey Greene, Fuel Advertising

Printer:

APN Print

E-mail:

marketing@waiariki.ac.nz

Address: Marketing Department Waiariki Institute of Technology Private Bag 3028 Rotorua 3046

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Missed an issue of Waiariki Today?

This is already Issue 16 of our three-timesper-year publication bringing you the news, events and happenings of Waiariki Institute of Technology, its staff and students.

If you missed previous issues, you can view them online at www.waiariki.ac.nz or email marketing@waiariki.ac.nz and we’ll send the one/s you’re missing free of charge.

On the Cover: Waiariki’s permanent art exhibit will showcase pieces by artists with ties to the institute. Included will be the painting “Where All the Dreams Hide” by Angela McKenzie, Paerau Corneal’s clay bust “Tuahue III”, and wood carving “Paikea” by Todd Couper.

Enrol NOW For Semester 1!

Pick up Waiariki’s 2012 Prospectus and Career Guide from any Waiariki campus and see all the exciting new qualifications on offer, as well as the time-tested, high quality favourites for which the institute is known.

Certificates, diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications – they’re all here!

Semester 1 begins 20 February 2012.

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We will celebrate the opening of our newest building, Te Tahuhuroa o Ihenga. It is a $4.5 million facility which has the dual purpose of (a) providing a 12 state-of-the-art, flexible learning spaces and a new 200-seat auditorium/ lecture theatre, and (b) beginning the connection of our spiritual ‘head’, Tangatarua Marae, and the beautiful meeting house, Ihenga, carved by Lionel Grant, to the ‘heart’ of our campus near the library learning centre and student hub.

I would like to take this opportunity to publically thank former chief executive Dr Pim Borren. Dr Borren made a significant impact on Waiariki. His legacy of achievement and over performance will be felt by the organisation and the wider community for many years to come.

It was the culture change and quality focus that he brought to Waiariki that means that there is now money in the bank and capital investment into our campuses, that we have been able to recruit and retain some of the best academic and support staff in the country, and that we are now educating more people than ever before. Thank you, Pim. John Snook Acting Chief Executive

Iwi News Dr Toby Curtis Chairperson, Te Arawa Lakes Trust I hope everyone managed to find time to relax, rest and enjoy much of the festive season. I certainly did by sneaking off to Sydney for three weeks. While there I enjoyed the New Year’s Eve revelry with the Harbour Bridge being the central focus of the fire cracker celebrations. It was without doubt a marvellous show equalled to any other in the world. I also enjoyed the wonderful beaches at Bondi, Bronte and further north at Terregal and Avoca. I returned quite rested.

When one reflects upon the dawn of 2011, I am reminded of the Queensland floods, the societal upheavals in Egypt and Lybia, our Christchurch earthquakes. Let’s hope that 2012 will bless us with a brighter and happier start.

Pukenga Koeke – Elders Council The group had their first meeting under the leadership of their new Chair, Arama Piririka. He did a fine job by setting a number of tasks to be achieved. He also formed an executive to ensure that the weight of the work will be undertaken by as many members as possible, rather than the same few. All were enthused and keen to get underway. In total, there are about 150 to 200 elders aged 65 years and older who identify as Te Arawa.

Law Commission Te Arawa was given an opportunity to contribute to the Commission’s findings related to the Coroner’s responsibilities along with that of the General Practitioner, who may be allocated the authority to sign certificates in order for a tuupaapaku (dead body) to be buried. It is hoped that this may occur and become law.

Waikato University – Te Manukura Del Raerino, our Educational Manager, and I were privileged to attend the celebratory dinner prior to the opening of Te Kotahi Research Institute, and the following day participated in the Te Manukura meeting. The composition of the group includes every major iwi within the region. The Chancellor, the Right Honourable Jim Bolger attended and remained throughout. Del furnished a very good report on our behalf.

I think the time is right to review our role on this committee and how we can add and extract value form the opportunity for both Te Arawa and the Rotorua District.

WBOP District Council The Trust had a meeting with representatives from the Council’s

Wa i a r i k i To d a y

Our graduation ceremony earlier this month was, as always, a wonderful celebration of achievement, acknowledgement of the families, business and colleagues that supported our students, and recognising excellence and sacrifice. It is one of the most special days on the Waiariki calendar.

Māori Forum who informed us about the Council’s 10-year plan and the impact it would have on Te Arawa as a major land owner in the district. We urged them to consider Maketu as the site for future development for a number of good reasons. The landing place of Te Arawa waka and the history surrounding the area has more in its favour than Rangiuru.

Te Arawa Whanau Ora While all the providers in Te Arawa have come under one umbrella, it was important that providers within the Tuwharetoa region develop a similar structure. It would appear that this is now the case. It would be helpful if any person associated with Waiariki who knows of any family that may need assistance in any way, please contact the Te Puni Kokiri office in Rotorua. Names will be placed in the system to be processed so these families may be approached and assisted.

Police Matters I accompanied the Minister of Police and the BOP District Commander to Whakatane to take part in the pohiri at the area office. It was interesting to note the strong Ngati Awa presence, including officials from other government departments.

I participated on a panel to appoint a Māori police liaison officer. It was interesting to note that the police were keen to know the level of relationship that the applicant has had or may have with the general community and in particular Te Arawa.

Iwi Leaders Forum and Consortium Hui Both these meetings were held in Wellington on consecutive days. The first was focused on freshwater, the second was exploring opportunities for iwi to invest together. The matter of State Assets was discussed without a definite conclusion emerging.

Farewell I was privileged to attend Turoa Royal’s farewell at Otaki. He was the most senior Māori educationalist in Aotearoa. As an officer of the former Education Department, a secondary school principal and the founding CEO of Whitireia Polytechnic, the first Chair of the Waananga o Raukawa Council (first Māori university), and a senior lecturer at Victoria University, his contribution to Māori education is second to none. His presence and active involvement will be sorely missed.

May Waiariki vibrate with enthusiasm, joy and success for 2012.

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Waiariki’s newest building will house Te Wānanga a Ihenga A new $4.5 million building, named Te Tahuhuroa o Ihenga (the extended backbone of Ihenga), is to be opened this month on Waiariki’s Mokoia Campus.

Waiariki Kaumatua Ken Kennedy blessed the new building in early January so staff of the ever-growing Te Wānanga a Ihenga Māori Development, Humanities and Research could move into the new office spaces.

The formal karakia or blessing for Te Tahuhuroa o Ihenga will take place at dawn prior to the opening ceremony.

New Zealand’s Governor-General, Lt Gen Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae has been invited to open the new building, accompanied by Lady Janine Mateparae.

The teaching area will be dedicated to one of the institute’s former chief executives Arapeta Tahana, and the performing arts area to Dr Hiko Hohepa, the institute’s former kaumatua.

The late Mr Tahana and late Dr Hohepa led the establishment of Waiariki’s marae, Ihenga, and also established and led the

Māori department through the 1980s and 90s, says Deputy Chief Executive Māori Keith Ikin.

“Both men were significant in their contributions to the institute and particularly in supporting Māori development and biculturalism at Waiariki.”

The new building will be a great asset to the institute, says Mr Ikin.

“We have a really diverse team [working within te wānanga]; there are three degree programmes – social work, education and Māori development – plus all the foundation learning programmes, English language, literacy and numeracy, and teacher professional development and for the first time we will all be located together.

“Until now we’ve been spread across the whole campus and staff are really excited.

“We’re looking forward to having a purposebuilt teaching base which also has significant space for performing arts to support the Waiariki Academy of Singing and Music.”

