Tēnā koutou

I know many of you are on semester break now or have taken time off during the school holidays, and we have a short week for those of you still at work. With that in mind, I’ll keep my introduction brief.

This week and last, I travelled around the motu and enjoyed kōrero with many of you. On Monday and Tuesday last week, while in Wellington, I met with the Office of the Chief Executive leadership team, the Tertiary Education Commission and our specialist advisors.

On Wednesday, I flew to Dunedin (the weather was lovely and mild with clear blue skies) and spent time with Megan Pōtiki and the team at Otago Polytechnic. On Thursday, I met with Daryl Haggerty and the team at SIT in Invercargill.

Yesterday, I met again in Wellington with our specialist advisors. In the coming weeks, I’ll travel to Christchurch and look forward to speaking with more of you there.

Many of these meetings are focused on how we continue to deliver on our Charter while preparing Te Pūkenga to transition into its future state. I will keep you posted as work progresses. We need to remain absolutely focused on delivering great outcomes for our learners and continue to keep a tight control on costs. Both these priorities will serve our future entities well.

This is a special week, and I hope you will take time to honour the courage and sacrifice of our loved ones and fellow citizens who served as we observe ANZAC Day tomorrow. It is an appropriate time to appreciate the many freedoms we enjoy in what is increasingly becoming a more troubled world.

If you booked time off on Friday, enjoy the break. I hope some of you will also be up early on Sunday to watch the Black Caps play their final T20 against Pakistan. After the Black Caps’ incredible bounce back in Rawalpindi last weekend, the series is truly up for grabs. Yes, I’m a huge Black Caps fan and will be up incredibly early to watch.

Kia pai tō Rā o Ngā Hōia me tō mutunga wiki.

Gus Gilmore

Tumuaki | Chief Executive

Ngā kōrero hou
Our updates

Changes made to Te Poari Akoranga 

Te Poari Akoranga is the Academic Board of Te Pūkenga. It is a sub-committee of the Council tasked with advising the Council on matters relating to work-based learning, courses of study and training, awards and other academic matters.

As Te Pūkenga is still a legal entity, Te Poari Akoranga continues to approve new programmes, assure quality, manage appeals, and ensure oversight of matters related to rangahau, research and postgraduate studies. Te Poari Akoranga does this to assure Te Pūkenga Council that the academic frameworks that support ākonga continue to ensure excellent quality educational opportunities and successful outcomes.

The government's announcement to disestablish Te Pūkenga did not have a huge effect on the membership of Te Poari Akoranga; however, changes were necessary to its purpose and scope, with a move away from any future-related kaupapa.

Kieran Hewitson, Executive Director Rohe 2, and Deb Young, Ako Excellence Director, have been appointed co-chairs, with confirmed members:

• Paora Ammunson from the Executive Leadership Team
• Fionna Moyer as co-chair of Te Ohu Whakahere Academic Quality
• Di Lithgow as co-chair of Te Ohu Whakahaere Approvals
• Glynnis Brook as co-chair of Te Ohu Whakahaere Appeals
• Fiona Beals as co-chair of Te Ohu Whakahaere Rangahau Research and Postgraduate Studies
• Henry Geary as a learner representative
• Doug Pouwhare co-opted as a WBL representative
• Martin Carroll from Unitec and MIT as Rohe 1 representative
• Te Urikore Biddle from Wintec as Rohe 2 representative
• Nita Hutchinson from WITT as Rohe 3 representative
• Scott Klenner from Otago Polytechnic and Ara as Rohe 4 representative.

Te Pūkenga kaimahi and ākonga can now access New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk premium content

Premium subscriptions are now available to the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk news sites for kaimahi and ākonga across the motu until January 31, 2025.

