fROm WAIARIKI TO lOnDOn - Waiariki Institute of Technology

WAIARIKI
TODAY
Issue
June2012
2012
Issue
1717• •June
from waiariki
to london
PLUS: • Two Waiariki athletes competing in the Olympics
www.waiariki.ac.nz
• Training to rebuild Christchurch • New positions focus on
business and iwi relationships • Charity House attracts more support • Another year of
growth and success • New scholarship up for grabs • and more inside
WAIARIKI
TODAY
Kia Ora
Rotorua | Taupo | Tokoroa | Whakatane June 2012
Issue:
Keith Ikin
Acting Chief Executive
17
Next Issue: October 2012
Acting Chief
Executive: Keith Ikin
Editor:
As I write this column, there are hundreds of high school
students on Mokoia Campus, flitting from here to there
as they participate and watch fellow competitors in the
regional Ngā Manu Kōrero speech contest we are hosting.
Lyn Maner
Sub-editor: Craig Tiriana,
Communications Manager
They are filling to the brim both Tangatarua Marae and
the nearly 200 seats in our newest lecture theatre and I
can appreciate the nerves they must be feeling as they
get set to speak in front of hundreds of their peers. Kia
kaha to these young students who are setting excellent
examples and striving to reach personal goals.
Contributing
Writer: Dr Toby Curtis
Photos: Kris O’Driscoll
Designer: Tracey Greene, Fuel Advertising
Printer: APN Print
E-mail: marketing@waiariki.ac.nz
As I look around, I know that I will see many of these
young faces on campus again, only they will be without
school uniforms and with a higher level of maturity and
new goals.
Address:Marketing Department
Waiariki Institute of Technology
Private Bag 3028
Rotorua 3046
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Missed an issue of Waiariki Today?
This is Issue 17 of our three-times-per-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 is proud to support two Waiariki Academy
of Sport athletes who will compete in the London
Olympics. Tune in to cheer on Luuka Jones and
Mike Dawson as they compete in canoe slalom
events starting on July 29 (London time) and
ending August 2.
Enrol NOW For Semester 2!
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 2
begins July 16
ENROL
TODAY!
|
At the beginning of the year, Waiariki doubled its learner
support team which now boasts of 13 friendly staff
members available to assist anyone who comes across a
road block to their successful studies. Our goal is to help
our students reach theirs.
This atmosphere of vibrancy, caring and manaakitanga
touches all of us, from the staff who work tirelessly
behind the scenes to keep the institute functioning, to
the exceptional lecturers and school personnel whose
dedication to improving our students’ lives is unwavering.
Even Waiariki’s Olympic hopefuls Luuka Jones and Mike
Dawson are receiving some of the best support they can get
while in London: they’ve just been joined by their former
Waiariki academy coach and mentor Jane Borren who will
be with them for the duration of their competition.
Good luck to everyone for Semester 2, challenge yourself
to meet all of your chosen goals and stay well.
Iwi News
PLuS:
pics
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the Olym
and exch bit
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travel
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PLUS: anga opens • • Training for inside!
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more
New wān
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• and
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program renowned artis
features
PA G E 2
I feel a sense of pride knowing the institute does much
to ease our own students’ nerves. We know that many
who join us in July for the start of Semester 2 will be
first-time tertiary students or adults returning to tertiary
study after a long time away. They may need additional
support to get started or even to keep going throughout
each term in order to achieve what they’ve set out to do.
Wa i a r i k i To d a y Dr Toby Curtis
Chairperson, Te Arawa Lakes Trust
It is frightening to think
that we are half way
through the year! On
the iwi front, a number
of events have occurred
that leave many people throughout the country rather
sad. I am referring to a few outstanding individuals who,
before they passed away, did so much to make Aotearoa
New Zealand a better place for everyone who call this
country home.
• Archdeacon Rev Dr Kaa worked tirelessly to bring
people of different religious, cultural, political and
every other background imaginable to live together
as a unified community. Over the past four years he
became the chair and driving force to ensure that
children, their families and homes were violent free.
As a broadcaster he did much to raise the level and
quality of te reo on the airwaves and latterly, television.
Takoto mai ra te pou toki a Hikurangi, takoto.
• Another is our own Sir Dr Peter Tapsell. He excelled
as a senior academic, a national sportsman, a medical
specialist, an outstanding politician and a keen farmer
who was always in tune with the land and nature.
Te Papa in Wellington, the return of our geysers
in Rotorua and his appointment by the governing
National Party – while his Labour Party was in
opposition – to the esteemed position of Speaker of
the House, are several of his life’s hallmarks. E taku
makao taniwha, taku mapihi kahurangi, taku pounamu
aroaro noa, okioki, moe mai ra.
• Recently another outstanding individual was laid to
rest. He was Peter Smith OBE, an artist, educational
change agent, excellent wordsmith, talented boat
builder, cabinet maker, a quality negotiator at senior
ministerial level, but more importantly a person who
had that uncanny knack of turning a hostile setting
into a caring, cooperative context. He was responsible
for enabling art to become a degree subject at our
universities. We were told at his funeral that it was
he who wrote the curriculum some decades ago! He,
along with a number of Māori and Pakeha artists,
helped change the vision to enable New Zealand art to
be part of the world scene. Te tohunga a Rehia, haere
ki te putahi nui a Rehua. E koro, titaha, takoto, e moe.
State asset sales
We are told repeatedly by government that the last election
gave them the mandate to sell some of the country’s assets
to help offset the huge debt the country has to reduce if we
wish to maintain and enjoy the recent standard of living.
However, this line of argument begins to fade when one
witnesses the active and vociferous calls from different
sectors of the community to stop asset sales proceeding. The
acquisition of the Crafar farms by Chinese investors does
not strengthen the Crown’s position. Māori are fully aware,
from similar past experiences, that this type of arrangement
rarely enables them to emerge as satisfied beneficiaries!
Maketu waste water treatment
In April the Maketu Waste Treatment Plant was launched.
Hon Tony Ryall represented government and congratulated
the parties involved, which included Western Bay of Plenty
District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Te
Arawa Lakes Trust and the citizens of Maketu. The plant
is a state-of-the-art facility. One would be forgiven for
not knowing it was a sewerage plant. The event was well
supported by the community.
Maketu walkway
The next day the walkway constructed by local voluntary
labour was launched and celebrated. The individuals
were, without doubt, environmental enthusiasts who care
about Maketu and want to see the area grow and prosper.
On behalf of the Te Arawa Lakes Trust it was indeed
my privilege to represent the iwi along with Dolly and
Gordon Pihema.
Marae court
Tarewa Marae not only welcomed the judiciary team
responsible for the country’s youth courts but it saw the first
session of a youth court conference take place on a marae in
Rotorua. According to the koeke and the youth offenders
who appeared, they insisted that this participatory initiative
must continue. They were appreciative of the opportunity to
participate in a programme that achieves positive outcomes.
Fingers crossed!
Finally, I suspect that many of us associated with Waiariki
Institute of Technology are waiting with abated breath
in regards to the appointment of the new chief executive.
May the Council display true wisdom in choosing a person
that will take the institute and the district forward to an
exciting future.
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
London calling for Waiariki Olympians
Luuka Jones
Mike Dawson
Jane Borren
Lou Jull (fellow academy athlete), Jane Borren, Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson
Mike Dawson
A mixture of talent, professional training, hard work, competitions and keeping a sense of humour have provided the winning combination for Waiariki’s Olympics team Luuka
Jones, Mike Dawson and Jane Borren.
The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport,
whether you’re an athlete or, in Jane Borren’s
case, right on the edge of the competition.
For the London Games 2012, Ms Borren
will be water-side as Waiariki Academy
of Sport athletes Luuka Jones and Mike
Dawson pit their paddles against the best in
the world.
“It is exciting being among the New
Zealand team build-up and knowing I’m
part of a huge world event that every athlete
is peaking for, one that captivates most
nations,” Ms Borren says from Brisbane just
before leaving for Europe for two World
Cup events with the canoe slalom team.
She is currently a contracted high
performance consultant to Waiariki
Academy of Sport and has responsibility
with the New Zealand Canoe Slalom
Olympic Campaign around funding,
logistics and performance. It will be her first
official Olympics gig.
She has been involved with Luuka and
Mike for four years, having established the
Academy of Sport at Waiariki’s Mokoia
Campus in Rotorua in 2007.
“I oversee and input to most areas of their
campaigns,” explains Ms Borren.
“I know them both pretty well, perhaps inside
and out, as people and as athletes – what
makes them tick, how to get them into the best
possible frame of mind for best performance.
“They’re great mates, we have a great team,
but they are different characters.”
Part of Ms Borren’s role is to take the worry
away from the athletes, tend to the logistics
of getting the pair and their boats in the right
condition at the right time and place, allowing
them to focus on training and recovery.
“Keeping things as simple as possible for
them, making sure they stick to their plans
and being quickly reactive when things go
off course,” is how she describes her role.
She also looks after Luuka’s training
prescriptions as “part coach” while it’s a
more of a support/checking role with Mike.
This will be Luuka’s second Olympics and
Mike’s first.
There are high hopes for the Kiwis although
the Europeans tend to dominate on the
rapids at this level.
Ms Borren knows what her athletes are
capable of accomplishing.
“Two medals would be awesome – got
to gun for the best,” she says before
adding clarification.
“The reality is they qualified at worlds last
year in 11th and 14th spots. The Olympics
finals are top 10 and that would be fantastic,
but the opposition is classy and tight.
“If they both paddle to the best they can be,
they are capable of jumping up those spots
to the final 10 and then it is game on in one
run down that Olympics course.”
The Olympics open on July 27 (London
time) and two days later Luuka and Mike
will paddle for their lives among 175
athletes representing 30 nations at the Lee
Valley White Water Centre.
Ms Borren will be there to help them and
cheer them on, “driving their butts off and
supporting them to be the best they can be.”
This sounds like a successful formula for
all involved.
Priority training to rebuild a city and maintain a nation
You can’t rebuild a city or maintain a
country without qualified trades people.
And as part of New Zealand government’s
focus on repelling the trades skills shortage
and rebuilding Christchurch, Waiariki
has taken on the challenge of providing
the ongoing skilled workforce to meet the
growing needs of New Zealand.
