Kei aku iti, kei aku rahi, tēnā tātou katoa
Many years ago, I was Chief Executive of what was then Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic. It had a proud history of delivering technical and vocational education. My predecessor, John Scott, was the first uri Māori (person of Māori descent) to lead a polytechnic in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Looking ahead to 2023, we expect to have around 270,000 ākonga learning with Te Pūkenga on our campuses, online and in workplaces, supported by our training advisors. These are numbers I couldn’t have imagined in the mid-1990s at a small community polytechnic. They give us options and opportunities that aren’t available when we are operating individually.
We’ve also mentioned our partnerships with national employers and industry in previous editions, including the New Zealand Defence Force, Department of Corrections, Energy Aotearoa and others. While parts of our network already partner and connect with these organisations, the opportunity only grows when all parts of our network can contribute to these relationships.
Equally, with more than 10,000 kaimahi (staff) in our network working together, we create an opportunity to do better for our ākonga (learners) – particularly those who have previously been underserved. Te Pūkenga needs the strengths of this network to succeed. We know there is incredible mahi happening across the network to support ākonga Māori, Pacific and disabled learners. The pockets of innovation, the practice with potential, can now be scaled across the country as we move away from a competitive model to one of mahi tahi (collaboration).
It also means we can use tools that just aren’t viable without our size and scale. For example, a group of marketing experts from across the network are working to implement a Customer Data Platform (CDP) which will enable us to better meet the needs of prospective learners and employers through our digital ecosystem – and ensure they can access the opportunities of our whole network.
In 2002, Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic became part of Universal College of Learning (UCOL). While I was no longer Chief Executive, the intent was clear – to continue providing high-quality vocational and applied education that meets the needs of communities and regions.
Some things don’t change.
Hurinoa, e tau ana.
Stephen Town
Chief Executive
Our updates
Ka whakanuia a Matariki 2022 e Te Pūkenga
Ā tērā marama ka whakanuia e Te Pūkenga i tā Aotearoa hararei tuatahi rawa o Matariki ki tētahi kauhaurangi pāhekoheko tuihono me ngā mātanga a te Kāwanatanga.
Ka noho mai a Ahorangi Rangiānehu Mātāmua Matariki heamana o te Komiti Tohutohu rāua ko Victoria Campbell me te pukenga Mataia Keepa ki tētahi hui Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki mō te 90-meneti, atu i te 1.30 i te ahiahi o Tāite 23 o Pipiri.
I tua atu i te ako mō te ao Māori me te mātauranga e pā ana ki a Matariki me te maramataka Māori, ka whakamōhiotia ngā tāngata hunga whai wāhi mai ki te anga hauora hou, ‘Te Pae Mahutonga’.
Tēnei a Te Pūkenga e arataki ngātahi nei i te rāngai mātauranga matua me ngāi Māori mā te whakaū i te anga hauora e takea mai i te mātauranga Māori.
Ko te Matariki te ingoa Māori mō te kāhui whetū ka rewa ake i te poupoutanga o Takurua hei tohu mai i te Tau Hou o Aotearoa me te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Ka whakanuia ōkawatia ki Aotearoa hei hararei tūmatanui ā te Paraire 24 o Pipiri.
E kī ana a Ahorangi Mātāmua he wāhi nui tō ngā mātāpono me ngā uara hei whakaatu he pēhea te whakatinana i a Matariki i ēnei wā.
Ko ngā mātāpono matua e toru – te hokinga mahara ki te tau kua hipa, te whakanui i te wā o āianei me te anga whakamua ki te āpōpō – nohotahi ai me ngā uara matua 12 pērā i te kotahitanga me te mana taiao.
“Inā ngā taumahatanga me tikanga a te porihanga o te wā hei whakanui i ētahi tūāhua, he mea nui kia whakaatu i te tikanga me te takunetanga motuhenga o Matariki hei whakanui i tēnei tūāhua hiranga.
“He kaupapa tēnei hei whakakotahi mai i ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa kia hoki ngā mahara ki te tau kua hipa, kia whakanui o te wā o nāianei me te whakariterite mō ngā rā kei te heke mai.”
Ko te pae mātanga ko:
- Ahorangi Rangiānehu Mātāmua (Ngāi Tūhoe), he tohunga ia nāna i whakaputa māramatanga hou ki ngā mātauranga tuku iho e pā ana ki te tātai arorangi a te Māori, ina koa, ki a Matariki. Ko ngā rangahautanga a Tākuta Mātāmua kei te para huarahi hou me tōna whai koha anō ki te mātauranga Māori.
- Victoria Campbell (Ngāti Irakehu, Ngāi Tahu) nō Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kotahi Mano Kaika, tētahi rautaki ā-iwi hei whakarauora i te reo Māori. Kua ako a Ms Campbell i Te Tumu, Te Matatini ki Otago me Te Wānanga o Aotearoa i roto i te kaupapa o te mātauraka Māori.