The new Te Tahuhuroa o Ihenga will feature an amphitheatre in front which will be part of the central boulevard to be created through campus.

2012 is looking to remain strong for Waiariki “Waiariki is still growing and still investing. We are not for profit so any money made is reinvested,” says acting Chief Executive John Snook.

“We’ve done very well with regards to international students and productivity, so we have more money than ever to reinvest. The community can be very positive that in Waiariki they have an asset for the community.”

• Government targets for domestic students were met by Waiariki in 2011 (2,700 full time equivalent enrolments) and exceeded for international students (850 full time).

Kathryn Bloor, Waiariki facilities manager, and Roger Willard, director and principal architect of APR Architects, review plans for the next stage of campus redevelopment.

• While yet to be finalised, student numbers are looking good for this year. “In terms of international students, early signs are positive for 2012 and domestic student numbers are also looking quite strong.”

• Growing areas include health studies, the Bachelor of Computing, Communications and Technology, and the Bachelor of Applied Management. The new Bachelor

of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) is expected to be popular.

• Numbers for trades and hospitality areas remained strong and new facilities will enhance Waiariki’s offerings with new training kitchens in Taupo and a hairdressing salon in Whakatane.

Chief executive recruitment Applications for the position of Waiariki’s next chief executive closed at the end of January and the recruitment process will soon move to interview stage.

A recruitment firm is handling the replacement of Dr Pim Borren, who left to take up a position in Brisbane.

Mr Snook, who has been acting chief executive since Dr Borren left in November, says there has been a long lead-in time but the institute’s council has indicated it has confidence in the existing senior management team to keep things running smoothly.

Waiariki’s largest school, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, will be the next beneficiary of the Mokoia Campus redevelopment programme, gaining a new $5 to 6 million purpose-built facility.

The new building will feature better clinical labs, bigger lecture halls and new technology, including computerised patient simulators. The latter are being used worldwide as substitutes for hospital placements for practical training which are now harder to get, says acting Chief Executive John Snook.

Campus redevelopment is one of the institute’s focal points within the strategic plan which centres on maintaining quality through the renewal of infrastructure.

Additional classrooms and workshops enhance Whakatane campus Waiariki’s Whakatane campus has been undergoing a transformation over the summer break.

New classrooms have been moved onto the site and a new electrical workshop is under construction, all adding authenticity to vocational training courses on offer at the Eastern Bay of Plenty campus.

Other than adding a Certificate in Creative Arts, there are no new qualifications to be offered at Whakatane as it focuses on consolidating the existing curriculum by adding training facilities to enhance students’ learning.

Alongside the new electrical workshop will be two classrooms for use by automotive

and electrical students, providing greater flexibility between practical learning and theory. The new workshop will feature a kitchen with appliances that students will work on to gain practical experience.

A new classroom moved onto the site is being outfitted for students on the Diploma of Enrolled Nursing and the trades academy health programme which means students will no longer have to travel to Rotorua for their practical training.

Meanwhile, an existing space is being fitted out as an office where those training in business administration will be able to play out true-to-life scenarios.

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The campus already boasts a hair salon for hairdressing students and gardens used by the horticultural students, while agriculture students gain their practical training on local farms.

“The focus this coming year is really on embedding our existing vocational training,” says Rosemary Johnson, Regional Development Manager for the campus.

She says the trades academy’s first year ended on a succesful note. The academy provided weekly one-day training for students from seven secondary schools.

Of the 220 trades academy students studying toward a Waiariki qualification in 2011,

about 50 also gained NCEA Level 2 while 99 achieved a significant number of credits toward NCEA Level 2. Students are now able to attend classes at Waiariki two days each week.

“We had a good year,” Ms Johnson says, adding that student numbers look like they’re holding for 2012 with some 200 new students set to enrol in the trades academy along with about 600 tertiary students.

“We’re looking forward to another good year, embedding the qualifications we have, ensuring quality of practical training and theory,” Ms Johnson says.

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PA G E 3

New manager for the Academy of Sport The Waiariki Academy of Sport has a new leader at the helm.

Wayne Maher will pick up where former manager Jane Borren has left off after five years developing and growing Waiariki’s first academy.

Staff profile Harata Simpson Course advisor For many people, taking the first step or returning to study is a daunting task.

Financial worries, coping with the workload, or just thinking of stepping back into a classroom can cause anxiety. For some, their last experience of education was a long time ago and they’re unsure of how to start, and others may have had a negative experience in education.

Who better to help support these potential students, than someone who has been there, experienced it, faced the challenges and made it through to the other end?

Harata Simpson, new course advisor at Waiariki, has a host of experiences as a secondary school careers advisor, working with beneficiaries returning to the workforce, and marketing and recruitment with Te Wānanga O Aotearoa, but it is her personal experience of overcoming obstacles that perhaps gives her the edge in her role.

Bringing more than 10 years of applied experience in high performance sport, Mr Maher has worked extensively with the hugely successful Rowing New Zealand programme and coached crews at the world championships and 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing – one of the proudest achievements of his career.

He has also worked for two years as high performance manager of Canoe Racing New Zealand and worked closely with SPARC and High Performance Sport New Zealand (formally known as New Zealand Academy of Sport).

Waiariki acting Chief Executive John Snook says, “[Mr Maher’s] skills and experience will be paramount in further developing opportunity and success for current and future athletes within our academy.”

Mr Maher, who started in early January,

says, “It’s an exciting opportunity. It’s the sort of role I’ve wanted to do for a while, and the timing has been perfect!

“Working with some different sports is a major draw card for me. I enjoy helping athletes achieve their goals. This, in conjunction with the opportunity to put some lesser known sports on the sporting radar, is very appealing.”

No stranger to competition himself, Mr Maher has competed at a national level in rowing, having won a couple of national rowing titles and has also ‘dabbled’ in football and rugby.

While still getting his bearings, Mr Maher realises there is a focus on looking at niche sports for this area with a goal of establishing world class programmes “so that Rotorua is seen as a hub for those identified sports, and that people will want to come here to be part of it.”

The academy has grown from a cohort of five athletes in 2007 to nearly 80 last year.

With the academy now well established and many athletes having succeeded at national and international levels, Mr Maher says “the

“I’m passionate about helping people make the right education choices and I encourage students to make the most of all the support services we offer. This can include one-on-one academic help, study tips and skills, or helping them adjust student life around other commitments.

“I enjoy seeing people get excited about the possibilities and opportunities that education brings. The accomplishment often means so much more than just the qualification. It represents the student’s discipline, perseverance, commitment and success.”

As a mother of three, Ms Simpson especially enjoys seeing mothers get back into education, and knows first-hand how difficult it can be to balance children, study and often work.

“I really believe that when you educate a mother you educate a family. It’s such a positive example for children and families that education is for everyone.

“For me, studying or training at tertiary level is or should be the norm. Education is a lifelong journey and we at Waiariki are one step along that journey.”

Ms Simpson is based on Mokoia Campus and available to all Waiariki students via Waiariki’s toll-free phone number or at courseadvisor@waiariki.ac.nz. Contact her to help you to find the best pathway toward successfully achieving your goals.

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academy would be looking at quality versus quantity, making sure the standard is high and people know it’s not a take-all system.

You’ve gotta be good to get in.”

Originally from the South Island, Mr Maher, his wife Wendy and their 10-month-old daughter Molly will be shifting from Cambridge where they’ve been for the last seven years.

“Having considered the role, the prospect of moving to Rotorua holds great appeal too, as it’s a good playground for sport.”