Waiariki’s director of the School of Trade
Training, Kevin Uncles, is leading a charge
to find approximately 220 to 250 additional
trade trainees for the second semester which
starts mid-July.
It has been reported that New Zealand will
need 17,000 additional builders by 2014 as
well as more plasterers, painters, brick and
block layers, roofers, plumbers and drain layers
plus the support for these trades people.
“This will tend to spread out the boom and
busts [highs and lows] of building … If
we’ve got this [need] it’s going to be a nice
steady curve for the next 20 years or so:
builders can’t plan when they’re busy one
year and have nothing the next,” says
Mr Uncles.
“…we’re sitting here in
the middle of one of
the best forest areas in
the country so we’ve
got the resources we
can contribute.”
“The trades are those identified by the
Tertiary Education Commission, NZQA
[New Zealand Qualifications Authority]
and the government as priority trades for
assisting Christchurch. They know that
everyone won’t go to Christchurch but
they anticipate that these [trainees] will
fill the void created by those who do go
to Christchurch.”
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 Mr Uncles believes there are huge
opportunities for this region.
“The Christchurch rebuild will use tonnes
and tonnes of wood and we’re sitting here
in the middle of one of the best forest areas
in the country so we’ve got the resources we
can contribute. It would be absolutely crazy
to buy sawn timber back from China.”
As well as the normal Semester 2
placements at Waiariki, the institute is
partnering with iwi groups in areas like
Taumarunui and Opotiki to provide the
opportunity for their people to train in the
priority trades which includes electrical,
engineering, fabrication, interior design,
horticulture and turf management.
Training for priority trades will take place
outside the Waiariki rohe, as well, and
additional tutors would be employed to
deliver the training where and when required.
Kevin Uncles, director, School of Trade
Training.
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
|
PA G E 3
Preparing nurses for the future
Ngaira Harker-Wilcox can see a future
New Zealand where health care delivery
by nurses will become more diverse and
increasingly require an ability to manage
health care within the community setting.
Staff profile
Nadene McClay
Industry Placement
Coordinator
The reason most people study is to get
a job, right? And most often it’s easier
to get a job when you have relevant
experience, good references and know
a few people too.
Waiariki helps students do just that by
ensuring work experience and industry
projects are built into a large number
of their courses and getting the
students out there into the workplace.
As student numbers at Waiariki are
growing fast and more industry
experiences are needed, a new
position has been established at
Waiariki to facilitate this and Nadene
McClay has been appointed as industry
placement coordinator.
Nadene will work with Waiariki’s
academic staff, supporting and
enhancing the systems already in
place and interfacing with industry.
She joined the institute in May
and she’s already been out in the
community getting the word out about
the win-win opportunities for local
businesses and Waiariki students.
“Industry will realise what a great
opportunity this is for them to get
some work done for free, but it’s much
more than that,” Nadene explains.
“Students can also bring fresh ideas
and perspectives to the workplace,
and it can be a chance for companies
to try out potential future employees
and help direct their learning.
Waiariki’s director of the School of
Nursing and Health Studies believes
health professional are listening to their
communities and this has changed the
delivery of health care. Examples of
this are the new primary health care
approaches where nurses and other health
professionals work more collaboratively to
support health needs.
Ms Harker-Wilcox believes the nurse’s
role is a key in any health care team. The
skills and knowledge they acquire in their
training are broad, allowing them to have
a base that can be built upon and lead to
many possibilities in health care.
“Many of our nursing graduates are
making a difference to families both in
the hospital and community setting,” she
says. “Our graduates have also continued
with study and many completed specialist
nursing papers which continue to develop
their knowledge.”
Of particular interest to Ms HarkerWilcox is strengthening relationships with
health providers in the region.
“It is vital we are cognisant of the ‘real world’
and understand that theory and reality
are often quite different. As the director
I encourage our staff to get to know our
community health providers. It is important
that we as a school work in partnership with
our providers and get a sense of what they
require within their workforce.”
Ms Harker-Wilcox knows a thing or two
about grassroots health issues, having
come from a hospital, district and practice
nurse background on her way to her
current role.
Born in Wairoa and trained in Napier
PA G E 4
|
Rotorua has largely been her home since,
working in various roles, except for a
working and studying jaunt in the USA.
In 1995 she took up her first role tutoring
at Waiariki and fell in love with the mix of
nursing and education.
“I really loved that side of nursing,” she
says. “I’ve got an interest in new up-andcoming nurses. There’s a lot of diversity in
that … you’re always learning in education
and keeping up with current research.
“My vision for our school is to provide
excellent, high calibre, quality education
Growing up in Invercargill, Luke Rikiti
started a slow migration north, stopping
in Blenheim with the Royal New Zealand
Air Force, serving in East Timor, then in
Wellington at Victoria University, before
eventually settling in Rotorua in 2006 to
learn more about his Te Arawa heritage.
Hailing from Ngāti Pikiao (Ngāti
Hinerangi, Ngāti Hinekiri), his
background in commerce, Treaty
settlements, peace keeping, land
development, and fostering iwi and
international relations has given him
a range of experiences to establish and
develop the inaugural position of iwi
relationships coordinator for Waiariki that
he started in January of this year.
Nadene worked for many years in
Brussels in industry relations with
the European Union bodies, and says
that industry placements, projects
and research by students is standard
practice in Europe.
“It’s really a win-win – for students,
for industry and for Waiariki!”
at Eastern Institute of Technology, she
graduated in 1987 and then picked up her
first job at Rotorua Hospital.
for students but also make them
workforce ready and flexible with the
skills to work in that future. They need
transferable and generic skills because
there are a lot of changes in the health
system and they do need to move from
different areas.”
Ms Harker-Wilcox has carried out
much research and is very strong in
understanding and advocating the needs
around Māori health.
“Our school has a really great opportunity
to install in every nurse that comes through
this qualification an understanding of
this community, and what’s involved in
improving Māori health.”
A homecoming for iwi relationships coordinator
“Some of the students they build a
relationship with during their work
placements will go into other parts of the
sector, increasing the company’s network
of good contacts in their industry, which
can also prove very useful.”
“We would sometimes have students
with us who had done placements in
a range of different sectors and so
brought us up-to-date knowledge and
experience of other areas that we
would never have had access
to otherwise.
Meet the team at the School of Nursing and Health Studies: (back row) Jane Lane,
Sarah Bosher, Brighid McPherson, Christine Mercer; (front) Ngaira Harker-Wilcox,
Denise Riini, Jonathon Hagger, Liz Pennington.
Luke Rikiti, iwi relationships
coordinator, hopes to support iwi in
identifying and promoting educational
needs of Māori in the region.
Wa i a r i k i To d a y “Our focus is iwi within the Waiariki
region first and foremost,” Mr Rikiti says.
“We have four campuses and a number of
satellite sites where Waiariki courses are
delivered. Across all of these we have a
number of iwi studying. An iwi stock take
has been my first priority.”
By providing iwi snapshots directly to iwi
organisations, Mr Rikiti hopes he can help
them support their own tribal members.
“These snapshots can help iwi see where
their members are studying and hopefully
gear their investment, for example
through scholarships, to support them.
“This information can assist iwi to see
where their own capacity is, identify gaps
and encourage study to areas relevant to
their own needs.”
Talking to iwi, it is also fundamental
toward building meaningful and
working relationships with them
throughout the region.
“Across our campuses staff already have
relationships in place with iwi organisations.
I will be supporting these staff to enhance
and support this engagement.”
Mr Rikiti also believes his role includes
assisting iwi as they implement and
develop their educational strategies. If
they don’t have a strategy, he may be able
to provide advice to help create one.
“Iwi within our rohe are at various
levels of development. Some have the
resource to invest in members, some don’t.
Through Waiariki, I can work to help
iwi find solutions to achieve educational
aspirations for their communities.”
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
Charity House partnership for a better community
Students will begin building a better
community through the new Waiariki
Institute of Technology Charity
House Project.
Starting in 2013 and running for five years,
one house per year will be built by trades
students with the support of the business
community and then auctioned off with
the proceeds going to Rotorua charities.
Graduate profile
Waiariki launched the project recently,
partnering with the Rotorua Chamber
of Commerce to gain sponsorship and
support from local suppliers, tradesmen
and professionals.
Anzac Pikia
National Certificate in
Journalism
Mike Fogarty, section manager for
construction training at Waiariki, says the
project is exciting because it will benefit the
students and the community in a big way.
“It’s a hands-on experience that will
give them a good understanding of the
dwelling,” he says. “They get to work on a
real live project from start to finish – it’s a
great foot in the door of the industry.”
The construction of the house will
be headed by the pre-trade carpentry
students and incorporate the pre-trade
electrical students.
Several sponsors of Charity House
have offered their products or services
at no charge for the next five years.
PlaceMakers of Rotorua will supply the
building plans and materials as well as
some services, while ADT Armourguard
has committed to providing and installing
a basic alarm system and six months
Rotorua Lakes High School students Jordan Martin (left) and Shilo Cullen learn
about insulation from Mike Fogarty, section manager for construction training.
of free alarm monitoring. MediaWorks
Radio will advertise the initiative and
Professionals McDowell Real Estate Ltd,
one of the first local businesses to support
the project, will market and auction the
houses each November.
Additional sponsors are still needed.
Building of the first of five houses is
expected to begin in February and be
completed in October of the same year.
The site for the project is still to be
determined but it’s bound to be a highly
visible one around Rotorua. It’s expected
the charity recipient or recipients will be
selected some time this year for 2013.
The three-bedroom 114sq m house will
feature a master bedroom with en suite,
open-plan kitchen, bathroom, dining and
lounge. It will be completely furnished,
including drapes, carpet, heating, laundry
whiteware and bedding.
Success through growth at Waiariki
After a substantial lift in student success
rates in 2011, Waiariki is confident the
performance bar will rise further this year.
The region’s tertiary educational institute,
with campuses in Rotorua, Taupo,
Tokoroa and Whakatane, achieved an
average course success rate of 72 per cent
in 2011 compared to 65 per cent (2010),
50 per cent (2009) and 48 per cent (2008).
It’s expected the lift in course success
rates, coupled with Waiariki’s strong
representation in government-targeted
priority education areas for under-25 and
Māori students, will have some impact
when the Tertiary Education Commission
(TEC) issues its sector performance
details in July.