- Mataia Keepa (Te Arawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rārua), he pukenga mātauranga Māori e āwhina ana i Te Pūkenga ki te whakamāori ariā, te tapa ingoa hoki hei mema nō tō mātou Ohu Reo. He tāura hoki ia nō Te Panekiretanga o te Reo Māori.
Kāore he here kia rēhita mai i mua i te wā mō Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki – me kuhu noa mai ki te hui i te 1.30 i te ahiahi o Tāite 23 o Pipiri mā Teams link. He kupu akiaki hoki tēnei i ngā kaimahi kei te ako i taua wā, ki te whakamahi i tēnei kauhaurangi me ngā ākonga. Ka hopukia ngā kōrero a te kauhaurangi kia wātea ai ki te kōtuinga ā muri atu i te hui.
Hei kīnaki a Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki ki ētahi tūāhua Matariki e whakahaeretia ana e ngā tīma i tēnā wāhi, i tēnā rohe puta noa i te kōtuinga.
Te Pūkenga celebrates Matariki 2022
Te Pūkenga will mark New Zealand’s first ever Matariki public holiday with an online webinar featuring the Government’s expert advisors next month.
Matariki Advisory Committee chair Professor Rangiānehu Mātāmua and member Victoria Campbell will join lecturer Mataia Keepa in the 90-minute Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki hui which will run from 1.30pm on Thursday 23 Pipiri (June).
As well as learning about te ao Māori and the mātauranga associated with Matariki and the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), participants will be introduced to the new wellbeing framework, ‘Te Pae Māhutonga’.
Te Pūkenga is taking a leadership role in the tertiary sector in partnership with Māori by adopting a holistic wellbeing framework grounded in mātauranga Māori.
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars that rises in midwinter and heralds the start of the Aotearoa Pacific New Year. It will be officially celebrated in New Zealand as a public holiday on Friday 24 Piripi (June).
Professor Mātāmua says principles and values play an important role in informing how Matariki can be implemented in a modern context.
The three key principles – remembering the past, celebrating the present and looking to the future – sit alongside 12 core values including kotangitanga (unity) and mana taiao (environmental awareness).
“With many pressures and norms set in society of how occasions are currently celebrated, it is important to reflect on the true meaning and intent of Matariki to honour the significant cultural event that it is.
“This an opportunity for all people of Aotearoa to come together and reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present and plan for the future.”
The expert panel are:
- Professor Rangiānehu Mātāmua (Ngāi Tūhoe), a pioneering scholar who has revolutionised our understanding of Māori astronomy and star lore, in particular, Matariki. Dr Mātāmua’s research has been ground-breaking in terms of its contribution to mātauranga Māori.
- Victoria Campbell (Ngāti Irakehu, Ngāi Tahu) from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kotahi Mano Kaika, a tribal strategy aimed at reinvigorating the use of te reo Māori. Ms Campbell has taught at Te Tumu, Otago Polytechnic and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in the field of mātauraka Māori.
- Mataia Keepa (Te Arawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rārua), a tertiary lecturer in matauranga Māori who assists Te Pūkenga in concept translations and naming requests as a member of our Ohu Reo. He is a graduate of an exclusive Māori language academy, Te Panekiretanga o te Reo Māori.
We’re encouraging you to pre-register for Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki. Kaimahi who are teaching at this time are encouraged to use the webinar with their ākonga (students). The session will be recorded and made available to the network following the hui.
Whakanuia Te Kāhui o Matariki complements a range of Matariki events which are being organised by local teams at different locations throughout the network.
Chief Digital Officer appointed
Teresa Pollard has been appointed as Chief Digital Officer, a new permanent leadership position in Te Pūkenga.
Recruitment began in late February and was finalised this week, recognising the breadth and calibre of the applicants and the time required to ensure we found the right fit for our organisation.
“The Chief Digital Officer is a senior role that will be critical in helping to lead, shape and establish our digital and information technology portfolios,” says Stephen Town, Chief Executive.
“Our network will need a strong digital strategy to ensure we are well-connected and eliminating barriers to access for our ākonga all across the motu. Teresa holds over 20 years of experience in the technology sector spanning Singapore, New York, and Aotearoa New Zealand, bringing a wealth of knowledge to support our vision.”
Teresa will join us from Datacom where she has held three roles since 2019, including General Manager Professional Services, Head of Northern Region and most recently, Head of Strategic Partnerships/Vendor. Prior to Datacom, Teresa was Customer Lead Technology/Māori for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Teresa is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa and Ngāti Kauwhata descent. She is a purpose and cultural led leader with a focus on impact through innovation and a clear vision, and execution through technology and design.
It is an absolute privilege to join Te Pūkenga at such a pivotal time in creating a new vocational education system that centres on our ākonga and their whānau across Aotearoa,” says Teresa. “I look forward to meeting people across the network and getting the sleeves rolled up for the important mahi we have ahead of us.”