Future is bright for nursing school health boards [in New Zealand].

“There is an international boom for this school in the Graduate Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control. That’s a niche area for Waiariki nationally also, nobody else offers it,” Mr Snook says.

Most of the students undertaking this qualification are graduates from the health sector.

“I’ve studied at university, polytechnic, wānanga and have dropped out of some as well. I’ve had first-hand experience of the barriers facing students of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing how to get support,” she says.

Ms Simpson’s role is to help new and existing students find a study pathway that will suit them so they are successful, more at ease with study, and know the various ways Waiariki can support them.

New sports academy manager Wayne Maher.

Across the nursing school about 30 per cent of students are Māori and completion and success rates are high.

Ngaira Harker-Wilcox is the acting director of the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

The new year is looking great for Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies as it continues to grow and plan for the future.

With about 450 students enrolled on the Bachelor of Nursing this year, a new director of the school being appointed soon and staffing having been boosted across the board, 2012 should keep things on track for another successful year for Waiariki’s largest school.

Additionally, the school is working toward redeveloping the Bachelor of Nursing curriculum to meet with the five-yearly accreditation requirement processes due in 2014. Once accredited, it will be launched at the beginning of 2014.

The launch will coincide with the school moving into a $6 million purpose-built

building as part of Waiariki’s 10-year Mokoia Campus redevelopment scheme. The new building will feature state-of-the-art clinical and science laboratories and lecture theatres.

The school operates from a second, autonomous campus based at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic in Tauranga and Waiariki works closely with the wider region’s three regional health boards, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato, which provide clinical experience for trainee nurses.

“Nursing graduates from Waiariki are in high demand,” says Waiariki acting Chief Executive John Snook. “There are a lot of vacancies internationally for well-trained nurses. We are training for an international marketplace but our graduates are also sought after by district

Acting director of the school, Ngaira Harker-Wilcox, says trained Māori nurses are in high demand and the school takes an holistic approach, ensuring students have plenty of support.

“We pride ourselves in offering good pastoral care for our students. We also have a high calibre of qualified Māori tutors and staff to support students in coping with the tertiary environment from a Māori perspective,” says Ms Harker-Wilcox.

“There’s a lot of demand around New Zealand for our Māori students because of the way we teach them, from a whanau perspective.”

Nursing, Ms Harker-Wilcox says, can lead to a very advanced career in the health sector and Waiariki continues to provide the same educational excellence it has since the school was established some 20 years ago.

Overseas exchange programmes open more doors Waiariki plans to establish overseas exchanges to increase Kiwi students’ awareness of international opportunities in their chosen career.

Staff exchanges are also planned as part of a focus on “internationalisation”.

“We want to ensure local students have an education that gives them the opportunity to get a job locally but that also prepares them for a more diverse international environment,” says Waiariki acting Chief

Wa i a r i k i To d a y

Executive John Snook.

An example of an area where student and staff exchanges would work well, he says, is in forestry where credits gained at Waiariki are recognised by partner institutes in Mexico and vice versa.

He sees a similar arrangement being possible for Waiariki’s fashion students with the Instituto di Moda Burgo in Milan, with which Waiariki has a pathway programme in place.

“As students learn, a lot of things start to interest them and we want them to broaden their view of their opportunities.”

Having international students at Waiariki has created a multicultural environment on campus and overseas exchanges would broaden the experience of local students, show them where their career could take them and provide them with contacts in other parts of the world, says Mr Snook.

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Permanent art exhibit features artists with ties to the institute

Graduate profile The 24-metre long sculpture, “Te Whetu Rere o Tanenuiārangi”, was created by Lewis Gardiner using glass and greenstone.

Its name translates to the Educational Comet of Tanenuiarangi , that empowers all students to reach for the stars when pursuing the pathways of higher education learning at Waiariki.

A collection of art created by more than 20 renowned local and national artists will be featured in a new, permanent exhibit at Waiariki.

The exhibit is to be officially opened in the atrium of Waiariki’s main corporate reception building on Mokoia Campus in early February.

Visitors of the exhibition will enjoy paintings, carvings, sculpture and other mediums by George Andrews, June Grant, Lewis Gardiner, Ross Hemera and more.

One of the purposes of the exhibit, says acting Chief Executive John Snook, is to “profile the nationally recognised artists that had their initial training at Waiariki in what was the best art school in the country.”

The collection and exhibit was the brainchild of the institute’s former chief executive Dr Pim Borren.

“The vision behind the permanent art collection is the same vision I had around

lots of my initiatives – for example, the various academies, and sponsorships such as the New Zealand Aria – celebrating excellence, especially through our unique bicultural identity,” says Dr Borren.

As an institute with a long history of teaching creative arts, including traditional Māori art forms, many pieces have been gifted to or purchased by Waiariki. In many cases the artworks were created by students, graduates or tutors of Waiariki’s art programme. Dr Borren assigned the task of creating an inventory of these pieces which turned out to be quite the mission.

“When I arrived at Waiariki in 2006 we owned quite a bit of art work but no one knew where it was or what it was worth,” says Dr Borren.

At the same time, he created a small annual budget of $20,000 and asked the art department staff to make recommendations around purchases to support the existing collection as nothing had been invested in a number of years.

“In the case of creative arts, Waiariki has a long rich history of excellence and I was trying to recapture that by telling the story, mostly through past staff and students’ works, particularly graduates who were able to make a vocation out of their skills,” says Dr Borren.

“It tells the story of bicultural art at Waiariki and in some ways reflects the history of the whole institute, in other words, reestablishing our original vision as a truly bicultural community college supporting our region’s rich cultural heritage.”

Dr Borren’s spend on the art was around $120,000 although he says it would likely be valued at a much higher amount because of the artists’ dedication to the cause.

“I might add the generosity of some of our past staff has been mind blowing, no more so than [former art lecturer] Barry Dabb.

These people were so keen to see this area being reinvigorated!”

The exhibit will be installed by Chris Currie, curator at Rotorua Museum.

Opportunities for youth training may increase Waiariki is keen to strike while the iron is hot when it comes to youth training.

Based on the successful Eastern Bay of Plenty Trades Academy on Waiariki’s Whakatane campus, the institute is hoping to establish a similar academy at Waipa campus that would be accessible to students from Rotorua, Taupo and Tokoroa.

“The challenges are in finding exciting transitional qualifications, and to find what works well with our region,” says Rosemary Johnson, newly appointed trades academy development manager for Waiariki.

The Eastern Bay academy was opened last year to provide an interface between secondary schools and tertiary providers which would in turn create an easier transition for students from secondary school to tertiary level study. It is part of a government initiative to increase the success of New Zealand students, particularly for those who are perhaps struggling in the school environment or ready to explore tertiary study.

Through the academy, secondary students begin studying a tertiary qualification one day per week at Waiariki. Handson vocational training options include agriculture, automotive, business administration, construction, electrical, forestry, hairdressing, health and hospitality.

Academy students also earn credit toward their NCEA level requirements.

John Snook, Waiariki acting chief executive,

says many secondary school students don’t know which tertiary study options are available to them after they finish school, and the academies give them a taste of what they may want to go on to study full time.

The proposed academy for the Waipa campus will offer programmes in agriculture and horticulture. New developments at this location just south of Rotorua’s city limits include a stock management area and new horticulture growing facilities. More options may be added.

Ms Johnson has been involved in the Eastern Bay academy since day one as the regional development manager on that campus. In her new position, she will split her time between managing and further developing Whakatane’s academy and working on the strategy and development for the new Rotorua academy.