Acting Waiariki chief executive Keith
Ikin said the institute had invested in
considerable resources for the successful
gains that saw more than 2,000 students
graduate following study in 2011.
“Growth in student numbers has
permitted investment in infrastructure,
buildings, IT and other services in
supporting the students to achieve their
educational goals,” says Mr Ikin.
More than 20,000 students had attended
Waiariki during the last five years.
Among the investment, and
complementing the work of tutors, there
has been an increased level in the learner
support area with 13 advisors engaged
in bolstering learning as the institute
continues to aim higher.
“We can really assist our students’ success …
And it is our goal to get closer to an 80 per
cent success rate this year,” says Mr Ikin.
This year Waiariki was allocated the
equivalent of 2,786 funded EFTS
(enrolled full time students) by
government, and there are currently 3,354
domestic and 840 international full- and
part-time students enrolled.
These numbers indicate the institute has
started the year well, with 82 per cent
of allocated government funded 2012
domestic EFTS enrolled for Semester 1
courses which started in February.
“It’s a fantastic start to the year with
strong domestic enrolments but that
does mean it’s important for prospective
students considering study in the second
semester to enrol sooner than later to
avoid missing out,” says Mr Ikin.
Te Karere senior reporter Anzac Pikia
started his journey studying the
National Certificate in Journalism at
Waiariki in 2002. The transition from
school to campus life, in a new town
and leaving the support of his whānau
and friends was a little intimidating for
the student from Te Awamutu.
“It was a foreign town for me, no
whānau or familiar places,” he says.
Now sitting at his desk in downtown
Auckland offices, he originally had
aspirations to become a secondary
school teacher. “Yeah, my high
school Māori teacher inspired me,
but university was a tad daunting for
me at the time. Just filling out the
application forms were enough to
confuse me!”
In his last year of school he thought
he’d give journalism a try. During
his school years he’d had a lot of fun
mucking around with his mates, “... at
kapa haka practise I would pretend to
interview people. It was very funny at
the time, we did interviews with what
we called ‘natives’ on a dictaphone.”
Once he started tertiary study he
got the bug and did additional
courses to improve his qualifications,
studying Ataarangi, an immersion
te reo Māori course.
The journalism course at Waiariki
gave him good grounding for his job
prospects. “While the course focused
on print journalism, the general news
knowledge did prepare me for my
job. I think also learning the ability
to research well, articulate and write
have all been useful for television,
where we are required to present a
story in a very small timeframe.”
Moving away from home was new for
him and to a new town where he knew
nobody was also scary. “Once I settled,
it was fine. Plus having whānau drive
down regularly to bring care packages
of kai and money helped!”
Anzac happily recalls his course
mates and the additional student
support on campus. It was like an
extended whānau.
For two consecutive years, Waiariki
has successfully attracted a higher
percentage of younger students.
Last year, 49 per cent more Waiariki
students achieved success in their
courses compared to those in 2010.
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 Course success rates for Māori students
also rose substantially with a 57 per
cent increase over the previous year.
“Rotorua was great and I’ll always
have a special place in my heart for
the people and, of course, the people
of other iwi who I studied with as well.”
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
|
PA G E 5
Stay fit this winter
Red socks out for Sir Peter Blake week
Just because Old Man Winter has arrived, don’t
give up on staying active and keeping yourself
healthy. Here are some great ideas to help you
get you through this challenging time and will
ensure you head into spring and summer feeling
and looking great!
It’s time again to get out your red
socks and help Waiariki – and the
nation – celebrate the annual Sir
Peter Blake Leadership Week.
• Maintaining a good attitude will have a major
impact on everything you do, especially your
health and fitness. Try to embrace this time of
year. If you need a reminder about the joys to
be had in winter, go watch a child jumping in
a frozen puddle. Or do it yourself!
• Go buy a bit of new workout gear. This will lift
your spirits, too, and keep you healthy and
comfortable. Regardless of what activities
you’re doing, try to wear several layers so
you can easily adjust when you warm up and
cool down. Polypropylene or merino fabrics
are ideal as they breathe and remove sweat
and moisture.
The Sir Peter Blake Trust created
the Leadership Week to honour
the adventurous sailor, explorer and
champion for the environment who
was known for his lucky red socks.
Leadership Week will be
celebrated nationwide June 22 to
29, commencing Friday with the
prestigious national Sir Peter Blake
Leadership Awards and wrapping up
the following Friday with the Red
Socks Day.
This year’s theme is “Dare to Dream”
so the Trust invites New Zealanders
to “Dare to Dream in your business,
school and community by organising
and participating in events which
celebrate and develop leadership.”
Waiariki will be honouring the
New Zealand hero by hosting
a Leadership Day on June 22.
Approximately 20 students from
the region’s high schools have been
selected to spend the day with
Waiariki’s adventure tourism lecturer
Nick Chater and Waiariki students of
the Diploma in Adventure Tourism.
Mr Chater says the day’s activities
aim to teach the students about
positive and effective leadership skills
and styles that will help them interact
with groups and peers in various
situations. There will be adventures
in the forest, on a lake, along the
mountain bike trails and in the
Waiariki student training kitchens.
Working with the secondary students
is important, says Mr Chater, because
at this stage in life they are finding
their independence and developing
leadership skills. They’re moving into
adulthood and the next level of work,
education and life. It’s also about
gaining self confidence.
“We are also trying to engage these
students, helping them make the
most of opportunities and realising
that education in both secondary
and tertiary are important stepping
stones in life. Ultimately, I hope these
students have a great day out and if
Waiariki and my students can be a
part of that, then all the better.”
For more information or how to
get involved, please visit
www.sirpeterblaketrust.org.
• Set a new goal to aim for to keep up your
motivation. Visit www.activesmart.co.nz
for free and customised training plans to
help you reach your fitness goals. Whether
you’re just starting out or building up for a
big event, there’s a plan for everyone such
as running, walking, cycling or multidiscipline
options (including triathlon and duathlon) and
are designed by fitness professionals. This
fantastic online resource also offers advice on
nutrition and warming up, weather updates
and hints and tips on upcoming events.
• Why not explore the local area and make
a day of it? Pack up the family and a picnic
lunch and make the most of being outside in
fresh air and hopefully getting some winter
sunshine. Investigate these great walking
areas within easy drive from Rotorua: Mt
Ngongotaha Jubilee Track, Lake Okataina
scenic reserve and Lake Tarawera outlet
and falls. Visit www.doc.govt.nz for
more information.
• If it’s blowing a southerly gale and raining,
there is always the indoor exercise option.
The Waiariki Community Recreation Centre
offers public memberships and a squash
court and sports hall to hire for playing
netball, basketball or volleyball with a
group of friends. Contact Rebecca Smith
on 07 346 8636 to find out more.
Written by Rebecca Smith
Sports Coordinator
Waiariki Community Recreation Centre
Rotorua campus
Local high school students in a waka ama in last year’s Leadership Day with Waiariki adventure tourism staff
and students.
Steady management promotes investment
Waiariki’s place as New Zealand’s
fastest growing polytechnic and
ongoing prudent management are
allowing significant reinvestment
that directly impacts on students.
A $4.9 million surplus announced
in the recently released 2011 Annual
Report will go some way to assisting
in the proposed new building for
the School of Nursing and Health
Studies expected to start in 2013.
Acting chief executive Keith Ikin
said it was very satisfying the
institute could reinvest in its capital
plan on the back of a fourth straight
year of surplus.
“For a long period of time Waiariki
was unable to invest in capital –
new buildings and infrastructure
– to create a positive learning
PA G E 6
|
Wa i a r i k i To d a y environment for our students,” says
Mr Ikin.
“Over the last four years we’ve
generated good surpluses which we’re
investing back into our students
by building classrooms and other
facilities. They now have a state-ofthe-art space to learn in.”
Creating the surplus has come
through better management with Mr
Ikin saying Waiariki had a successful
disciplined approach.
“We are a very prudent institution,”
he says. “We are quite lean in our
operational costs when compared
with other learning institutions.
We’ve been able to increase our
domestic enrolments as well as
our internationals.”
While the obvious capital investment
comes in new buildings like forestry’s
$1.7 million building fronting
Old Taupo Road, the $1.1 million
refurbished Waipa Campus, Mokoia’s
$1.8 million recreation centre and the
latest Te Wānanga a Ihenga building
at $4.4 million, there have been some
other investments which will enhance
the student experience.
Waiariki has almost doubled its
learner support staff which should
further improve the rates of course
completions and success.
“We now have a network [of support
staff ] based in each school, as well
as in the library learning centre,”
says Mr Ikin. “Their role now is to
connect with learners who most
need support as early as they can so
[students] can be successful.”
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
The pressure cooker to national success
Te Reo Māori
Practice makes perfect and, when
combined with perfect execution, a
winning opportunity is possible.
That’s the mantra driving Waiariki
representatives set to compete in this
year’s Nestlé Toque d’Or competition.
During the next couple of months
Rex Austria, Digraj Singh and Laura
Adriano will be put through the griller
by their tutors in Rotorua as they work
to perfect their skills and get ready for
the big day in Auckland on August 20.
“We’ll focus on developing our skills and
be ready for any challenge,” said Rex of
the prestigious national junior cooking
competition. “This is a learning process
and we get some more experience rather
than just the classroom.”
There are some 320 additional hours
of practice and perfecting the trio
that tutors Bart Vosse and Jonathan
Chemis (chefs) and Thomas George
(hospitality) will undertake.
Rex and Digraj are in their final year
of the Diploma in Culinary Arts
while Laura is in her final year of the
Diploma in Hospitality Management.
As well as their studies and practice, the
students are working in local industry
(Bistro 1284, Third Place Café, Skyline
and Wai Ora Spa) which is part of the
competition requirements.
Laura Adriano (centre) will lead the front of house activities in Toque d’Or
while Rex Austria (left) and Digraj (“DJ”) Baghela will run the kitchen.
On the big day the students will have
to make two entrees, two mains and
two desserts, from scratch to delivery,
in two and a half hours.
It is an absolute pressure cooker
environment and the national finals
are super competitive. Not only is
the team striving to better last year’s
Waiariki team results – a gold by
the chefs and a bronze in hospitality
– but Christchurch Polytechnic is
traditionally the team to beat.
