Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou

In the past two weeks, following the announcement of the final decisions on the future shape of Te Pūkenga, I have travelled from Auckland to Invercargill, visited several of our sites around the motu and spoken with many of you.

I’ve been heartened by the level of support that you have shared regarding the direction we are heading and your commitment to improving vocational education for all.

Your strong interest in finding out more about the decisions and what it means for you and your colleagues says it all:

• More than 4,000 kaimahi attended the Decisions Announcement hui on 20 September, either online or in person
• More than 7,000 accessed the Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures page on Te Whare on 20 September
• Over 4,600 were at the first Ako Delivery deep dive
• Hundreds more have looked at the page since then and also attended the Recruitment and Redeployment Q&A sessions.

There has also been good attendance at the Kaimahi Kōrero sessions held across the motu. These are continuing for the next couple of weeks so check Te Whare for opportunities in your region.

Thank you for your attendance and your thoughtful responses. Your questions and observations have been valued – and we have provided answers to the most commonly asked questions on Te Whare. 

I know the General Election and the potential impacts for Te Pūkenga will be a focus for many. As a Crown Entity, our obligation is to implement government policy. The Government has given us a job to do and we are continuing the transformation programme as outlined under current policy settings and the Minister’s Letter of Expectations. If, as a result of the election, government policy changes then we will need to respond to that.

In the meantime, I want to reiterate that we will redeploy as many kaimahi as we can. Your talents and skills are important to Te Pūkenga and our ākonga. So please apply for the new roles that are available. There are many new opportunities both within your rohe and at the national level.

Remember to take advantage of the Recruitment Support Workshops being held by People, Culture and Wellbeing (PCW). These online workshops will run several times a week until the end of Whiringa-ā-rangi (November) or into Hakihea (December).

Our sights are now firmly set on the transition to the new operating structure.

Throughout October, the ODC Transition team is holding a series of workshops for business group and division leaders to clarify key areas of focus during transition.

Business continuity is key to delivering outcomes that minimise disruption for ākonga, employers and - of course - our kaimahi, as we transition into the new structure. A core focus will be how we embrace new collaborative ways of working through transition and start to lay the foundations for our future.

Transition plans will cascade to each group and region. We look forward to providing you with more details on these as they take shape.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your team leaders and PCW representatives for support and guidance.

Finally, I want to congratulate Te Pūkenga kaiako who were honoured with awards at the Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Awards for 2023 in a ceremony at Parliament last week. Pictured above are Tracy Hutton, Clare Hutchinson, Heather Compton (Awanui group) Elaine Rutherford and Marion Hale, Derek Chirnside, Alan Hoskin, Dr Grant Bennett. You can read more about our award winners below.

Ngā mihi nui 

Peter Winder
Tumuaki | Chief Executive

Ngā kōrero hou
Our updates

Recruitment Support Workshops

People, Culture and Wellbeing (PCW) is offering a series of online values-based workshops to support kaimahi through the redeployment and recruitment process. Additional workshop dates have been published on Te Whare and you can register for these now: 

• Preparing your application 
• Getting interview ready 
• Recruitment support for kaimahi Māori  

Preparing your application (60 minutes) 

This workshop covers the application process and how to prepare a CV and cover letter, including what you need to make a great application that truly represents you and highlights your strengths, skills, values, and experience. Register.  

Getting interview ready (60 minutes) 

This workshop provides guidance on the interview process and how to prepare, including different types of interview questions. It will also discuss how to introduce yourself in a meaningful way and provide guidance on preparing for questions on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity. Register.  

Recruitment support for kaimahi Māori (90 minutes) 

These sessions will explore CV and cover letter writing and interview preparation from a te ao Māori perspective. They will also provide guidance on highlighting Māori cultural and leadership strengths and incorporating lived experiences throughout the recruitment process. The importance of leveraging whānau support during interviews will also be discussed. Register.

Recruitment support for Pacific staff 

We are looking to hold sessions to support Pacific staff, so keep an eye on Te Whare for details.  

It’s important that you register as numbers in each session will be limited to allow it to be interactive. Visit Te Whare for more information and to register. 

Bravo to our Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Award 2023 winners

A warm congratulations to Te Pūkenga kaiako who were honoured with awards at the Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Awards for 2023 in a ceremony at Parliament last week.  

The winners are: 

• Le Moana Mua Award: Filoi Genevieve Togiaso, Ara Institute of Canterbury | Te Pūkenga (see overall news story) 
• General Group Category: Progressing Education Partnerships and Collaboration: Dr Grant Bennett, Alan Hoskin, Marion Hale, Derek Chirnside, Tracy Hutton, Elaine Rutherford and Clare Hutchinson, Ara Institute of Canterbury | Te Pūkenga, along with Heather Compton from Awanui Group (see news story) 
• General Category: Advancing Approaches to and the outcomes of work-based learning: Craig Goodhue, Unitec | Te Pūkenga (see news story). 

These awards represent the pinnacle of excellence and innovative practice in supporting ākonga success and is a great reflection on the calibre of teaching kaiako we have.