“We will engage with our secondary school partners,” says Ms Johnson, “utilise the trades academy model, and work in collaboration to achieve the most appropriate way of doing things.

“We have to apply to government, so we’re in consultation and partnership collaboration now. Next we’ll be working to seek approval from ministry to plan for a 2013 start. I’ve talked to them, they would definitely like to see something happen.”

Prior to her recent appointment, Ms Johnson had managed the Whakatane campus since 2007. Passionate about education and

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Luuka Jones Diploma in Communications (Applied) As is typical for Kiwi kids who make the most of their backyards growing up, Luuka Jones certainly took advantage of hers.

She was just 11 years old when she first gave kayaking a go.

“I stumbled into the sport,” she says, “when my parents moved next to the Wairoa River in Tauranga and down the road from Waimarino, a kayaking adventure park. I had no idea it would take me to the Olympics, in fact initially I didn’t even like it. The more I did it, however, the more addicting it became.”

Now, a dozen years later, kayaking is her life. She was a 2008 Beijing Olympian (at the age of 19) and has multiple achievements to her name: three times World Cup semi-finalist; four times New Zealand champion; and 2011 British Open U23 champion and runner-up overall, to name a few.

In June, and she’ll be heading to the Olympics for her second time.

“I am training three times a day and summoning all my energy into every session,” she says. “It’s a huge motivation and I want to go to sleep every night knowing that I trained harder than all the other women.”

It’s difficult to imagine how Luuka stays dry long enough to study, but she not only completed her Diploma in Communications (Applied) in November, she was such an excellent student and example to her peers that she was selected as valedictorian for this year’s Waiariki graduation Awards Ceremony.

Rosemary Johnson, trades academy devlopment manager.

working with students, she is credited for increasing student enrolments there and was instrumental in securing government funding for the academy on that campus.

“It’s really great to see [the academy students] excited about their success and we want to make sure other students have that same opportunity!”

She says she is enjoying her new position, a one-year appointment.

“To be honest, the exciting opportunity for me is that we will focus on youth and how we can provide support for them to be successful and to ensure that they transition well from secondary school to tertiary.

“I’m excited about the challenges and working with the communities and schools to come up with a model to ensure student success.”

The academy training is free to a limited number of eligible students.

“I really enjoy the field of communications and I find it really interesting. I have finished my diploma and now look to complete a New Zealand Diploma in Business at Waiariki which will lead to the Bachelor of Management Studies at Waikato University. I want to do a double major in management systems and either PR or marketing which are fields that interest me and that I would like to work in the future.”

As one can imagine, right now her life involves very little besides whitewater.

“It’s not a ‘normal’ life and takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication,” she says.

“At the end of the day, it is a personal challenge and something that is incredibly rewarding and you learn so much about yourself, your limits and sometimes you surprise yourself with the things you get through and what your body and mind can handle. It’s not for everyone, but if you have the drive and determination to get out there and give it your all, I would highly recommend it.”

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National Māori Sports Award for Sam Sutton

New Year’s Fitness If January 1st kicked off your mission to tackle the bulge and instil better eating habits, you probably started off highly motivated and determined to drop a few kilos. Good on you! Now, one month into 2012, it’s a good time to “check in” and take inventory on your efforts and how you’re feeling so you can keep up the great work for the next several months. Here are some guides to help you stay on track.

1. Ask yourself if your goal is realistic and achievable. A sensible and healthy weight loss for most people is 0.5kg to 1kg per week.

2. If undesirable snacking habits and random meal times have crept into your life over the holidays, the best way to get back on track is to limit your favourites, not eliminate them. Denying yourself treats often leads to frustration and resentment which can put you off your goals.

3. Are you mentally prepared for when the days start to get colder, shorter and wetter?

Heading into winter with a solid plan will ensure you stay focused on your goals. Plan your workouts one month at a time, adjusting the times you train if you need daylight hours.

4. If you exercise outdoors, have a back-up activity planned for those rainy days, such as swimming in a heated pool.

5. If you tend to get bored with routine, create a list of alternatives for those days you are tempted to skip your workout: swimming, Zumba, yoga, biking, walking, rope-skipping, hula-hooping, gardening, glow worm spotting in the Redwoods, etc.

Sam Sutton’s prowess on whitewater results in world championships and Māori sports awards.

Things just keep getting better for the Waiariki Academy of Sport. Yet another award has been received by an academy athlete.

This time the recipient is kayaker Sam Sutton who was presented with a Māori World Champion Award at the prestigious 2011 National Māori Sports Awards held in Auckland.

Sam is the current extreme kayaking world champion for the second year running. Since joining Waiariki Academy of Sport in 2006, Sam has trained and competed in places such as Iceland, Austria, Italy, US, Canada and others. He spends a minimum of six months to a year on the road or in a kayak, enjoying his sport to the max.

“I just go out and have fun, really,” he says in his laidback style. “Every time I’m out there, I just try to do my best on the water and still have fun. It’s a win-win, really.”

Being awarded at the ceremony in December puts Sam, who is Te Arawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, in the company of

a long line of Māori sporting greats.

He was recognised for his outstanding sporting achievements along with six other athletes in various sports.

He was also selected as one of three finalists in the Senior Māori Sportsman of the Year category, something he found rather amusing.

“I was like holy ‘shmokes’! It was quite funny, actually.”

When asked what it was like being placed in the same category as his two well-known running mates, Sam first describes the audience reaction as the names were called out: massive applause for the first two, and significantly less for himself.

“I thought it was quite entertaining, actually. Everyone knows who Piri Weepu is and probably most people know who Kevin Locke is. I was just praying I wouldn’t win because I thought I’d get beat up if I did.”

Sam was spared as the All Blacks legend Weepu was named Senior

Māori Sportsman (as well as Māori Sportsperson of the Year).

Prior to the evening’s ceremony, Sam’s sport, extreme white water kayaking, was unfamiliar and unseen by most in attendance, however the footage of Sam and his kayak plummeting down a waterfall and his comments on the night, were very impressionable.

Regarding the massive waterfalls he handles like a fish, he says, “I guess it’s just normal after a while. At first it was scary, but after you do it for a while, you’re not even thinking about it, so it becomes normal, it’s just like walking.”

Meanwhile, Sam has signed on for another three years with his sponsor adidas, and last year started up his own whitewater outfit, Rotorua Rafting in Okere Falls. He’ll be filmed this year for part of a 3-D TV adventure film, and he’ll keep training and having fun, hoping for a three-peat performance in the world championships: “I would like to, it’s a goal, just gotta make it there first.”

6. If exercising by yourself isn’t very inspiring, get a few friends to commit to a weekly group activity, or join a sports team. Meeting on a set day each week will ensure you turn up, and having others around you will make exercise easier and fun.

Seeking young, motivated Māori for new trades training programme

7. Don’t let the shorter days stop your group sessions. Look for sports fields with lights or invest in a simple headlamp to enjoy the tracks in the Redwoods.

A residential Māori trade training programme being established at Waiariki will open the door to a world of possibilities for motivated young people.

8. Ask for support. This could be in the form of a workout buddy, an accountability partner, seeking advice from a doctor or nutritionist, or finding advice and support through the web.

9. Having an event or two to train for, especially in the middle of winter, is a fantastic way to stay motivated. Visit www.sportbop.co.nz, www.realseries.co.nz (for women), www.rotoruanz.com, www.eventfinder. co.nz or www.3drotorua.co.nz for options.

10. If you’re based in Rotorua, check out the Waiariki Community Recreation Centre.

Membership is available to the public.