To make the Waiariki team, the
students had to survive an intensive
series of cook-offs with their
Diploma in Hospitality Management
classmates. The brief was to see who
could handle pressure and how they
performed under it.
All three were spectators in Auckland
last year and returned home knowing
they wanted in on the action this year.
Like any team, they will rely on each
other with the chefs looking after the
cooking and food component of their
created menu while Laura tends to front
of house, selects the matching wines and
provides silver service to the judges.
Everything the three teammates do
must be timed to perfection and they
will be judged on how they move,
hygiene, professionalism and wastage.
Dame Malvina provides inspiration
Kei te kaha te puta o te kōrero me whakamahi
te katoa o te motu kia ako i te reo Māori. Ānei
tāku ki tērā kōrero, “Mātua whakapai i tōu
Marae ka whakapai ai tō te tangata.” Arā, kia
mōhio pea ko te Āo Māori ki tōna anō reo ka
tahuri ai ki te whakaako i ētahi kē atu. He aha
nei te tino hua o te whakaako i te marea atu i
te nui ake o ngā tāngata ka mōhio ki te kōrero
Māori? He take anō kei tua kē atu i tērā?
There is a school of thought emerging that
advocates compulsory Māori for all. Here is
my response to that idea: “Charity begins
at home.” That is, the Māori world needs to
know its language first before teaching others.
What benefits will accrue from teaching the
entire population apart from an increase in
the number of speakers? Is there any reason
other than that?
Written by Ken Kennedy
Kaumatua Te Arawa, Te Whare Takiura o
Waiariki
It’s cool to korero
Each edition of Waiariki Today will have an
easy and useful korero column that you can
use at home or in the workplace. The theme
for this edition is encouragement and praise.
Ka pai!
That’s good, well done, good idea.
Next time your child or work colleague
does something good or that you like use
this expression to show your appreciation
and praise.
In the home:
Child: “Look at my picture I drew, Mum.”
You: “Wow! Ka pai, that’s awesome!”
Richard Anaru (standing toward left with arms crossed) and Waiariki Academy of Singing and Music students
performed at the year’s Lakeside concert in Rotorua.
Waiariki Academy of Singing and
Music was launched in early February
2011. When the students are not out
performing in the community, they
are putting much time and effort into
both their musical abilities and their
scholarly aspirations at Waiariki’s
Mokoia Campus in Rotorua.
The academy was set up to nurture the
incredible musical talent in the region.
“We had a very successful inaugural
year and so far this year, we’ve been
incredibly productive performancewise, highlighted by a well-received
hour-long show at Lakeside Concert
in March,” says academy director
Richard Anaru.
The academy operates on a tiered
scholarship-based programme offering
three levels of support to the scholars.
“The flexible and quality programme
has been developed to enable students
to gain a qualification at Waiariki
while focusing on their music at the
same time. Mentoring, workshops,
individual and group tuition are
included, and operate outside of the
regular curriculum which doesn’t
interfere with teaching hours.”
This year the academy boasts a kapa
haka team, choir ensemble and band,
as well as solo performers.
In early March, Waiariki proudly
announced the addition of a new
patron, Dame Malvina Major.
“To have the support of someone in
such standing as Dame Malvina is an
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 honour and, well, nothing short of a
coup,” Mr Anaru says.
She has already invited the academy
to participate in reciprocal events on
her campus at Waikato University
where she is Senior Fellow of Music.
Having her involved with the academy
and Waiariki augers well for the future
and with her support the academy can
add yet another plateau to which its
talented students can aspire.
The academy is always on the lookout
for up-and-coming talent in the
region. If you have talent that you’d
like to take further, email
music@waiariki.ac.nz and tell us a
little about yourself and what you do.
You can also find more information at
www.waiariki.ac.nz/about/schools.asp.
In the workplace:
Colleague: “I’ve been thinking of bringing in
some plants to work to brighten up the place.
What do you think?”
You: “Kai pai, I think that’s a great idea.” or
You: “Kai pai, good on you.”
Kia kaha
Be strong, good luck, you can do it!
You can say this when you are supporting
someone, to let them know that you are there
for them.
In the home:
Child: “Dad, I don’t want to play rugby this
weekend. I’m not very good and I get teased.”
You: “Just do your best, kia kaha, I know you
can do it.”
In the workplace:
Colleague: “Arghhh, this work is driving me
mad. And that customer was really rude!”
You: “It’s nearly the end of the day, kia kaha,
not much longer.”
Written by Huia Lloyd
Projects Manager
Rotorua campus
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
|
PA G E 7
Gardening in
winter
As the old tongue twister goes, prior
preparation prevents poor performance.
This applies to gardening and winter is the
best time to begin your preparations for a
bountiful spring and summer garden.
•Experienced gardeners know that healthy
soil is the key to healthy plants and now
is the best time to prepare your soil.
•Assess the amount of sun reaching
your garden, as most plants grow
best in semi-shady or sunny locations.
Remove or prune any trees or shrubs
blocking sunlight. Watch for where the
early morning sun lands and where the
last rays shine in the evening.
•Wet soil creates many problems so
avoid gardening in low areas that
naturally collect water, areas next to
roof down pipes, at bottoms of slopes.
•High traffic areas with compacted soils
will have had most of the air removed.
Digging or tilling the ground will help
add more air.
•Weed removal is important. Avoid
digging weeds under the soil or using
a rotary hoe to hide them. In most
cases you will increase the number of
weeds like kikuyu and dock by breaking
the plants in to smaller pieces – they
haven’t been killed, will grow back and
compete with young plants and become
far more difficult to remove without
damage to your new plantings.
•Small gardens are best weeded by
hand using a garden fork. Start with
the grasses, lever each plant up,
give them a good shake to preserve
your precious soil, and put them on
the compost heap or dig a large hole
for trench composting. Do the same
to permanent weeds like dock and
dandelion. The aim is to remove all
roots and is best done plant by plant,
not by cutting up the weed.
Timberlands scholarship provides “icing on the
cake” for father of three
Jody Tonga laughs now at his previous
assumptions that you need to be young
or heading off to university to get
certain scholarships.
While he’s certainly not Waiariki’s
oldest student, the 37-year-old has
worked out that he’s the second oldest
in his forestry management courses, so
the news that he won a full scholarship
came as a very welcome surprise.
“That was probably one of the best
phone calls ever, especially at my age.
I didn’t count on getting this one, I
wasn’t 100 per cent confident. It was
my impression they give them to those
going to varsity.”
Jody, who is Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati
Maniapoto, Te Arawa and hails from
Te Aute College, Hawke’s Bay, has been
working in the forestry sector for 17
years. He’s covered the practical side,
he says, and wants a new challenge: to
get into forestry management, broaden
his knowledge, and “maybe to one day
manage the resources that were handed
down by our tipuna.”
It’s not Jody’s first scholarship but now
the husband and father of three can relax
about his finances a little, knowing his
tuition fees are fully paid for the two-year
Diploma in Forest Management thanks
to the Kaingaroa Timberlands’ Kaitiaki
O Te Ngahere Scholarship.
If a job doesn’t come up after he
finishes his diploma, he says he’ll
continue his studies toward a degree.
He says now his only costs are his books
and commuting daily from Taupo to
Rotorua, the latter which he does with
a classmate, allowing them both to save
on petrol and review their lecture notes
during their travels.
“Getting the education is icing on the
cake in terms of where I want to go.
Where I’m heading is the next level, it’s
about climbing the ladder.”
David Balfour, director of Timberlands
Ltd., says, “In selecting for the
scholarship we are looking for people
who have the aptitude to complete
the course and have the potential to
become a forest manager. Academic
record is important but also maturity of
character plays a key part in selection.
“Student loans, that was the boat that
I was going to end up in,” he says. But
Research Waiariki
It is fantastic to be back in my
hometown and to have the opportunity
to contribute to the development of
Waiariki into a world-class vocational
training and research institute. To that
end, I invite anyone with an interest
in research to come and chat with me.
Whether you’re a fresh-faced beginner
or a battle-scarred, experienced
campaigner, the research office can help
advance your research activities.
•If you prefer to spray weeds then do
this on a calm, windless day and wait
at least 10 days before digging and
fertilising the soil.
Written by Shane O’Leary
Horticulture Lecturer
Whakatane campus
Dr Clarke Raymond is Waiariki’s
newly appointed director of research.
Having just taken up the position of
director of research at Waiariki, this is
probably a good opportunity to briefly
introduce myself. I grew up in Rotorua
and am a former Head Boy of Rotorua
Boys’ High School. I did my tertiary
training at Otago University, graduating
with a PhD in neuroscience.
I have spent the past 12 years at
the John Curtin School of Medical
Research at the Australian National
University in Canberra. During this
time I was head of a research laboratory
investigating the biological basis of
learning and memory in the brain. So,
as you can imagine, my current role at
Waiariki is quite a change for me, but
PA G E 8
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Wa i a r i k i To d a y Forestry student Jody Tonga’s attempt
to find scholarships has paid off.
Critical is that they are from the
central North Island area and good iwi
connections are a bonus.”
No doubt Jody has the aptitude and
potential to reach his goals, but it also
looks like his experience and age were
on his side too.
By Clarke Raymond, PhD
an extremely exciting one.
•After all weeds have been removed,
dig the soil over and add your
favourite fertiliser.
•Another way to get rid of weeds – or
a lawn which is to become garden
space – smother the area with several
layers of newspaper, or plywood, old
carpet, mill felt, corrugated iron, blue
tarpaulin, basically anything that will
block light. Remove these about six
weeks later and then dig the area over.
Jody is not only determined to upskill,
“to experience the other side of forestry”,
he was also dead-set on preventing
student debt. So, he took a proactive
stance and searched the internet for
scholarships for which he qualified.
The plan for these updates is to keep
everyone informed about research at
Waiariki. We will be profiling various
projects, highlighting new opportunities
and celebrating successes. So to begin,
here is a quick summary of research
activities that have passed through the
research office in the last several weeks
since I started.
• Dr Lynne Chepulis and Evelyn Francis
from the School of Nursing and Health
Studies have investigated how rapidly
blood-sugar levels rise (glycaemic
index) when we eat manuka honey in
comparison with normal sugar. They
have discovered that manuka honey
displays a low-moderate glycaemic
index despite being more than 80
per cent sugar. This research leads to
future work developing safe products of
benefit to people requiring a low sugar
diet (e.g., diabetics).