Te Whatu Kairangi 2023 Livestream - YouTube 

Genevieve (Ara) 36:40-42:56 
Ara-Awanui team (Ara) 43:00-52:00
Craig Goodhue (Unitec) 58:40-1:03:00 

National Employer-focused advertising campaign in market 

A new, employer-focused advertising campaign was launched to market last week.  

This is the first nationally-led campaign, focused on a particular market segment to be delivered by Te Pūkenga and is aimed at highlighting our role as New Zealand’s largest on-job training provider.

This campaign addresses just one element of the many pressures being faced by our work-based learning divisions.  It is aimed at supporting and complementing on-the-ground and other business development activities being undertaken by the network and in part, is a response to the very active marketing presence of other businesses within the sector. 

You may see or hear the campaign over the next two months as it is rolled out across digital, out of home (ie. billboards) and radio. You can see some of the creative examples from the campaign.  

The creative approach and messaging is clean and simple and is aimed at driving inquiries to a campaign landing page at tepukenga.ac.nz/on-job-learning.

A big thank you to our WBL colleagues for helping us get this campaign in to market quickly and for leveraging the campaign with your own additional layers. 

If you have any questions on the campaign, please contact marketing@tepūkenga.ac.nz.

Apprenticeships pathway to leadership roles at Riwaka orchard

On-the-job training offered through Primary ITO is helping Thomas Brothers Ltd develop their kaimahi and orchard business.  

The company has been based in the Tasman settlement of Riwaka for more than a hundred years; today producing several apple varieties, cherries and kiwifruit while employing up to 300 staff in peak season. 

“We find it gives our team better understanding of their roles and exposes them to parts of the business they would not usually get the opportunity to learn about,” says orchard manager Mark Thomas. 

“They learn more about the day-to-day operation of the business as a whole and this has a flow-on effect of improved skills and performance across the business.”  

Nadia Cregeen and Mary Wyllie are undertaking the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Fruit Production through Primary ITO | Te Pūkenga. 

Thomas said both have progressed in their roles through their learning.  

Cregeen started out as a labourer and thinner three years ago with no previous experience in horticulture and was now a quality controller supporting a team of 18 workers. She had developed people management skills, gained much respect in her team and was motivated by the programme to meet her goals.  

Wyllie started with the company in 2022 and was now supporting platform driver teams and was a potential future supervisor.  

Thomas said producing quality crops required attention to detail and good management throughout the growing season and staff training was a key factor to achieving success.  

“Our results are dependent on the quality of our work with growing, selecting and handling the fruit in the 12 months up to the point it goes to market.”  

The Primary ITO | Te Pūkenga Fruit Production programme coveres all aspects of fruit crop production and plant care. 

 Te Pae Ora launches in Mental Health Awareness Week 

Te Pae Ora is a digital hub dedicated to ākonga wellbeing.

It was co-designed by Te Pūkenga ākonga, kaimahi, mental health and wellbeing professionals from Te Whatu Ora, and provides tips, advice and shared experiences to help ākonga get through the tough stuff. It also contains contacts, links and phone numbers for nationwide services and much more.

Since last week, wellbeing kaimahi have been at campuses around the motu talking to ākonga, ensuring they know where to go for support and launching Te Pae Ora.

Catherine Hughes, Regional Clinical Coordinator, has been travelling around Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) with kaimahi from Ara, promoting Te Pae Ora and explaining how learners can benefit from resources provided via the portal.

“We’re educating ākonga about mental health. We're on a mission to normalise having kōrero about wellbeing and to ensure ākonga are well-informed about the support services available to them," she says.

“Te Pae Ora activation packs, online videos and resources have made the campaign fun and engaging while providing articles, tools and information that empower ākonga to put their wellbeing first,” she adds.

At the first event in Greymouth hosted by Tai Poutini Polytechnic, ākonga enthusiastically embraced the new digital hub and resources, as well as the delicious kai.

“It’s heartwarming to see the positive reactions of ākonga to Te Pae Ora,” Catherine says.

“It’s also plain to see, as evidenced by the number of Tai Poutini kaimahi and kaiako here today, that Te Pūkenga kaimahi are dedicated to supporting ākonga wellbeing,” she adds.

Karina Kwai, Senior Project Manager, explains how and why Te Pae Ora was designed.

“We know from our Te Rito research project that ākonga found it hard to access our mental health and wellbeing services, and that being unable to access resources is a barrier to course completion,” Karina says.

“Te Pae Ora doesn’t replace anything that business divisions already have for ākonga – it’s designed to enhance access to support and wellbeing resources and services that are already in place,” she explains.

“Te Pūkenga Hauora Framework, Te Pae Māhutonga, underpins all content on Te Pae Ora. Te Pae Māhutonga is a health promotion model created by Sir Mason Durie in 1999, named after the constellation of stars known as the Southern Cross. Using it as a guide will help ākonga explore their health and maintain or grow their wellbeing,” she adds. 

Watch an animated video about Te Pae Māhutonga, created especially for Te Pae Ora.

Te Pae Ora events are running around the motu until mid-October - check out this Te Whare page to find out when the team will be at your campus.