Contact Rebecca Smith on 07 346 8636 for membership information.

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Modelled on a successful programme run in New Zealand decades ago but axed in the 1980s, it is expected to appeal to young, talented Māori.

There have never been more opportunities available to young people in trades, says Waiariki’s Deputy Chief Executive Māori Keith Ikin.

Mr Ikin says reports show that the Christchurch earthquake rebuild will require thousands of tradespeople in the next decade and Australia has predicted it will need 170,000. The current average age of tradespeople in New Zealand is 55 which means there will be a huge need in the near future.

“If you are young and gain a trades

qualification, the world really is your oyster,” says Mr Ikin.

“We are developing a model of Māori trade training that will bring the best from what worked in the 1970s and 80s.

“There’s been talk around Māori trade training for a long time but what we’ve done in the last couple of months is meet with graduates from the 80s and asked them what worked for them. In designing this initiative we’re tried to bring together the really important components.”

A critical component, according to graduates of the former, governmentfunded programme, was having a residential facility supported by pastoral care. A few options for housing are being considered at this time.

“These young ones had some guidance, discipline and boundaries

that balanced the social aspects of their studies with the academic. It provided a solid foundation for them to do well.”

Students in the programme would be able to undertake any of the trades courses and qualifications offered by Waiariki and it’s hoped the initiative will be ready for the start of Semester 2 (mid July) this year.

Mr Ikin says Waiariki is already doing a great job of bringing young Māori into trades training.

“Most of our students are now young Māori in the under-25 age group and course completion rates are above 70 per cent. We can always improve on that but I think having that Māori trade training model will really lift the game.”

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Logging operators and managers in high demand in BOP An expected increase in logging in the Bay of Plenty over the next decade is set to provide new opportunities for students graduating from Waiariki’s School of Forestry and Primary Industries.

The school’s director, Jeremy Christmas, says the new Bay of Plenty forest strategy predicts a doubling of logging volumes in the next 10 years in the region and that means there will be a need for more workers.

“They’ll need a lot more people on saws and in forestry management … and there is currently a shortage of trained forestry supervisors.

“We certainly have the capacity and capability to take more students in these areas. Waiariki is well placed to fill that void.”

With the recent reinvestment in the school, students are getting the benefit of up-to-date technology, improved facilities and the opportunity to deal with

cutting-edge technology, says Mr Christmas.

The school had more than 1,000 students in 2011 learning biotechnology, forest management, forest operations, agriculture, horticulture and wood processing, with a success rate of more than 70 per cent. Early indications point to a slight growth in student numbers for 2012.

Waiariki has invested $5 million in the School of Forestry and Primary Industries in recent years to provide high-tech innovation and learning opportunities for students.

The investment has included new buildings on Mokoia Campus (Rotorua), and the Waipa site which is just south of Rotorua city limits.

The building on Mokoia Campus houses classrooms and administration offices. Waipa campus received a new gasification plant, teaching building, timber testing lab and updated software.

The School of Forestry and Primary Industries has a long and proud history of training forestry specialists.

Mr Christmas says forest management has been the jewel in the School of Forestry and Primary Industries’ crown since its beginnings in the 1940s and while student numbers on the two-year Diploma in Forest Management had been down in recent years, they are on the rise again.

He says the qualification offers plenty of opportunities for graduates who are getting jobs in both New Zealand and Australia.

“There’s been a move from forest owners employing their own gangs. Now they are all contracted so they need supervisors.”

Graduates are being snapped up for work in forest measurement, forest consultancy work and the supervision of crews for the likes of Timberlands, Mr Christmas says.

Waiariki prepared to supply training for Christchurch rebuild Waiariki will be providing some of the thousands of qualified tradespeople needed for the Christchurch rebuild.

Director of the School of Trade Training Kevin Uncles says construction-related trades in particular are going to be very important over the next decade in Christchurch following last year’s devastating earthquake.

It was the worst CBD disaster in the world with 1,200 commercial buildings destroyed, says Mr Uncles.

In comparison, the 1989 quake in San Francisco destroyed 250.

It’s estimated more than 30,000 extra tradespeople will be needed for the Christchurch rebuild and Waiariki is targeting courses to help meet the demand.

As well as looking to establish a Māori

trade training programme, Waiariki has the green light to investigate establishing qualifications in civil engineering (roading), plumbing and gas. It is hoped these courses would be launched in 2013.

“Plumbers will be in short supply and nobody is training in either civil engineering or plumbing and gas at a commercial level. We believe that could be a niche for Waiariki,” says Mr Uncles.

The institute will also be undertaking qualification development in outlying areas to encourage young people there into trades training, as is already being done at Waiariki’s Whakatane campus.

This will be in areas identified by the government as being needed for the Christchurch build.

Initially the institute will deliver carpentry in places like Murupara and Taumarunui,

areas where people don’t currently have access to tertiary education nearby.

“For a lot of young people, the opportunity to learn a trade could be the best thing to happen for them,” says Mr Uncles.

“Ours will be a two-fold approach – trying to assist our community as well as Christchurch.

“Within three years of finishing an apprenticeship those graduating from our programmes could become employers themselves and by the time Christchurch is rebuilt they could own their own construction companies – that’s the sort of opportunity trades will give them.

“A trade is the door to a very exciting career, one that is stimulating and always challenging.

“New Zealand needs tradespeople to drive the economy,” says Mr Uncles.

Fogarty, section manager for construction at Waiariki. Certified Builders Association of New Zealand’s Dion Tapper arranged for local suppliers Bunnings, Carters and Rotoma ITM to bring along the BBQ and goodies.

Local builder Graham Pedersen (left), of Graham Pedersen Building Ltd., and ITM Building Centre’s Dean Sumner attended a builders’ breakfast at Waiariki’s Mokoia Campus at the end of last semester.

Waiariki construction students were given the unique opportunity to network with local and national industry suppliers during the casual meet-and-greet.

The breakfast, hoped to become a regular event, was set up by Mike

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“The idea of the breakfast was to let local industry – Master Builders and Certified Builders – know what our students are learning and working on while attending our carpentry courses,” says Mr Fogarty. “Also, it gave me the opportunity to promote our students’ availability for work experience, and explain ITaB’s [Industry Training Association Building] apprentice training scheme.”

Waiariki Kaumatua Ken Kennedy Kua tino heke te tokomaha o te hunga matatau ki te kōrero mai i te reo Māori i ngā tau e whitu tekau o tēra rau tau, e ai ki te Kaunihera Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa e whitu tekau mano ngā kaikōrero pēnei e ora tonu ana, i ēnei rā, kei tōna toru tekau mā toru mano noa iho.

He tokoiti rawa te hunga Māori e tahuri ana ki te Reo Māori, ahakoa te nui o ngā huarahi ako i te reo Māori e puare ana ki a rātau.

Tēra tonu ko te hunga ka tahuri ake ki te reo, kei te whai i tētahi o tōna whānau, ā, ka noho te whānau hei kai tautoko mō rātau mō te roanga ake o tā rātau whai i te Reo Māori.

Ko te hunga e ū pūmau ana ki te reo Māori, he kaha ki te kuhu i a rātau anō, he manawa nui he manawa roa ki te reo Māori. Ko te whakapono mā te reo Māori rawa rātau e kīīa ai he Māori kei te whakakaha i a rātau. Ko te kore e whai tāima, ko te warea ki kaupapa kē me te kore e kite i te uara o te reo Māori, ētahi take e kore nei ētahi e tahuri ake ki te ako i te reo Māori.

