Kia hiwa ake ana ki a Matariki e rere ana i te rangi, kia hiwa rā.
When the Matariki star cluster (Pleiades), or Puanga (Rigel) in some parts of the motu become visible to the naked eye, we know that we’ve entered a time in the year where we reflect on what has been and reset in order to plan for what is to come. Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki this year is being celebrated nationally at the end of the week and this year’s theme, ‘Matariki Kāinga Hokia’ – ‘Matariki calls you home’, reminds us to return to our roots and celebrate with loved ones with hākari (feasting) before embarking on the new year ahead. The essence of Matariki is a nice fit for Te Pūkenga where we are metaphorically nourishing the soil and preparing the land for the planting season ahead.
As Matariki marks the laying of new foundations, it is also a time to acknowledge those dear to us who have passed on and to release their wairua (spirits) to become stars. With that in mind I want to acknowledge the many significant leaders, friends and whānau in our community who are no longer with us but contributed to our Te Pūkenga journey so far. Nō reira, koutou te hunga mate, haere atu rā ki te Huinga o te Kahurangi, waiho mai mātou ngā kanohi ora ki a mātou mahi i te ao ora nei, tēnā huihui mai tātou (we farewell you oh great ones, to the final resting place of your forefathers, may you rest in love, those of us who you leave behind continue on with the breath of life and all it brings).
I encourage you all to check out our new Matariki page on Te Whare. There’s a lot to digest, including many resources and a video of our inaugural Te Pūkenga celebration of Matariki last year hosted by Julian Wilcox.
It’s also important we remember the key successes of the past year, including all the ākonga who have enrolled and been nurtured and supported through to graduation, the apprentices who have completed their learning on the job, those who have completed courses and learning face to face, in work-places all across the country, and those who have learned on-line, the development and launch of new micro-credentials, and major new partnerships with Apple and Microsoft. There’s also the building of a new Executive Leadership Team, new Kāhui Matihiko | Digital, Kāhui Pūtea | Finance and Property, and Kāhui Tangata | People, Culture and Wellbeing (PCW) groups. Looking ahead, the decisions around our new structure will be the next step in our journey as Te Pūkenga.
In support of that journey, our Council approved our finance strategy at its meeting last week. This is an important milestone and forms part of the deliverables to our Minister as part of her Letter of Expectations. While we have all worked hard to manage costs, we need to look at how we continue to grow our revenue streams. This will include international recruitment, property rationalisation, and importantly the opportunity to look at the new opportunities that our scale provides in terms of being able to offer a wide range of programmes and services to large employers. With just over a week to go before our consultation ends, my Executive Team colleagues and I have noticed the kōrero shifting in this past week to really think about how the structure outlined in Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures will work in the future with detailed, very specific feedback providing constructive suggestions on the design proposal.
This is encouraging as it is only by thinking about this change as Te Pūkenga, rather than thinking about things from a business division perspective, that we will achieve the opportunities to build an organisation that meets the skills needs of our communities and indeed the country.
I was especially pleased to hear kaimahi already discussing how they can collaborate with other divisions and modes of delivery to maximise value for our learners and employers as well as build our revenue. Our structure will go some way to support this. But what’s more important is that we build our culture as one team, striving together to support our learners and employers meet their skills and qualifications needs. A culture where geography or structure doesn’t stop collaboration, as our teams come together to work across regions and teams in the realisation of our vision. A big thanks to all kaimahi who have provided feedback and attended meetings with ELT. Kia maumahara e tātou mā, please remember your local PCW representatives are available to assist with questions and you can also email odcfeedback@tepukenga.ac.nz. We will continue to hold hui until the end of the consultation on 21 July. You can find the hui links and the full ELT schedule here. We have also recently expanded our FAQs page on What Say You and Te Whare to include FAQs specific to each group.
Finally, thank you all for the way you are supporting each other and for your continuing commitment to our ākonga throughout this time. During Matariki I look forward to spending time with my whānau and have been especially delighted to welcome a new addition to our family, with the birth of another mokopuna this week. I hope you all can take a break with your whānau to rest and reconnect.