• Allan Fowler from the School
of Computing, Technology and
Communications is analysing what
and how much learning takes place
by participants in the Global Game
Jam (GGJ), an annual computer
game development event that occurs
simultaneously in more than 200 sites
around the world. The results of this
research could provide a rationale
for using the GGJ as a legitimate
learning experience for students of
game development.
• The research office and the social
sciences department are in the early
stages of developing a research project
on employment issues in Rotorua, in
partnership with the Ministry of Social
Development, Rotorua District Council,
and Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.
• Several of our colleagues have or
will be representing Waiariki and
Aotearoa, presenting the results of
their research at conferences on the
international stage:
o Allan Fowler – 30th Conference
on Computer-Human Interfacing,
May 5-10, Austin, Texas, USA
o Hinemaua Rikirangi – 7th Research
into Organisation and Sustainable
Development Conference, May 2125, Nantes, France
o Malin Quintern and Erina Ata –
7th International Conference on
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences,
June 24-27, Barcelona, Spain
o Paula Cown and Joanne Hayes – 13th
Pacific Early Childhood Education
Research Association Annual
Conference, July 20-22, Singapore
We congratulate them all on their
fantastic research achievements and
hope they return full of inspiration and
motivation for future research endeavours.
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
Sustain Waiariki
New scholarship
promotes creativity
By Steve Chadwick
Steve Chadwick, former MP for Rotorua who also held the position of Minister
of Conservation, is a member of the advisory committee for the Waiariki
Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sustainability. She introduces the
Sustain Waiariki group, its purpose and aims.
When I was approached to write about
the Waiariki Centre of Excellence in
Environmental Sustainability, I had
to remind myself what our advisory
committee is all about and what we
want to achieve on the campus.
The centre’s name doesn’t speak to me
as to what we are about and wordy
approaches will wash over most students’
and tutors’ heads unless we make this
centre result in a change of thinking and
generate an excitement about how we
live our daily lives at home and at work.
Too often we get bogged down in
academic challenges about the lofty issues
such as climate change, the availability
of oil to generate transport and produce
food, and water as a precious resource,
and we forget that there are small changes
we can commit to as individuals that will
make a difference.
So we called ourselves Sustain Waiariki
and the website will keep those
interested informed. I am excited about
the skills of those on this new advisory
committee as we represent community
and regional thinking and have the
potential to make Waiariki be seen as a
sustainable institution leading the sector
with new ways of teaching, challenging
economic thinking and living the
sustainable dream. Advisory committee
members will all contribute to this
column over the next year.
So what is sustainability?
We have had a few good discussions
since we started last November. We
Participants of the popular Rotorua
Wearable Creationz will have a chance to
win one year of fees-free study toward a
creative qualification at Waiariki.
have stuck with the definition that
“Sustainability is the practice of living
in a manner which does not compromise
future generations.” We want Waiariki
to be there in the long term as education
is vital, especially in a recession,
especially in the regions. Why should
we have to leave our home to continue
lifelong learning?
That’s the easy bit really and we then had
to find where this long-term thinking
fits into the long-term strategic direction
for Waiariki. Sustainability is well and
truly stated in four of Waiariki’s goals
in the strategic plan and that shows a
commitment from leadership at the
board and academic levels.
So what are we pushing to have happen?
We want to make sure that all courses
consider sustainability in a way that
is relevant to their subject and then
help both tutors and students start to
understand what this commitment really
means and how it can be measured
and shown. That is called setting a
sustainability index.
I see a campus that tells a visual story
of conserving energy and resources,
buildings that feel great to work in, and
a curriculum that attracts students in
how they want to live a meaningful life
that adds value to our environment and
economy. I want students to be able to
come and learn those subjects that give
them actual skills to live their dream;
skills such as conservation, horticulture,
forestry management, food technology,
healthy living, tourism that protects and
Travel, accommodation, cruises and cash
are among the typical stable of prizes for
winners of Wearable Creationz, with the
Supreme Award having been valued at
more than $20,000.
Steve Chadwick hopes Waiariki will
be viewed as a leader in sustainability
training in our region.
values the environment, and the reo to
express themselves as Kiwis who know
our strengths.
When we know what we want then
other plans for expenditure on campus
will fall into place. Fewer cars and more
buses and cycle ways, walking paths that
are well lit for safety, waste management
that produces energy and reuses
resources, and buildings that are a beacon
of design to conserve energy and are
built in wood. This is very exciting stuff.
Think of how you can make a difference
and challenge your tutors if you come
up with a bright idea.
You may even see me cycling to
Waiariki if only I felt safe enough to
ride to meetings from home. We will
live the dream and then inspire others
to build a healthy community.
As a sponsor of the event’s Youth section
for the past several years, Waiariki
aims to promote the creativity of the
community’s youth and invest in their
confidence and self-esteem.
The new Waiariki scholarship, provided
by the School of Computing, Technology
and Communications, will be awarded to
the winner of the Culture category. It can
be used to cover the fees of one year of
full-time study in 2013 of a certificate,
diploma or advanced diploma in art,
fashion or interior design.
Providing the scholarship, valued at up to
$5,000, is just another way for Waiariki to
continue to support the event.
Many of Waiariki’s creative qualifications
provide direct pathways to continued study
at prestigious institutes such as Whitecliffe
College of Arts and Design in Auckland,
Whitehouse Institute of Design in Australia,
and Istituto di Moda Burgo in Milan.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster
for Rotorua’s most colourful, fanciful
annual event with shows on August 16,
17 and 18.
Visit our website sustain.waiariki.ac.nz.
MasterChef fan working The Master’s Table
If he was eligible to compete in New
Zealand MasterChef, one of his
favourite competitions, Nathan Arnell
might have given it a go.
However, because he has a formal
tertiary education, this Waiariki
graduate of two culinary qualifications
is not allowed to compete. Instead, he
must settle for working alongside a
MasterChef contestant, the much-loved
Cameron Petley from the 2011 TV
series. For Nathan, this is anything
but “settling”.
“It’s really great,” Nathan says. “He’s a
real friendly guy, has a good sense of
humour. I’m learning heaps from him.”
Nathan, who’s from Tokoroa, says a
phone call from Tracy Thompson in
Putaruru led to this unexpected and
possibly rare opportunity.
Tracy and her husband Steve lease the
Putaruru Hotel. The Thompsons’ plan
was to get the restaurant back in service
after several years of inaction. They
successfully wooed Mr Petley into the
head chef position but then needed to
find a sous chef. What followed was
the classic friend-of-a-friend scenario
where someone heard about Nathan
from Waiariki chef lecturer and former
restaurateur Peter Skelton.
“The Skeltons [Peter and wife Lorna]
said that he stood out in the course,”
explains Ms Thompson, “and if they had
to pick someone from the course that
they thought would do well, that he
would be their first pick.”
He’s only 21, but Nathan already had
four years of professional cooking under
his belt, having worked in the Skeltons’
restaurant while studying full time at
Waiariki. Nathan recalls the day Ms
Thompson rang.
“She invited me over to the hotel for an
interview. Then I found out Cameron
was going to be the head chef here. I
was thinking what a great opportunity. I
used to watch that show every week.”
Working each dinner shift at The
Master’s Table, Nathan is learning new
techniques and appreciates Mr Petley’s
style of cooking and how he uses
honest, readily available ingredients.
He says they also get to “play around”
in the kitchen, creating new dishes for
the menu.
Ms Thompson is very pleased with her
sous chef ’s work.
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 “Nate’s brilliant, he’s just great. He’s
very easy to get along with, he works
hard, he’s great at what he does. When
Cameron’s away with promotional work
now and then, Nate just steps right into
his position.”
Recently Nathan accompanied Mr
Petley to Auckland for a week to help
him with his new cookbook. The pair
had to prepare 60 recipes and carefully
plate them for the camera crew.
“When I got back from doing
Cameron’s cookbook, I was thinking
that I never thought I’d have the chance
to do that. How many people get an
opportunity to do something like that?”
Mr Skelton is confident Nathan will
have a successful career as a chef.
“He was a very good student and very
good in the kitchen. He picks up things
really quickly, you rarely have to show
him something more than once. His
dexterity with what he’s doing is what
makes me think he’s going to go far.
He’s got a real passion for food, which
is good as well.”
Waiariki graduate Nathan Arnell enjoys working
in the kitchen at The Master’s Table at the
Putaruru Hotel.
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
|
PA G E 9
Paying it forward from Ireland
become a chef. Back home in England
she was expected to attend university,
not a technical college, due to her
good grades.
“If I hadn’t moved to New Zealand, I
wouldn’t be doing this now. I would
have been in England studying science
or something.”
Moroccan Hot
Pot
Ingredients
500g lamb mince
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium (150g) onion, diced
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
200g kumara, diced into 1cm pieces
1 cup (250mL) chicken stock
2 medium (240g) zucchini, diced
Bunch fresh coriander to garnish
400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp corn flour
In a large bowl, combine mince, garlic,
cumin, turmeric and ground coriander;
mix well and roll mixture into large balls.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over high
heat; cook meatballs and onion until
browned on all sides.
Add kumara and stock and bring to the
boil; reduce heat, cover and cook five
minutes or until kumara is tender; stir in
zucchini and chickpeas.
Combine corn flour with a little water,
stir into hot pot until thickened; cook,
uncovered, a further two minutes.
Serve over warm couscous or rice, and
garnish with lashings of fresh coriander.
Written by Bart Vosse
Chef Lecturer
Rotorua campus
Did you know?
The Olympic Games in London is not
the only major competition taking place
this year.
In October, the 23rd International
Exhibition of Culinary Art, dubbed by
some as the Culinary Olympics, will take
place in Erfurt, Germany.
Also a quadrennial event, the first
competition was held in Frankfurt in
1900 with four nations participating.
It is now said to be among the world’s
biggest culinary exhibitions, and in 2008,
approximately 1,600 chefs from 53
nations competed. The top honours went
to Norway, Germany and Switzerland.
PA G E 1 0
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Wa i a r i k i To d a y Even though her father was already in
New Zealand and her mum was getting
ready to join him, Josie could have
stayed in England as she was 19 at the
time and finished with high school. She
says her decision to emigrate was very
last minute.