The number of fluent speakers of the Māori language in the last 70 years has significantly decreased according to the New Zealand Council of Educational Research. There were 70,000 fluent speakers of the Māori language.

Nowadays, only 33,000 speakers are fluent.

Although there are many pathways open for those who are wanting to learn the Māori language, there is only a very small number of Māori who are wishing to learn the language. Therefore, perhaps for those who have just turned to learn the Māori language, it makes sense for his or her family to fully support them throughout the length of time they are pursuing the language. For those who are already fluent in the Māori language, the desire is for them to encourage and nuture those who are just beginning to learn the language also. The belief is that the Māori language will certainly strengthen your stance as being Māori.

For those Māori who pursue other pathways and goals in life and cannot see the real values of the Māori language because they haven’t bothered to learn the Māori language I believe it to be is a waste of time.

Nāku noa, Nā Ken Kennedy Kaumātua Te Arawa / Te Whare Takiūra o Waiāriki

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New teaching qualifications will incorporate te reo Māori Waiariki has approval from the Ministry of Education to apply for accreditation for degrees in early childhood education and primary teaching.

Both will include a Māori language component with a view to producing graduates able to fill the need for teachers who can speak te reo.

“There’s a huge need in our community for teacher graduates with a high level of fluency in Māori language,” says Deputy Chief Executive Māori Keith Ikin.

The institute conducted a survey and met with about 90 early childhood educators who made it clear there was a need for degree-credentialed teacher graduates and particularly those with Māori language ability, he says.

There has been a high level of interest in early childhood teaching locally with a move from mainly adult students to growing numbers of school leavers keen to gain their tertiary qualifications locally.

Work to design the Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) has already begun and it’s envisaged the qualification will be approved and available to students

Study in China added to degree programmes Waiariki students will be packing their bags for China this year, as the School of Business and Tourism has included the overseas trip as part of the tourism management and applied management degrees.

The development comes as a result of strong links between Waiariki and four tertiary institutes in Beijing, Nanjing and Qingdao. A number of students from these partner institutes have come to study at Waiariki, and now Waiariki students will have the opportunity to experience China first hand.

Allison Lawton, director of the school, says that this trip will give Waiariki students a valuable edge in understanding international business.

“Doing business in China is all about long-term relationships, and we’ve been building a relationship with these partners for three years now.

“Our students will get to study alongside hospitality and management students at these institutes, engage with staff in China, and start to build their own overseas contacts.”

The economic growth in China creates a huge opportunity for graduates with the right skills and understanding to gain employment overseas. Chinese culture centres on the concept of benevolence and loyalty toward family and networks of contacts, therefore, the opportunity to develop these cross-cultural relationships

able to work in total immersion or bilingual environments, says Mr Ikin.

There are already 27 students enrolled on

In March 2011 Grant completed the National Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 (Dairy) delivered by Waiariki, arming him with an Agriculture Industry Training Organisation (AgITO) Modern Apprenticeship in Level 4 Dairy.

the existing Diploma in Early Childhood Education for this year, and more than 20 who completed that qualification in recent years. Most of these students and graduates have expressed an interest in

primary teaching degree will start in 2013.

Students are currently able to gain the Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary) at Waiariki through Canterbury University and it’s hoped that will continue once Waiariki’s degree is ready to go, says Mr Ikin.

“There’s a nationwide shortage of primary trained teachers with a high level of fluency in te reo – there would be plenty of jobs for them.

“Forty per cent of children currently at primary school in our region are Māori, many of them have gone through kohanga and a lot of schools have bilingual units.”

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“The two-week trip will provide the first step for our students to create relationships while gaining an understanding of how to do business in

for golf, playing at regional level for local clubs, while working part time on the farm. After two years the dream of professional golf was not to be, so Grant decided it was time to give that same passion and dedication to work for his parents, Karen and Maurice.

Graduates from that qualification will be

Meanwhile, work on developing the

could open exciting doors for Waiariki students upon completion of their studies.

China,” says Ms Lawton.

“Our partners are looking for English speaking graduates who understand how international business works, and have an appreciation of the cultural nuances and etiquette.”

Apprentice of the Year dreams of owning his own farm

from the start of Semester 2 in July.

upgrading to a degree.

Some Waiariki degree students may get to visit China as part of their curriculum.

Grant Forlong won the Apprentice of the Year award at the Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Awards.

Each year Waiariki sponsors the Apprentice of the Year award at the Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Awards, so when the recipient is a Waiariki student, it reinforces the efforts of the institute’s tutors and support staff.

The most recent winner, Grant Forlong, is just 21 years old, but those who know him are sure he’s well on his way to running a successful farm one day.

One of the judge’s comments were, “Grant’s commitment, enthusiasm and desire to achieve, along with his workplace achievements are a credit to him. He is clearly a valuable staff member and is an asset to his chosen industry.”

Grant grew up on the family farm. After leaving school he pursued his passion

“Before that, I wasn’t doing any tech stuff, so when I started at Level 4, that was the biggest thing for me. But our tutor, Dave Morrissey, was just awesome, he’s a great dude and taught us a hell of a lot. He’s got a lot of experience that he shared with us. He’s someone that’s been out there and done that and can give us the knowledge and get us on our way.”

In April 2011 Grant took first place in the Animal Health Dairy section at the local Skills Day, and the following month he won the Best Central Plateau Modern Apprentice at the AgITO AgriAwards.

He says that while not everyone in industry understands the significance of winning the Apprentice of the Year, once he explains it to prospective employers, they get it.

“I’ve actually been applying for a few jobs and there’s been quite a bit of

interest in having that on my CV so it’s been quite a bonus.”

Grant is now studying toward the National Certificate in Production Management which he’ll complete in June.

Not content to stop there, Grant will carry on with his studies, enrolling on the Diploma in Agribusiness Management, an ideal qualification for those who, like Grant, plan to own their own farm. Classes for the diploma are scheduled around time on the farm, meeting once a fortnight.

From there, Grant says, he plans to “head off into share milking to earn some money for a while, then hopefully into farm ownership by the time I’m about 35.”

Along the way, he has received full support from his parents. As a business owner, Mrs Forlong said she most definitely recommends the AgITO courses and Grant echoes her sentiments.

Mrs Forlong says training has given Grant confidence in feeding and pasture management, and effluent management and application.

“This has allowed Maurice to step away at times. When Grant returns to farm after class, he returns enthused and motivated. The classes teach the technical ‘why’ which allows more time for the farmer to teach the ‘how’.”

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Eight Waiariki staff members recognised for their excellence Each year, Waiariki recognises staff for the quality, innovation and excellence they contribute to the institute, through the presentation of five Chief Executive Awards.

The Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award was presented jointly to Bart Vosse and Bryon Dorrian, culinary lecturers who have been leaders in innovative teaching practices for their students. These two have been credited with overhauling the curriculum, re-writing course books, developing three new diplomas, and doubling student enrolments in cookery qualifications. They have also taken the cooking team to national prominence in 2011 achieving success in a competition against the best students from throughout the country.

The Outstanding Contribution and Support Award went to Tina Chemis, human resources advisor. Ms Chemis is a long-serving member of the HR team. In 2011 she acted as administration manager in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. She also led the Waiariki health and safety plan which achieved ACC accreditation last year. Tina is highly regarded across the institution for her

The year is young but there is already much to celebrate: • Keep an eye out for TWO Waiariki students and Academy of Sport athletes representing New Zealand at the Olympics in London: canoe slalom paddlers Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson will be going for gold!

The awards are presented at the end of each year at the staff Christmas luncheon by acting Chief Executive John Snook.