Vaughan Payne, Deputy Chief Executive Operations added: “Recruitment for this role is an important step for Te Pūkenga as we build on the progress we’re making with our Accelerating Enabling Functions workstream. We’re excited to welcome Teresa to the whānau.”
Teresa will begin her role on 4 July 2022.
Share your feedback on our unified Nursing and Social Work degree programmes
Over the last year our Nursing and Social Work programmes have been redesigned as we prepare to offer ākonga a single set of degree programmes from 2023. Both programmes are taught across the motu by hundreds of kaimahi who support large numbers of ākonga as they journey with us to become nurses and social workers.
What are the benefits of developing a unified programme? Unified programmes offer the ability to celebrate the unique cultural contexts of the learning experiences we offer across the motu, whilst providing more consistency for employers, and the ability for ākonga to more easily change location if this is required.
The process to unify our nursing and social work degree programmes has involved ongoing input from our kaimahi, ākonga, employers, professional organisations, workforce and hapori over the last year. Te Pūkenga will offer Year 1 of the following unified programmes from 2023:
- Bachelor of Nursing (Māori), Bachelor of Nursing (Pacific) and Bachelor of Nursing,
- Bachelor of Social Work
These programmes are ready to move through a formal Programme Consultation process with our network and stakeholders in June. This has been timed to ensure we can submit the new programmes to NZQA and regulatory bodies in time for approval to introduce the programmes from 2023.
Kaimahi who are involved in social work degree programme delivery will receive information outlining the proposed programme on Friday 3 June. Those involved with our nursing programmes will receive information about the three nursing programmes the following week. Communication will be shared by local subsidiaries and all of the detail will be available on Te Pūkenga website. Kaimahi and industry can provide feedback about these unified programmes until Wednesday 29 June.
Dr Angela Beaton, Academic and Delivery Deputy Chief Executive explains, “The work that has been done to transform these programmes has focussed on ensuring we are putting ākonga at the centre. Our programme development groups have had a relentless focus on equity with a desire to honour and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
“With the creation of Te Pūkenga we have a unique opportunity to shape and strengthen the workforce of tomorrow and the future is exciting. I want to acknowledge the tremendous work that has been done, involving many from across the network, to get us to this point.
“We know the introduction of the unified programmes for nursing and social work is a significant step. Kaiako who teach these disciplines will be supported as we introduce our unified programmes. As we bring together our nursing and social work kaimahi across the motu, opportunities for greater collaboration and sharing of best practice will be enhanced.
The programme development team look forward to receiving feedback on the programme documents. If you’re involved with teaching nursing or social work please make sure you share your thoughts on the unified programmes during June.
Early movers, a Kaimahi journey
Operating Model Update: Early Mover ITPs
We recently announced that Toi Ohomai and Wintec will be the first ITP subsidiaries to move into Te Pūkenga and will be welcomed into Te Pūkenga on 1 June. We shared this information in the 8 April, edition of Ngā Taipitopito.
You can also view a recap of the announcement here:
Te Pūkenga and learners work together to design the future
Te Pūkenga ākonga (learners) and kaimahi (staff) are working together to develop a system that meets the needs of its ākonga, particularly Māori, Pacific and disabled ākonga who are often underserved.
Read more about it here.
Increased mental health support for Te Pūkenga learners across the motu
Te Pūkenga network is unifying in its approach to supporting its learners to succeed in what remains a challenging environment.
Read more about it here.
Navigating change workshops
Te Pūkenga is offering two webinar series which seek to empower you with practical tips and tools to lead yourself, and support others, through change.
These sessions have been arranged in response to your feedback in Aromātai Kaimahi. In the survey many of us indicated that while we are ready to face change we would welcome additional support around personal wellbeing and our approach to change.
Mindfulness through change
This webinar series is hosted by Chantal Hofstee, a clinical psychologist and mindfulness expert. Although mindfulness practice won’t necessarily fix problems or change your situation, it does offer a wonderful tool to support your wellbeing both within mahi and your personal life. While the first session has run it’s not too late to join any of the coming three sessions:
- Friday 3 June, 10:30-11:00am: Mindful thinking as a powerful stress management tool
- Friday 10 June, 10:30-11:00am: Latest research on wellbeing unpacked
You can join all three sessions, or just the ones that suit you. Please register for the Mindfulness web series here. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a calendar invite and details on how to join the webinar.
Navigating change
The Navigating Change series is being facilitated by leadership trainer and coach Linda Hutchings and includes three sessions:
- Thursday 16 June, 12pm-1pm: Best Version of You - clarifying how you will show up in a time of transition
- Thursday 30 June, 12pm-1pm: Three Spheres of Change - choosing where to focus your activity
- Thursday 7 July, 12pm-1pm: Emotional Roller Coaster - working with your own and others’ emotions
You can join all three sessions, or just the ones that suit you. Please register for the Navigating Change web series here. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a calendar invite and details on how to join the webinar.