Josie Tubb has just a few more days in the training kitchen at Waiariki before
she heads off to Ireland for a three-month work programme.
Although she’s being sent away to work,
Josie Tubb is counting down the days
until she boards that plane and heads to
Ireland.
Josie, who is in her second year of the
two-year Diploma in Culinary Arts at
Waiariki, is the first recipient of the
Waiariki Institute of Technology Jamie
Peaker Ireland Scholarship which will
see her working for Mr Peaker in his
award winning café Builín Blasta (Irish
for “the tasty loaf ”) for three months.
The scholarship is valued at $2,500
and includes her return flights,
accommodation and a weekly
living allowance.
For Mr Peaker the opportunity to host
a Waiariki student is his chance to pay
it forward.
“It’s my way of giving back to the
industry, an industry I have gained so
much from, and to Waiariki where I
completed my training,” he says.
Mr Peaker originates from Whakatane.
He worked as a young chef at Rotorua’s
Freos with Reg Hawthorne who is
currently a chef lecturer at Waiariki. The
two chefs have remained friends over
the years even as Mr Peaker’s travels
took him around the world, working
in places like Africa, Switzerland and
London. He settled in Ireland in 2008.
Josie will no doubt learn much from
Mr Peaker and she expects to work
hard and put in some long hours at his
café. She says she’s looking forward
to the adventure, to summer in the
Northern Hemisphere, and of course the
opportunity to hone her kitchen craft.
“I’ve always cooked and I’ve always
enjoyed cooking.”
Josie never thought she was destined to
“Because I decided to come to another
country, and decided to [study]
something different, I thought I’d do
something I knew I’d enjoy.
“I knew I could finish the diploma in
two years. I hadn’t considered it as a
career option, I don’t think anyone had
suggested it as a serious career option
either, but I really love it and this is
definitely what I want to do.”
Working for the past six months as a
commis chef at Wai Ora Lakeside Spa
Resort, the 21-year-old says, has really
cemented her future.
“Doing the study and working in Wai
Ora definitely has made me 100 per cent
sure of what I want to do. Coming here
was a chance to do something really
different. It all just happened by chance
and it turns out it was a good thing.”
Josie will return to New Zealand for the
start of Semester 1 in 2013 to finish
her diploma.
International visitors to Waiariki
Dr Ruchi Singh has been enjoying the
sights of Rotorua and New Zealand
but more importantly catching up with
some of her former students.
“The boys have changed so much …
We can see their bright future here,”
Dr Singh said during her recent visit
from India.
Some of her first students to New
Zealand in 2008 are now working locally
in tourism and hospitality businesses like
Ibis, Distinction Rotorua Hotel and Wai
Ora Lakeside Spa Resort.
While in New Zealand Dr Singh and her
husband were hosted by Waiariki staff.
She also familiarised herself with other
educational offerings in New Zealand as
well as the immigration policy.
While Waiariki is uniquely bicultural, it
embraces multiculturalism in producing
students who are able to carry out
business across the world through
global education.
Other recent international visitors were
representatives of the Beijing Vocational
College of Finance and Commerce who
signed a memorandum of understanding
with Waiariki. The principal objectives
of the agreement with BCFC involve
cooperation between both parties in
teaching and student and staff exchanges.
Also visiting Waiariki recently was
the Philippine ambassador Virginia
Benavidez who caught up with
international students around mobile
consular services and overseas absentee
voting registration.
A staff member from the BN Institute
of International Studies in Rajasthan,
Dr Singh teaches tourism. Some of
her students choose to head to New
Zealand, or more specifically Rotorua,
the heartbeat of cultural tourism, to
further their education.
“Every day we are getting an experience
of what Rotorua is offering and it will
allow us to promote [New Zealand and
Rotorua] when I’m advising students,”
says Dr Singh.
India is also a big supplier of cultural
tourism and Dr Singh said attractions
like the “Palace on Wheels” train
tour were very popular and many big
accommodation chains were investing
in India.
Dr Ruchi Singh teaches tourism in India and promotes Waiariki’s qualifications
to her students if they are seeking international experience while studying
toward a high quality diploma or degree.
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
Waiariki provides doctors to Rotorua
studying toward that goal through
professional development.
Dr Kennedy received his honorary
doctorate in philosophy from the
Research Institute of World’s
Ancient Traditions, Cultures and
Heritage (RIWATCH), USA, at an
international conference held at the
University of Dev Sanskriti Vishwa
Vidyalaya in India.
Ken Kennedy was recently awarded
an honorary doctorate in philosophy
from an American institute.
Yes there is a doctor in the house.
In fact, there are quite a few holders
of PhDs employed at Waiariki and
two more have earned the distinction
in the last few months: Waiariki’s
Kaumatua Keneti (Ken) Kennedy,
and Qilong Zhang.
That brings the tally to eight staff
with doctorates and several more are
His was one of five honorary
doctorates awarded for distinguished
leadership and outstanding social
service to their respective traditions
and cultures.
Dr Zhang, who works in the Te
Wānanga a Ihenga education team,
passed his oral examination for his
doctorate with Auckland University
and will have a formal graduation
later this year.
Waiariki staff currently with doctorates:
Chris Asby
PhD, Agricultural/Veterinary
Economics, University of Reading,
UK, 1976
Suwaree Ashton
PhD, Hotel Management, University
of Queensland, Australia, 2010
Lynne Chepulis
PhD, Health Science, University of
Waikato, 2008
Ken Kennedy
Honorary PhD, Philosophy,
RIWATCH, 2012
Christine Mercer
PhD, Nursing, Massey University,
2006
Craig Morley
PhD, Zoology/Ecology, University of
Canterbury, 2000
Clarke Raymond
PhD, Neuroscience, University of
Otago, NZ, 1999
Qilong Zhang
EdD, University of Auckland, 2012
From gang member to successful tutor and
role model
Just before he turned 50, Don
enrolled on the Certificate in
Agriculture and Farm Maintenance at
Waiariki in Tokoroa. He had closed
down his mechanics shop and was
looking for a useful trade to learn.
His biggest motivation, however, was
something much closer to his heart.
After making the decision to enrol
at Waiariki, things changed rather
quickly for the Tahere family. In fact,
Don wasn’t the only one filling out
Waiariki enrolment forms.
“I’ve got this thing with my kids:
when they leave school they are not
allowed to go on the benefit. They
have to get a job or go to school.
That’s always been my rule.”
The oldest five – Roi, Jessica,
Werehana, Joseph and Blaze –
joined their father in agriculture
training. Four of them completed
the qualification. Roi is now an
apprentice at SWPE (South
Waikato Precision Engineering
Ltd) in Tokoroa, and Jess has gone
to Tauranga to earn her bartending
license (she wants to run a nightclub).
Bachelor of Nursing
Babies and nursing seem to be the central
theme in Laura Keys’ young life.
For the moment, however, she’s focusing on
the latter, working her way toward earning
the Bachelor of Nursing from Waiariki.
“My mum was a nurse, and I’ve got an
aunty who is a nurse, and another aunty
who’s training to be a nurse as well. We
started [training] at the same time. It’s
a coincidence, each of us didn’t know the
other was applying.”
Laura laughs and says she had different
career ambitions earlier in life.
“When I was younger, a family friend had
twins who ended up in SCBU because
they were quite small. I was about 10 or
something. I had [written] in my diary that
I wanted to be a singer or dancer but I
can’t sing or dance so [becoming a nurse]
was the sensible thing to do, really.”
“What changed me was my kids. I
saw them going down the same track
as me. I had to make the change and
that’s why I’m doing what I do now.
I’ve got to be their big role model.”
“I’m not very proud of it. I’m done
with it now. Even my kids, they’re all
done with it. We threw it all away to
make better lives.”
Laura Keys
Incidentally, Laura’s 18-year-old sister
is studying at Waiariki, as well, toward
the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood
Education).
Don Tahere is proof it’s never too late
to turn your life around.
That undesirable track was gang
related. Don and wife Debbie have
nine children. The last thing he
wanted was to watch their children,
who range in age from 6 to 23, to
follow in his footsteps.
Student profile
Don Tahere, flanked by sons Joseph (left) and Werehana.
Werehana and Joseph have continued
their study at Waiariki in construction
and engineering respectively. Blaze
didn’t quite finish the qualification,
but she is working now and hopes to
return to study to become a vet.
Even mum Debbie is keen to get on
board this family education mission.
She’d like to study chef training but
will wait until their grandchild
starts school.
Don’s attitude toward education
and his commitment to studies were
infectious. Unwittingly, he quickly
became a role model to his classmates
and caught the eye of agriculture tutor
Wayne Tonks. Toward the end of the
year, Wayne pulled him aside and
suggested he apply for a position as
tutorial assistant for Waiariki, which
he did, albeit with some hesitation.
“To tell you the truth,” Don says,
“when Wayne told me to apply for
the job, I honestly didn’t think I’d get
it. I’m glad I did apply for it.”
Wayne said he could see Don’s
strong work ethic and, perhaps more
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 importantly, his ability to connect
with the students. Don says he’s just
being himself.
“I can really see myself in a lot of the
kids around here.”
It seems the study bug has bitten. Don
is now studying social science courses
online with another provider while
still assistant teaching with Waiariki.
“I’m trying to further myself. With
that degree I’ll be able to help people
or children at risk. I was one of those
naughty kids once upon a time. I
want to be able to give back to the
community I took so much from.
“It’s been tough because I still have
mates around here that can’t believe
what I’m doing. They’ve said that
I’ve changed. But, like I tell my
mates, the only thing I represent
now is Waiariki. Because I’m a
casual tutor now, I see that as a lot
of responsibility, you can’t go around
doing the things I used to do.
“I really wish I did this when I
was younger.”
Since that defining moment, Laura knew
she wanted to become a nurse and
specialise in working with babies in a
hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
She’d like to stay in Rotorua, but will go
where the jobs are, she says.
She will finish her degree in November.
She says studying has been a bit stressful
at times but she deals with it by reducing
her work schedule (she has a part time
job at McDonald’s), running (“not so much
in winter, though”), taking one day at
a time, and giving in to the occasional
chocolate cravings.