Ask your local communications kaimahi for resources, including a PowerPoint, activation pack, posters, and more, to help you promote Te Pae Ora to ākonga.

Gen AI: Disruptive technology creates need to re- and upskill people  

Generative AI has created a greater need to focus on reskilling and upskilling people, says Dr Mehwish Riaz, Pounuku Mōhiohio - Data and Information Director, Te Pūkenga. 

Mehwish says Gen AI is bound to take a prominent place in vocational education, both in teaching and learning. However, the technology should be adopted with caution, keeping in mind the wider impacts on society and equity. 

“Gen AI’s applications and the innovation it brings are disruptive – much more and a lot faster than any other disruptive technologies we have seen in the past, such as internet and social media,” Mehwish told ​ delegates at computing education conference CITRENZ in Auckland last week. 

“As with every technology, Gen AI also comes with ‘terms and conditions’, therefore a systematic and deliberate approach that balances risks and opportunities is needed.​” 

Useful public sector guidance on the use of Gen AI has been published by digital transformation support agency Digital.govt.nz.

Getting the best results for Fire and Emergency training programmes

Te Pūkenga is working with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to enhance quality assurance and professional development within its assessment regime. 

FENZ delivers two New Zealand Qualifications Authority-accredited programmes and three hundred separate unit standards to its personnel.  

“Quality assurance and continuous improvement are the cornerstones of maintaining the highest standards,” says Te Pūkenga Pourangi Mātauranga me ngā Pūnaha Ako | Deputy Chief Executive – Academic Centre and Learning Systems, Dr Megan Gibbons. 

“The resources and expertise within the national network allow Te Pūkenga to provide these services to Fire and Emergency, a significant nationwide organisation carrying out a critical role with very specialised needs,” says Dr Gibbons.  

The agreement covers more than 9,000 results recorded for around a thousand ākonga (learners) in a range of courses delivered to volunteer and career kaitinei ahi (firefighters), as well as communication centre workers.  

Careerforce | Te Pūkenga will lead the delivery of the contract. The business division has considerable experience across all aspects of quality assurance, moderation processes and their use to support professional development.  

“We are looking forward to working with Fire and Emergency and its assessors,” says Careerforce Executive Director Rod Bentham.  

Under the terms of the agreement, Te Pūkenga will provide post-moderation services to FENZ until July 2024.  

Pūkenga Rau: an investment in future prosperity

A version of the below column from Huia Haeata, Tumu Whenua ā-Rohe 2 | Executive Director, Region 2, was published in South Waikato News on September 27.  

Education and training opportunities that meet the needs and aspirations of the Tokoroa community have been the key driver of Pūkenga Rau, the new trades training centre.  

Alongside my fellow Regional Executive Director Kieran Hewitson, I had the privilege of being present for the blessing of this new building, which demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the community to achieving the best educational outcomes for its people.   

Led by Raukawa, the blessing of this purpose-built facility was a milestone for South Waikato Investment Fund Trust and Toi Ohomai | Te Pūkenga staff who have worked collaboratively to bring this vision to life.   

The true value in locals having the chance to train for essential jobs in their community has long been well understood in Tokoroa and other towns throughout the rohe.   

Te Pūkenga has previously had several training sites around Tokoroa. The new campus brings our training under one roof, creating a sense of community for ākonga (learners) and kaimahi alike. Importantly, the modern learning spaces and workshops provide for a range of learning experiences, which we know is key to ākonga success.  

For Kieran and I as co-leaders, the blessing was as much a celebration of what Tokoroa and South Waikato has achieved, as it is an opportunity for us to help connect this mahi to the expertise and resources of Te Pūkenga as a national network for vocational education 

Together we need to make sure what we are doing supports and responds to the future of ākonga, whānau, hapū, iwi, industries and sectors not only in Tokoroa, but in other regional towns around the country. 

Learners in the regions, like the ones who will come through Pūkenga Rau, need to see our education system as a gateway to not just what the world has to offer them, but the opportunities existing on their doorsteps.  

There’s an important example in construction, with the Waikato Regional Skills Leadership Group predicting more than 6,000 jobs will be created in the province over the next five years.  

Filling that skills gap and others for employers means understanding and removing barriers to success for all learners, particularly for Māori, Pasifika and the disabled.  

One of the major strengths of Te Pūkenga, a network built from the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), as well as the Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) of Aotearoa, with learners at the centre, is it allows us to have an open conversation on how we are doing and how we can better serve everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

A big - so far intractable - obstacle for many whānau is the way education has to take a backseat when cost of living is high and plenty of jobs are available.  

Working to offset this relationship between learner numbers increasing when the economy slows and declining when business booms is the sort of workforce development challenge Te Pūkenga is focused towards.  

It’s one of the reasons the model we’re moving to will include a greater emphasis on in-work learning.  

The sort of long-term reshaping of our system that’ll support the great work that’s being done by ākonga and kaimahi at Pūkenga Rau and elsewhere in our rohe stretching from Waikato to Hawke’s Bay for years to come. 

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