Mānawatia a Matariki e aku hoa mahi
Peter Winder
Tumuaki | Chief Executive
Organisational Design and Change update
With just over a week to go until our consultation closes on 21 July, we would like to thank all kaimahi for sharing their whakaaro (thoughts). By telling us your thoughts you are helping to shape the future of Te Pūkenga, so please keep your feedback coming in via What Say You or email.
The level of engagement from our kaimahi with this process has been fantastic. We appreciate the time and consideration you have given to this process. Some key engagement statistics show:
- Total number of unique users to access What Say You: 4436
- Questions and comments from kaimahi on What Say You: 2962
- Total number of feedback emails received in the ODC Feedback inbox: 1090
We will continue to use your feedback to regularly update our frequently asked questions (FAQs) so we can support you with timely and relevant information during this process. Alongside the more general FAQs, we have recently added a section for business group-specific FAQs. You can find these both on What Say You as well as Te Whare.
If you feel you have been incorrectly mapped, please notify us. You can do this via What Say You or the ODC Feedback email (odcfeedback@tepukenga.ac.nz)
The Executive Leadership Team will continue to hold hui next week and you can find the hui links and the full ELT schedule here.
Please remember your local PCW representatives are available to assist with questions and you can also email odcfeedback@tepukenga.ac.nz. Please do reach out in whichever way is most comfortable for you (including through your union representatives) as we want you to have the information you need rather than be left wondering or receiving misinformation.
New unified Bachelor of Accounting programme launching at UCOL | Te Pūkenga
UCOL | Te Pūkenga has launched the Bachelor of Accounting, a new programme designed in collaboration with industry experts to meet the specific needs of Aotearoa New Zealand's accounting sector.
The Bachelor of Accounting is one of the first unified Te Pūkenga programmes to launch - where the same programme is being taught across the country, based on feedback from national industry workgroups. It will be taught at UCOL’s Whanganui and Manawatū campuses.
Dr Megan Gibbons, Pourangi Mātauranga me ngā Pūnaha Ako | DCE Academic Centre and Learning Systems, says this is a great example of the types of programmes that Te Pūkenga will be able to offer.
“We will see an increasing number of discipline areas where high-quality standardised education and training programmes are adopted across the network. We are using our size and scale to strengthen the quality and range of education delivery throughout the motu,” she says.
UCOL’s Academic Portfolio Manager - Business & Innovation, Jan MacGibbon, says that with a strong focus on practical learning, the Bachelor of Accounting prepares students for the realities of New Zealand’s accounting sector.
"It's truly New Zealand specific. What we’re teaching reflects the kind of work and knowledge they need for working in our country - not an overseas textbook’s cut and paste approach.
"The degree also gives graduates the educational requirements they need to pursue a chartered accountant (CA) or certified practising accountant (CPA) designation during their careers - a real advantage."
One of the highlights of the degree is that students get real-world experience with a major accounting project.
"Part of this degree is focused on organisational decision making - these graduates won’t just be ‘bean counters’ who report on what's happening, they'll be able to provide recommendations and suggestions on what organisations should do next. It’s about building on the knowledge and skills they have, so they can be future thinkers.”
New vocational pathway for Pacific nurses
Flexible modes of delivery are playing a key role in unlocking the full potential of Pacific peoples as part of Government’s Health Workforce Plan.
The plan includes scholarships for 220 Pasifika learners who are studying at tertiary-level towards health careers.
There is also a new alternative pathway for Pacific-trained nurses to gain registration in this country through a delivery arrangement between Te Pūkenga business divisions Whitireia and Manukau Institute of Technology.
“We need to support a health workforce that reflects our diverse communities. Having more of our Pacific community in the health sector will improve our ability to address barriers to care, build stronger relationships with services and improve outcomes for our families,” says Associate Health Minister Barbara Edmonds, who met with scholarship recipients at MIT Manukau campus last week.