Having skipped Year 13 at Rotorua Girls’
High School so she could start her tertiary
study early, she says, “I didn’t enjoy
school, I was very keen to escape.”
Laura will be the youngest in the nursing
school to graduate in November and she
will just beat the age cut-off by two months
to sit the nursing registration exams
(graduates must be 20 to sit the exam).
She’s looking forward to getting the muchneeded nursing experience in hospital
before she can apply to work in SCBU.
“I just love babies, I really love babies.”
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
|
PA G E 1 1
Farm ownership in graduate’s future
World famous in New Zealand
A Waiariki graduate has taken home
two prestigious New Zealand Dairy
Industry Awards.
For the past fours years Waiariki’s carpentry
students and their tutor James Putoko have
been filmed by Māori Television while they
help restore or rebuild marae around the rohe.
The footage is used in the TV show AIA Marae
DIY with the most recent project at Motiti
Marae where they guys built a new waharoa
(entrance). These projects give students of the
Certificate in Carpentry (Pre-trade) (Level 4)
excellent hands-on experience while they assist
local communities.
John Butterworth was named Central
Plateau 2012 Sharemilker/Equity
Farmer of the Year in April, and in
May followed that with second place
in the national awards, plus went home
with two merit awards: the Honda
Farm Safety and Health Award and
DairyNZ Interview Award.
John says the prizes, including a
ride-on lawn mower and cash, are
great but they are not the reason for
entering the annual competition.
The reward for him is showing that
his business plans are well conceived
and robust, and that he not only has
a good track record with his business
finances but also in areas such as
management and animal health.
The work that went into the
application was rigorous but as a
result of his efforts, the 25-year-old
can now forecast that one of his longtime goals should be reached in just
seven years.
Pictured: (back row) Steve Durkin (Tokoroa), Tama
Rewiti (Rotorua), Dylan Ryan (Rotorua), Richard
Pulma-Hicks (Rotorua), Tama Taupawa (Rotorua);
(front row) James Putoko (tutor, Tokoroa), Chandu
Grant (Rotorua), Levi Aki (Tokoroa)
Photo courtesy of New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards
News Snippets
“Generally, there are some parts of
your business where you might not
plan or go into in-depth, but this
process makes you, so you’ve really
got to get into it. That’s the best part
that I liked.
John Butterworth with his Central Plateau 2012 Sharemilker/Equity
Farmer of the Year Award.
Agribusiness Management in 2009.
He recalls knowing his future career
path while still quite young, following
in his father’s footsteps.
receive 50 per cent of the milk cheque.
“I can remember being around 8 or 9,
in school, doing a poster and it had
everything about owning my own
farm. It’s natural, I was always going
to be a farmer.”
John says owning his own farm
“would be the pinnacle of my
career.” He looks forward to making
decisions without having to consult
with partners, and to taking on the
responsibilities and challenges that
having sole charge of the business
would present.
He continues to live in Mamaku
where he grew up and sharemilks
550 cows on 179 effective hectares in
Mamaku for his parents, farm owners
Jack and Shelley Butterworth. What
this means is that John owns the
cows and machinery and manages the
farm. He has two employees, one of
which is also a Waiariki graduate. The
farm owners and John equally share
the operational costs of the farm and
Another bonus, he says, will be a
bigger income. “The WHOLE milk
cheque, not half !!!”
•Semester 2 dates*: Term 3 runs July 16
to September 28; Term 4 runs October 15
to November 9 (*some courses start earlier,
contact Waiariki to confirm).
“Now I have a plan laid out for the
future. It’s given me a huge amount
of confidence and something to aim
for: farm ownership. Because I’ve
done that work, the budgets are now
looking like 2019 is the dream, so it
gives me something to look forward
to. All the work I’m doing now, all
the long hours, it’s going to pay off.
It’s awesome.”
•Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language
Week): July 23-29. “Arohatia te Reo”, or
cherish the language, is the theme this year,
encouraging everyone to show their love for
one of New Zealand’s official languages. Visit
www.korero.maori.nz for more info.
Holiday park adds to student opportunity
•Waiariki campus was abuzz with
approximately 300 high school students
competing in the regional section of the Ngā
Manu Kōrero speech contest on June 13.
•Open Day is Friday, August 10, 9am to 2pm
at Mokoia Campus, a chance for high school
students and advisors to learn more about
Waiariki in a fun, casual atmosphere. Free
transport is available.
•Tickets are on sale now (Ticketmaster) for the
Rotorua Wearable Creationz held at the
Energy Events Centre, Rotorua. Shows run
from August 16 through 18, times vary.
John began his studies through
AgITO at Waiariki when he was 19,
earning the National Diploma in
Waiariki has given students more
reason to study locally following the
purchase of the neighbouring Rotorua
Thermal Holiday Park business.
Waiariki’s acting chief executive Keith
Ikin said the tertiary institute had been
interested in providing an opportunity
for quality affordable student
accommodation for some time.
“Having our own hostel is hard to
value. As a regional polytechnic our
ability to serve our region as a whole
has significantly increased with
students from Tokoroa, Whakatane
or Taupo now able to move to
Mokoia to continue their studies,”
Mr Ikin said.
roughly 12ha, currently has a range of
accommodation in the form of cabins,
flats and two-storey lodge with
around 300 beds.
Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park, at
It is believed the accommodation
option so near to the main campus
with relatively easy access to Rotorua
central business district and increased
campus green space will enhance the
learning environment for all students.
•Friday, September 14: Cheer on the Bay
of Plenty Steamers as they take on the
Auckland Blues. Kick off is at 6.05pm, and
tickets are available at the door ($20 for
adults and $5 for children under 15).
PA G E 1 2
|
Wa i a r i k i To d a y The handover date was May 15 and
the site is immediately adjacent to
Waiariki’s Mokoia Campus on Old
Taupo Road.
While the business and operational
model is still to be formalised, Mr
Ikin said the site had a large land
area and some good facilities and
supporting amenities (including
swimming pool and accommodation
blocks) which made it a very
attractive site.
•It’s not too early to put the Waiariki
Institute of Technology New Zealand
Aria Finals Night, on your calendar. Tickets
are on sale now (Ticketmaster) for this
amazing event on Sunday, October 28, at
the Civic Theatre, Rotorua.
•Waiariki is hosting the annual New Zealand
Association of Language Teachers
conference July 1-4 and a French conference
on July 5.
He told AgITO, “Learning to deal
with the issues that arise within a
farming business would keep me
challenged. All that I have learnt
during my sharemilking years I can
put into practice as an individual
rather than having to answer to a
second party.”
Waiariki held a barbeque lunch and meet-and-greet for the institute’s
newest colleagues at the neighbouring motor camp staff.
“We will be looking to invest in
upgrading the site but we want to take
our time and ensure that we get the
best benefit from it,” Mr Ikin said.
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
New technology for journalism students
Night with a
Dame a chance of
a lifetime
When Dame Kiri Te Kanawa returned to the
stage at Rotorua Convention Centre and
thanked the crowd with her signature song
Pokarekare Ana, a once-in-a-lifetime occasion
for many was complete.
Rotorua Boys’ High School students thought Waiariki’s new journalism equipment was a real hit at the recent
Rotorua Careers Expo.
More than $50,000 has been spent
on new equipment that will give
Waiariki’s journalism students
hands-on experience with the current
technology used in the industry.
While the curriculum for this new
equipment is yet to be finalised,
students are already getting familiar
with the set up, use and take down
of the cameras, lights, microphones,
green screen and the myriad cords
that link it all to a system (software
and hardware) that records whatever
they’re working on.
“It’s essentially a portable studio,
it takes what would take up three
rooms’ worth of filming and editing
equipment and put it into a large box,”
says Leon Thomas, contract lecturer at
Waiariki and multimedia designer.
“The new studio equipment will
provide the practical experience
students need. Previously, there was
no practical experience, just theory,
as all equipment was basic but not
industry standard. Now they’ll be up
to speed technologically.”
The NewTek TriCaster is the system
that records the interviews or
newscasts that students set up. It also
has an editing program, Premiere, that
can be used for edits on the go.
“It’s definitely becoming the norm
now,” Mr Thomas says. “In the
last four years systems like this are
coming out. This one is primarily
made for schools.”
Mr Thomas has been contracting
for Waiariki for the past three years,
teaching 3-D, computer-aided design
(CAD) and digital photography.
He brings a wealth of knowledge
and experience to the classroom,
has an extensive background in the
film industry and has worked in
Wellington with Peter Jackson on
several movies.
“Now we can teach work flow and
techniques that students can apply in a
real-world situation. This is a massive
step forward for the polytech and
especially the journalism students.
“The three rooms that are contained in
this box represent what the students
will be doing on the job. The big thing
here is that this is the studio part, the
live broadcast side of television. As far
as this system goes, we can do both –
live recording and transmitting – we
could create a production live, a realworld work flow that is relevant to
what they’ll do on the job.”
While the curriculum is being
developed, Waiariki is also looking
to create a recording studio for
permanent set up of some of the
equipment, similar to the live radio
studio already on campus.
More than 25 years teaching English
from 1992 to 2001. Ada Chen, now a
Waiariki employee interim directing
the International Centre, was top
student 2001.
In 1994, the Certificate in English
was introduced at Waiariki and
started with one tutor and three
Japanese students. There were also
groups of Japanese students joining
the programme for two to three
weeks each year during the first years.
Noeline Lewis (centre, in blue) with a class of international students
studying English.
For more than a quarter of a century,
Waiariki has been the go-to institute
for people who want to learn English
if English is not their first language.
To date, more than 3,500 students
have come from at least 50 countries
to learn or improve their English
speaking, pronunciation, listening and
writing skills.
Waiariki’s first overseas student was
Nicole Oschger, who came from
South Africa in 1986 and studied
English before enrolling on a hotel
reception course.
A year later, the next international
student arrived. This one came from
Japan and, interestingly, she enrolled
on a Japanese course in order to meet
New Zealanders who were interested
in Japanese.
This was Noeline Lewis’ second year
teaching at Waiariki and she recalls,
“It was the best thing for me as I got
used to having experts in my class
while I was teaching!”
A full-time Japanese programme ran
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 Dame Kiri performed her one-off New Zealand
concert with New Zealand tenor Ben Makisi and
pianist Terence Dennis and it was an evening
of glitz and glamour as Rotorua locals and
people from further afield turned out for the
black tie event.