To access premium content on the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk websites, follow these instructions:

BusinessDesk access:

• Kaimahi access: click here to register
• Ākonga access: click here to register

New Zealand Herald access:

For people without a New Zealand Herald account:

• Create a New Zealand Herald account
• Use your work or student email address (e.g., @tepukenga.ac.nz) to register, create a password, and click "continue."
• Once logged in, attempt to access a premium article. Please note that you can’t access premium content from home - you need to be on campus and within range of your campus IP address.

For people with a New Zealand Herald account:

• Log in to your New Zealand Herald account
• Use your work or student email address (e.g., @tepukenga.ac.nz) to sign in, create a password, and click "continue."
• Once logged in, attempt to access a premium article. Once logged in, attempt to access a premium article. Please note that you can’t access premium content from home - you need to be on campus and within range of your campus IP address.

Important notes:

• Access is provided through Te Pūkenga business division email domains and Te Pūkenga campus and site IP addresses.
• Premium access isn’t available on the mobile app, but you can view the New Zealand Herald on mobile through the mobile website format.

For any registration issues or assistance activating a site IP address, please contact Media@TePukenga.ac.nz.

National office consultation closing

The national office consultation period is drawing to a close. If you're among those affected and haven't yet shared your insights, please ensure you provide any feedback by the end of the day on the date outlined in your consultation letter.

You can provide feedback in writing, through a representative, or directly in the hui you have with your manager. You can also provide whakaaro (feedback) via email at: PeopleAndCulture@TePukenga.ac.nz.

We welcome feedback on the proposal outlined in your letter. You may like to share feedback that includes:

• your thoughts on the proposed approach outlined in your letter
• any concerns you have about the proposal
• any other comments you may have and any other options you would like us to consider.

Affected kaimahi can expect to receive a consultation decision letter no later than mid-May.

You can find further information about the national office consultation on Te Whare.

Te Pūkenga kaimahi hauora: taking care of your mind, just like your body

Many of us know external counselling services are available to help during difficult times - but did you know these services can be just as valuable when you're feeling good?

That's right! Just like getting a regular dental checkup or a massage to maintain physical health, using an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for counselling can be a proactive way to invest in your mental wellbeing.

Craig Bulloch, Wellbeing and Occupational Health Lead, shares his story with us.

“We know Te Pūkenga is undergoing changes, and I wanted to make sure I had the tools to navigate them effectively. Even though I wasn't in crisis, I decided to use Vitae for some mental wellbeing maintenance," Craig says.

“The counselling sessions equipped me with new strategies and reinforced existing ones in my mental wellness kete. I feel confident and prepared to tackle the upcoming changes!” Craig exclaims.

Employee Assistance services aren't a one-size-fits-all solution, and they're often an underused resource. Te Pūkenga external providers offer confidential counselling and a variety of support services to help us navigate work-life challenges, big or small.

“Think of it as a checkup for your mind! I encourage you to check out Vitae and see how it can benefit you.” Craig encourages.

Turbocharge your research writing

What are the secrets to high-output, low-stress scholarly writing? 

In academia, it’s often assumed that writing comes naturally. An overwhelming body of research shows there are very clear and practical strategies that can greatly increase writing productivity. This workshop will help participants understand why it can be challenging to get started, how we deliberately use distractions to slow down writing, the principles of quick starting, how to deal with destructive internal beliefs, and how to set a writing plan and stick to it.

Who’s this workshop for?

This workshop is aimed at research-active kaimahi at any stage of their career, from any business division of Te Pūkenga. However, we invite all kaimahi looking to develop their research writing skills.

About the workshop leader:

Hugh Kearns lectures and researches at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, and is internationally recognised as a public speaker, educator and researcher. He and his business partner Maria Gardiner have worked with more than three-quarters of Australia’s universities and have published and conducted workshops in the US, the UK and Ireland.

Date, time and venue:

Tuesday 7 May, 10.00am – 12.30pm
Venue: Zoom
Register online: https://unitec.wufoo.com/forms/z1yae9te0rmii15/

Registration closes three working days before the workshop.

Spaces are limited, so please register early.