Ruth Barnes, head of department for early childhood education, was the recipient of the Excellence in Research Award. Ms Barnes achieved 10 research outputs during the year and presented in Japan and Sri Lanka. She is highly regarded for her leadership and teaching of research methods at Waiariki and has developed and achieved approval for a new innovative course in applied research to start in Semester 1, 2012.

News Snippets

• Congratulations to the more than 2,000 Waiariki students who successfully completed certificates, diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications. This year’s graduation ceremony is the biggest in the institute’s history.

The Chief Executive Award winners are announced during Waiariki’s annual Christmas lunch, a great way to celebrate the end of year. Recipients were (L to R) Bart Vosse, Ruth Barnes, Bryon Dorrian, Tina Chemis, Jared Dawson, Michael Tahana and Robert Cargill (not pictured: Nick Grunwell).

work in supporting staff to be the best they can be.

Jared Dawson, finance director, won the Excellence in Management Award. He has developed three high performance teams: finance, IT and facilities. Mr Snook says, “Leading his teams, he has delivered a wonderful financial result for Waiariki in 2011, an information technology system at the leading edge of any polytechnic in New Zealand and has over performed with regard to a number of substantial new building and campus development projects.”

The Outstanding Contribution to Waiariki Culture Award was presented to Nick Grunwell, Michael Tahana and Robert Cargill. This small team is responsible for keeping all of Waiariki’s five campuses looking spectacular from a vegetation and landscape perspective.

“Waiariki is a team,” says Mr Snook, “and students come first, second and third in our thinking. We want to be the best institute of technology in the country, and we need all of us,

the gardeners included, to perform to the highest possible level in order to achieve this.

“The five annual awards recognise excellence from individuals or from teams and the award categories are inclusive so that no matter what your position or job at Waiariki, everyone and anyone can be successful.

“The awards are designed to allow the Waiariki community the opportunity to celebrate areas of the organisation that have excelled in the year just passed, that have gone over-and-above and who have approached their job with passion, energy and enthusiasm.

The awards are one of many ways that Waiariki inspires over achievement and we use them to support our vision of building the best institute of technology in the country.”

Each award recipient receives $5,000 toward an area of professional development or resource with a focus on building Waiariki’s capability. Well done 2011 winners and a big thank you to all!

New beauty therapy diploma expected to be offered beauty salons, spas, hotels, resorts, pharmacies, retail outlets and on cruise ships. The diploma would also open the door for graduates to own and/or operate their own businesses.

• Congratulations to Greg Brimmer who is the new regional development manager for Waiariki’s Whakatane campus. We have every confidence the campus will continue to succeed under his leadership.

• Congratulations also go to Rosemary Johnson, former regional development manager in Whakatane, has taken on the new role of trades academy development manager for Rotorua until the end of the year.

Waiariki on TV Have you seen our new TV ads yet? If not, check them out on YouTube with search words “Waiariki 2012”. A bloopers reel is soon to be released, too!

Waiariki’s updated look and branding for 2012 has been in the market place since late last year. You’ll notice we’ve got new student ‘champions’ promoting the institute, and bolder, fresher ads enforcing the message, “Your story begins here”.

Be sure to pick up The Daily Post on Wednesday, February 22, for a copy of the 2012 Waiariki Graduation Souvenir Booklet – a great keepsake for graduates and their families!

Semester 1, 2012: Term 1 runs February 20 – April 6, 2011; Term 2 runs April 30 – June 22.

This year’s O Week (February 20-24) is set to be bigger and better than ever! Keep an eye on our website and Facebook for details, including a FREE community concert in Rotorua’s CBD! Are you a Waiariki friend on Facebook? Sign on today to get all the latest info and goss happening on campus! Go to www.facebook. com/waiariki.tangata. You can also follow us on Twitter @WaiarikiInst

The diploma would include several embedded City & Guilds international vocational qualifications in beauty therapy.

Gaining a full beauty therapy qualification means your chances of finding employment in this industry are higher says www.careers.govt.nz.

A new programme of study in beauty therapy being developed at Waiariki will give students an internationally recognised qualification.

The institute is working on gaining approval to launch a Diploma in

Beauty, Body and Spa Therapies, a two-year qualification that will offer a range of career opportunities.

Graduates would be able to work in the industry as beauty and spa therapists and consultants in

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After gaining the diploma, graduates could also go on to further specialised learning in sports and therapeutic massage, nursing, physiotherapy, osteopathy, naturopathy and alternative spa therapies. Therapeutic massage and nursing are available through Waiariki.

Details for the proposed new qualification are being developed and, pending approval, it will be offered at Waiariki in the next couple of months, complementing the current hairdressing portfolio of qualifications.

Having fun while filming Waiariki’s new television ad.

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Nursing schools to be scored Future Māori nursing students may soon refer to ‘score cards’ when choosing their preferred educator.

A new scoring system has been developed by the Ministry of Health Māori advisory group Nga Manukura o Apopo whose aim is to advance Māori nurses to help them reach their full potential through the development of strategies that improve career pathways.

Ensuring Māori students achieve within nursing education is the first step in creating this pathway.

The score card system was presented by Ngaira Harker-Wilcox, member of Nga Manukura o Apopo and acting director of Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, at the national Māori nurse educator hui, Wharangi Ruamano, held at Waiariki in November.

Results from the scoring system are set to be published annually from 2012 and will indicate which nursing schools across the country are doing the best job in retaining and successfully graduating their Māori students.

This is great news for Waiariki as the nursing school is ranked fourth out of 16 in the nation by New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) in this area – an excellent result when at least half of the

school’s 390 Bachelor of Nursing students in 2011 identified as Māori.

“From a Waiariki perspective, we’re committed to supporting Māori nursing student success,” says Ms Harker-Wilcox, “but we are not content to rest on our laurels.

We are still working hard to continually monitor and improve the success rates.”

The challenges for many Māori students within education are often related to adapting and managing study among other life commitments.

“Māori students are placed in a difficult position,” Ms Harker-Wilcox says, “often juggling full-time tertiary study with parttime employment to help subsidise the family income. The consequences often result in students struggling with the many requirements necessary to achieve within the nursing degree courses.”

Waiariki has a number of support systems in place – whanau groups, noho marae, and the institute’s bicultural focus are examples – that have been successful in encouraging student retention and increasing completion.

As member of Nga Manukura o Apopo since 2009, Ms Harker-Wilcox has been involved in the score card project and sees its potential

Front row: Tangi Vautier (Waiariki), Mary Hopkinson, Liz Mitcheson (Unitec, Auckland), Jamesina Kete (Whiteriea, Porirua), Caroline McKinney (Awainuiarangi, Auckland), Donna Foxall (Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawkes Bay). Back row: Maria Williams (Waiariki), Cheryl Collier (Bay of Plenty DHB), Denise Riini (Waiariki), Jo Marino (Waiariki), Koru Codlin (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology), Vicky Simon (Eastern Institute of Technology), Robyn Taylor (NorthTec, Whangarei), Shayola Koperu (Whitireia), Eyelyn Hikuroa (Manukau Institute of Technology), Shahana Panapa (Whitireia), Debbie Eggo (Whitireia), Ngaira Harker-Wilcox (Waiariki).

for helping nursing students nationwide.

“What we’re aiming for is to provide nursing schools with a tool to monitor completion rates and identify which nursing schools are improving Māori success. We want to improve

results and completion rates for Māori students by ensuring figures for Māori within nursing schools are monitored and this information used to measure improvement and ultimately increase the Māori nursing workforce.”