Among the audience were Waiariki and The
Daily Post competition winners, mother and
daughter Pauline and Olive Bushett.
“I really loved the last song – and I want her
dress!” 16-year-old Olive told The Daily Post on
the night.
Olive is an aspiring singer who sang Pokarekare
Ana at her uncle’s wedding when she was just
eight years old.
Pauline had hoped the opportunity would renew
Olive’s interest in singing following the death of
her brother Tima in January.
Olive sings classical and other styles and
performs in two choirs at her high school,
Western Heights.
She’s also been involved in other musical
ventures at the school but hadn’t been singing
since her brother’s death.
Dame Kiri certainly seems to have sparked
something with Olive, one of many Rotorua
hopefuls who turned out for the New Zealand’s
Got Talent Rotorua auditions in late May.
Waiariki Academy of Music and Singing
students also took part in the auditions.
The programme, hosted by broadcaster Tamati
Coffey, will air later in the year. We will then
find out just how far any Rotorua talent goes
up against the rest of New Zealand.
As part of further sponsorship, Waiariki Academy
of Music and Singing manager Richard Anaru
will offer an appropriate academy scholarship to
Rotorua’s best-performing hopeful.
Student numbers – and the countries
represented – have continued to grow
ever since and the Waiariki campus
has welcomed people from China,
Thailand, Philippines, Korea, India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Chile, Fiji, Samoa,
Cook Islands, French Polynesia, various
African countries, and so many more.
Wanting to provide more services to
our international students, Waiariki
became an official International
English Language Testing System
(IELTS) site in the late 1990s.
Students’ level of English proficiency
is tested upon arrival to determine
at which level to begin their studies.
They can also use the test to provide
proof of proficiency to meet study
requirements for mainstream
qualifications at Waiariki and other
tertiary providers.
Pauline Bushett (right) was the lucky winner of two
tickets to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s recent concert
sponsored by Waiariki. Ms Bushett brought along her
daughter Olive, who is an avid singer.
Wa i a r i k i To d a y
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PA G E 1 3
Stepping Stones
Working in partnership for youth
Waiariki Expo
Hundreds of secondary students flocked to the Rotorua Careers
Expo in May to learn more about their tertiary study options.
Waiariki commits to closer working with
Bay of Plenty principals
Trades academy for
Rotorua
A new senior student curriculum and other initiatives
could result as Waiariki works more closely with
secondary schools.
A trades academy for Rotorua is a must according to
Waiariki acting chief executive Keith Ikin.
Waiariki is now a gold sponsor of the Bay of Plenty
Principals Association (BOPPA), opening up the
opportunity for both secondary and tertiary education
providers to focus on best practices for the students’
sake with regards to their education pathways.
The association includes principals from all secondary
schools in the Bay of Plenty region, as well as those
from Matamata, Waihi, Gisborne, Tokoroa and Putaruru
who attend the four networking and professional
development conferences that occur annually.
The aim of the sponsorship is to create an environment
that enables the development of new secondary and
tertiary alignment initiatives throughout the region.
Waiariki acting chief executive Keith Ikin spoke at the
association’s conference in Rotorua recently.
Mr Ikin said it was in the interest of the wider
community that secondary schools and tertiary
providers work closer together for student success and
a seamless transition from secondary to tertiary.
Waiariki has already worked in partnership with
secondary schools to establish a trades academy in the
Eastern Bay of Plenty and is currently in talks for a
similar venture in Rotorua.
Rosemary Johnson is the Waiariki trades academy
development manager who is driving these initiatives.
“It’s ensuring the students are engaged in education and
learning,” she says, “and that we are all contributing to
senior student achievement.
“We also see this sponsorship as providing the
opportunity for partnering on the alignment of
our curriculum, possibly creating a senior student
curriculum and linking the trades academy from the
secondary school so we don’t have conflicts in what the
students are learning, or gaps that may exist between
the two levels of study.”
Waiariki also plans to establish an advisory committee
with representative principals from Taupo, Tokoroa,
Whakatane and Rotorua who will discuss these topics
as well as responses to government policy and additional
opportunities to ensure ongoing engagement and success.
“It’s a no brainer, really. Meeting the needs of youth
transitioning from school and ensuring they have the
opportunities sits in behind our bid to have a trades
academy in Rotorua,” he says.
Based on the institute’s hugely successful model
operating in Whakatane, Waiariki is keen to partner
with Rotorua secondary schools ahead of 2013 for an
academy offering locally.
Rosemary Johnson, former manager of Waiariki’s
Whakatane campus, has been seconded to work with
stakeholders, partners and government on the proposal
for the new academy.
Waiariki would work in partnership with schools and
take a win-win approach says Mr Ikin.
“We work with the schools to agree who from within the
schools becomes an academy member. There are also clear
expectations around the behaviour of academy students.”
Mr Ikin believes the reason the Whakatane academy
has been successful is simple.
“For some of these kids they just needed a change of
environment. The change from a school environment to a
tertiary environment is enough to kick-start their learning.
“Waiariki’s relationships with the schools are critical
for success of the academy,” he says. “I believe a trades
academy based here in Rotorua will have a significant
impact on youth and their transition from school to
tertiary learning.
Friday, August 10
Join us for OPEN DAY at Waiariki
9.00am – 2.00pm
Waiariki Institute of Technology
Mokoia Campus, Rotorua
Impo
rtan
Date! t
A day for high school students, teachers and career
advisors to learn more about Waiariki
PA G E 1 4
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Wa i a r i k i To d a y “If we can get young people into tertiary learning
sooner after secondary school then they benefit from
those qualifications for a much longer period of time.”
Many employers in the trades sector have an aging
workforce. Pairing that situation with the planned
rebuild of Christchurch, it is predicted there will be
significant work opportunities for trades people in
the future.
w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z
Waiariki Academy of Sport
Flying the Waiariki flag in London
Waiariki will have three representatives at
this year’s Olympic Games in London.
Both Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones
are foundation athletes of the Waiariki
Academy of Sport and will represent New
Zealand in canoe slalom.
Academy founder Jane Borren has also
recently had her Olympic accreditation
signed off by the New Zealand Olympic
Committee to support Luuka and Mike.
This is just reward for the initiative, drive
and total commitment Ms Borren had in
establishing a first class academy.
We are immensely proud of their
achievement and hope that you get in
Highlights to date
• In the Teva Extreme Mountain Games
Steep Creek Championship in Colorado,
Mike Dawson took out the race (his
second year running) with Sam Sutton
in third. Lou Jull was runner up in the
women’s race. Kiwi-Waiariki domination
at its best
behind them with plenty of support as
they fly the Waiariki flag on the ultimate
sporting stage!
The canoe slalom competition will run from
July 29 to August 2 (London time) on the
Lee Valley White Water Centre located
30km north of the Olympic Park. The
centre has two separate courses: a 300m
Olympic-standard competition course with
a 5.5m descent, and a 160m intermediate/
training course with a 1.6m descent.
In between times Luuka and Mike will
contest World Cup events in France and
Spain respectively and if their recent form
at the Slovak Cup in Bratislava is anything
to go by they are both on track to perform
with distinction.
Follow Luuka and Mike’s progress on their
websites and the academy’s Facebook page:
• www.mikedawson.co.nz
• www.luukajones.com
• http://www.facebook.com/WAOS.NZL
Also check out the London Olympics
website for more competition details:
• http://www.london2012.com
The International Canoe Federation’s
website has more details about canoe slalom:
• http://www.canoeicf.com
Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson
Maintaining the form and results from 2011, Waiariki athletes are performing with distinction both on and off shore.
dangerous section of whitewater in
California that has never been paddled
before (hence the name)
• Golfers William Brown and Landyn
Edwards finished first and second in the
Rarotongan International Golf Open, with
William winning by an amazing 12 shots
finish in the fourth round of the UCI
Mountain Bike World Championships
in France, backing up her 4th place at the
Novo Mestro Mountain Bike World Cup
(U23 Womens Cross Country) in the
Czech Republic in May
Birmingham, England
• Chantelle Cassidy, as part of the New
Zealand Women’s Golf Team, placed
2nd in the Queen Sirikit Tournament
in Singapore
• Samara Sheppard achieved a podium
• Matthew Tew competed at the UCI
BMX World Championships in
• Chantelle has been selected to the New
Zealand Golf Academy and is now the
third ranked amatuer golfer in the country
Iori Morley, archery
Chantelle Cassidy, golfer
Carl Jones, mountain biker
• Erena Mikaere and the Waikato/BOP
Magic will compete in the ANZ
Netball Championship
We have been doing some work with our
branding as well as upgrading equipment
in our soon-to-be-rededicated performance
centre. This will further enhance our profile
and ability to deliver world-class support to
Waiariki and local athletes.
• Plus much more – stayed tuned to our
Facebook page
We also very proud to annouce that Red
Stag will continue to sponsor our mountain
bike squad for another 12 months, enabling
us to take our programme to the next level
with the introduction of SRM powermeters. Our programme is commited to
remaining at the forefront on mountain
biking in New Zealand and to consolidate
Rotorua as the home of high performance
mountain biking. We couldn’t get to the
required level without Red Stag’s support.
Training Peaks has also come aboard to
support our athletes with online training
programmes and monitoring. This is the
pre-eminent piece of training software
which enables us to streamline our services,
and being web based enables us to provide
support to our athletes where ever they are
in the world.
• Extreme kayaker Sam Sutton recently
paddled the Untouchables, an extremely
Sloan Cox, rally driver
On the radar
• The brother and sister team, Sloan and
Tarryn Cox, will contest the New Zealand
Rally Championships
0 8 0 0 9 2 4 2 7 4 Wa i a r i k i To d a y
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PA G E 1 5
NEW ZEALAND
NEEDS
YOU!
The huge rebuild in Canterbury will lead to heaps of well-paid jobs across the country.
Get ready now for these jobs that will be available in 2014.
Get your ticket from Waiariki to make the big money.
YOUr
STORY
BEGINS
HERE
HURRY! Semester 2
begins JULY 16
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.
Places are limited, enrol today.
FREE FEES FOR
SCHOOL LEAVERS!
(Conditions apply)
TAKE THE FIRST STEP... ENROL NOW
0800 924 274 www.waiariki.ac.nz