The plan also includes support for 35 ākonga to study towards Graduate Diploma in Nursing Pacific. The 18-month programme provides a pathway for Pacific-trained nurses to complete the training they need to become registered nurses.
The qualification was developed at Whitireia and will be delivered by kaiako of that Te Pūkenga business division from the facilities of another, Manukau Institute of Technology's School of Nursing in south Auckland.
The flexibility of a national network has opened up the opportunity for training through a mix of on-site, online and supported clinical experience provided close to the learners’ home community.
Strengthening Learner Voice across Te Pūkenga
Te Pūkenga Council approved our new national Learner Voice and Partnering Policy at their July meeting. The policy supports the wellbeing and safety of Te Pūkenga learners by ensuring systems are in place to respond to learner voices, and partnering with learners, on practices and services that impact them.
The policy helps us achieve a single, consistent approach to understanding and responding to learner voices. It focuses on uplifting equity by ensuring diversity and giving priority to underserved learner voice. It also promotes participation by learners, supporting them to be active agents in decision-making that affects them.
This policy was developed as part of the Pastoral Care Code Framework, as Objective 2 of the Code requires Te Pūkenga to have practices in place to understand and respond to diverse learner voices. Te Pūkenga ākonga were instrumental in the development of this policy, especially the Learner Advisory Committee and the Learner Leadership Group.
Through this policy we achieve our Charter’s statutory requirement to empower learners on academic, non-academic, and wellbeing matters, and matters relating to Te Pūkenga practices and services. It also affirms the aspirations of Whiria Ngā Rau - Progressing from Student Voice to Partnerships, which was adopted by Te Pūkenga.
For Business Divisions and staff working with learners across Te Pūkenga network, this policy gives direction, standards, and guidance, while allowing flexibility to respond to local contexts.
To support policy implementation, Learner Journey and Experience is developing practice guidance with the Business Divisions. The guidance also shares what learners have told us they need and what Business Divisions are doing that brings the policy statements to life.
Look out for further updates in Ngā Taipitopito.
If you have any questions relating to this policy, feel free to contact Simone.Andersen@tepukenga.ac.nz at national office.
Finding support during times of change
Navigating periods of change can be challenging. It's important to remember that support is readily available.
Where to find support:
- Your leader: your local leaders will be supported to provide you with information, advice, and guidance on the consultation process.
- People, Culture and Wellbeing (PCW): Reach out to your local PCW team, who are dedicated to helping kaimahi navigate periods of change. They can provide you with personalised support and answer any questions.
- If you’re a union member, your union representatives will also be available to provide support. Unions will be attending our briefings, so they will be connecting with us during the consultation period.
- External providers: You can access your local Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider or Te Pūkenga National Office provider (www.vitae.co.nz or phone 0508 664 981). EAP can offer you support with a range of challenges including:
- stress and pressure – personal or work
- depression and anxiety
- workplace issues and changes
- bullying and harassment
- anger and conflict issues
- relationship and family matters
- grief and loss
- life transition and personal development
- health and wellbeing
- career planning
- budgeting and money management or coaching
- personal legal advice.
Resources:
- Taumauri: Our wellbeing platform Taumauri contains a wealth of information to support you with the challenges of change.
- Navigating change: This three-part module will help you identify your values and provide insight into why they matter, how they can help you navigate change and how to use them to strategically design your life.
- Here’s a selection of articles to help you navigate change, build resilience, and manage stress.
- Challenge of change: This collection of videos on Te Whare features Ihopūmanawa (talented and extraordinary people) sharing their stories of connection. Their stories remind us that we don’t journey through changes alone and can lean on others.
- Your career journey: This three-part video series encourages you to reflect on your personal values, your career and next steps.
- Fact sheets on Te Whare (under Resources):
- Building resilience
- Looking after yourself
- Integrating body and mind in everyday life.
Remember, you don't have to face this time alone. Please take advantage of the support available and reach out.
Meet our kaimahi
‘Meet our kaimahi’ is where we get to know some of our colleagues, recently appointed into new roles.
This edition, we’re profiling Cas Carter who’s recently been appointed as Communications Director