Scholarships and adjunct faculty to support Māori development degree An adjunct faculty is being established to help connect Bachelor of Māori Development students at Waiariki to the real world.

A first for the institute, the adjunct faculty will feature people from the community with a high level of experience and expertise in Māori and tribal development to support the three-year degree as guest lecturers.

Deputy Chief Executive Māori, Keith Ikin, says a number of people have already agreed to be part of the faculty, including Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust’s Rawiri Te Whare and Roger Pikia.

“We want the degree to be real,” says Mr Ikin.

He says students need to have a theoretical

base but the adjunct faculty will act as a “reality check”.

“It will bring people with a lot of knowledge and expertise working in [Māori development] bringing real-time case studies to the learning. We see a lot of benefits.”

The faculty will also have the opportunity to build relationships with the students and vice versa.

Mr Ikin says it’s pointless producing graduates without a sense of the real world. They need to be able to cut it in the boardroom as well as on the marae.

“They need to be comfortable in a broad range of settings.”

The opportunities for the graduates are many and broad with many iwi organisations now managing a lot of assets and looking for the likes of chief executives to lead them.

“They are looking for people with skills in business, resource management and finances as well as the cultural knowledge. Tertiary education in general in New Zealand is not really providing graduates with that balance of skills and Waiariki can provide that.

“Iwi are clear they want the best people for the job. Long term they want to position their own people to be the best for the job and we are hoping iwi will help us to do that.”

To that end, Waiariki is aiming to create

access for more students to enrol on the degree and provide a pathway for the future leaders in Māori/iwi development.

“We are working with several iwi to provide scholarships in 2012 for their descendants to come into the programme.”

It’s envisaged the scholarships will cover the cost of fees for the first year of the degree, subject to successful completion.

To date, three people have graduated from the Bachelor of Māori Development, and the remaining nine students are in their third and final year of study.

English Language Centre services students as well as immigrants qualification so he could advance within his employment back in Santiago.

In 2011, Waiariki hosted 900 international students.

Each year these students arrive from countries such as India, China, Japan, Philippines, Chile and others. The most popular study areas are English, nursing, forestry, computing, business and hospitality, and many students arrive via scholarship or exchange programmes that Waiariki has arranged with various institutes and governments overseas.

Fabian Veliz Olea was one such scholarship student who studied last year compliments of the Chilean government. When offered the choice to study in New Zealand, Australia or Canada, Fabian says he chose Rotorua because he was looking for a positive environment, and a good place to live, study and learn about multiple cultures.

His goals were to improve his English first and then begin study toward a higher

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“I have relatives in Canada and Australia,” he says. “I thought if I go there, I would always speak with them in Spanish and wouldn’t learn English.”

Most international students come from countries where their first language is not English and they wish to improve their English listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. They are generally planning to secure employment in New Zealand or another predominantly English-speaking country, or they are aiming to gain English skills that are high enough to meet the government requirements to move into mainstream study toward a qualification at Waiariki.

Many students are already residents of New Zealand, having relocated here, and enrol on English courses at Waiariki in order to improve their ability and confidence to communicate with the wider community, whether in their place of employment or in day-to-day activities.

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Waiariki’s dedicated and passionate team in the English Language Centre offers English language courses at six levels, from beginner to advanced, which means Waiariki can cater to students at any level of English competency.

Entry tests determine each student’s skill level and placement within the programme, and the students learn in a fun and interactive environment. Courses start at various dates throughout the year and students can choose how long they wish to study.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) provides proof of English language competency for entry into mainstream qualifications. Waiariki is an official IELTS Centre for students and the public to sit the test.

After four months studying English, Fabian was able to begin courses in first line management at Waiariki in Semester 2. He now feels confident he’ll be able to communicate better with English-speaking clients in his manufacturing job in Chile.

He plans to continue his studies in business

Fabian Veliz Olea studied English for four months to increase his skills and confidence in English communications.

management and one day start his own business in the tourism sector.

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Waiariki Academy of Sport 2011 Highlights:

New golf coach welcomed to academy

The year 2011 was for WAOS an exceptional one. As the academy grew in strength and numbers, so too did our sporting success and steps toward (or on top of ) the podium. It was a year that saw our athletes travel to more than 20 countries including China, Norway, Mexico, US, Canada, UK and multiple European countries. They competed in numerous world championships, national tournaments and regional competitions gaining respective titles, achieving goals, qualifying for the Olympic Games and seeing some hard work pay off.

Rotorua born and bred Gavin Holder returned to his hometown five years ago to do what he loves best: help others.

The new director of golf for Waiariki Academy of Sport is a previous pro, having picked up his first set of clubs at the tender age of 13 at Springfield Golf Club. After a 10-year break, he got back on the greens, this time in Kerikeri, and went on to win a Rotorua Pro-Am Championship and Resort Pacifica Open. He’s enjoyed a dozen top-10 finishes and played in a New Zealand Open.

It wasn’t all glory, however, and for some 2011 saw a few disappointing results, goals not quite reached and the grief of unexpected injury. Hey, that is sport and we are looking forward to an even stronger 2012.

His real love, he says, is coaching and he is glad to be reunited with a few athletes that he knew back in his early days of coaching.

Gavin Holder, director of golf.

The academy training camp at Ohope at the end of last year gave athletes a boost heading into 2012 with nutrition lectures, physical sessions, media sessions and some great times all round.

The mountain bike squad had a very successful year in 2011 and are training hard for national and Oceania competitions which take place early in 2012.

Mike Dawson is training for the 2012 London Olympic

Mountain biker Samara Sheppard is caught reflecting on a successful 2011.

Sikeli Vorenasu was his club’s player of the year last year following a successful season.

Academy athletes travelled to more than 20 countries in 2011, training and competing in various events.

Keep up with our athletes at waos.waiariki.ac.nz or like us on Facebook.

Games along with fellow Waiariki canoe slalom paddler Luuka Jones.

What’s coming in 2012: Who can predict what will happen as a new year rolls in? We can only focus on the process of working hard in training and doing everything possible to ensure athletes are on form going into major races. The following events are lined up for 2012: • The Olympic Games in London will see Waiariki canoe slalom paddlers Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones compete at the end of June.

• The Oceania XC Mountain Bike Championships will take place in our very own Whakarewarewa

forest March 8-10 with Carl Jones, Katie O’Neil and Samara Sheppard competing to top the podium.

• Sam Sutton will take a break from his entrepreneurial endeavours and head to Austria to compete for what could be his third consecutive world championship title.

• Erena Mikaere has been selected again to play in the Waikato/BOP Magic Netball team.

• Monique Avery will begin her full-time teaching job with Mokoia Intermediate School, having just completed her teaching degree. She is currently on

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the road to recovery after injuring a disc in her back.

• Carl Jones will soon finish building the mountain bike track around the perimeter of the Waiariki golf course with technical descents to test the skills of the bike squad and alternative tracks for beginners to navigate.

• Athletes will travel to numerous national, regional and international competitions all over New Zealand and the world, aiming to improve on last year’s performances and better their best.

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Waiariki Institute of Technology & WITSA present:

Proudly supported by Waiariki Academy of Singing and Music and others 7pm, Friday, February 24 on Tutanekai Street near Novotel

Free admission!

Food and beverages available from Novotel Lakeside

YOUr STORY BEGINS HERE HURRY! Semester 1 begins february 20

Begin your story with Waiariki and study toward a highly recognised and sought after qualification. More than 120 qualifications are available, many with online and distance study options. Upskill or gain new skills when you study toward a certificate, diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification.

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0800 924 274 www.waiariki.ac.nz