Nau mai, haere mai ki te pānui, Ngā Taipitopito o te whānau kaimahi.
In today’s Ngā Taipitopito, we announce that consultation will soon start with kaimahi most affected by Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures. I’m telling you this now, in case you don’t have time to read the whole edition – if you’d like to skip ahead to read about the consultation, you can click here.
I love this time of year – full of the energy of new apprenticeships and a new academic year. It’s when we have open days, info days, and drop-in sessions, meet with prospective employers and ākonga, and feel excited about the opportunities vocational education and training can bring to their lives and industries. If time allows, you may like to head along and support these events – it’s always a proud moment to experience the immense diversity of our education, training and support options. Attending events might be difficult for our industry training colleagues, but you’re very welcome to attend.
Whakatau and orientation events also start around the motu, signalling a critical phase in our calendar. In the past, we’ve experienced significant ākonga attrition between enrolment and withdrawal dates. We now know welcoming events create a sense of belonging and community, crucial for fostering a positive start to the ākonga learning journey. In the workplace, training advisors work with new trainees to get started with their training, and the three-way partnership between us, the trainee and the employer is critical to ensuring a good start. This support is instrumental in reducing attrition rates by ensuring ākonga feel supported and empowered to start their education and training endeavours with confidence and enthusiasm.
To all kaimahi involved in attracting, recruiting, enrolling, supporting and retaining ākonga, thank you. Your mahi is integral to ensuring our financial sustainability and the success of our courses, programmes and future entities. It’s pleasing that the great mahi our trainers do in workplaces across the motu continues to pay dividends. Ka rawe! The increased interest in on-campus learning is also very much welcome after several lean years caused by COVID-19 restrictions and the strong employment market. It’s shaping up to be a good year in terms of ākonga numbers.
With regard to our disestablishment:
- Te Pūkenga Council has formed a Disestablishment Working Group, whose role is to advise ELT and oversee the disestablishment process. Current members include Heamana ō-naianei | Acting Council Chair Sue McCormack and Council members Jeremy Morley and Bill Moran. Additional members, including independent members, will be added soon.
- We will start consulting with kaimahi most affected by Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures.
It’s fantastic to see and to celebrate the hard work, dedication and expertise of kaimahi publicly recognised and celebrated. A huge congratulations to Laura Warren, Pounuku Tangata | Regional People and Culture Director, who’s one of the 2024 Human Resources Director Best HR Executives in New Zealand - aren’t we lucky to have her! In addition, congratulations and well done to Joel Ali from Careerforce and Rosemary Anderson from Northtec, who are two of the six recipients of the Pacific Professional Development Scholarship Fund! Thank you, Laura, Joel and Rosemary – your ongoing commitment to education and training and ākonga and kaimahi success is inspiring.
Lastly, I want to emphasise the importance of unity and collaboration during this additional period of change. When we work together, focusing on what matters most instead of listening to criticism or media ‘noise’, our reputation precedes us. Word of mouth spreads, and our enrolments grow. Please continue doing what you do best. I know that by working together, we’ll successfully navigate this disestablishment and set up strong new entities for your superb mahi to continue.
Hei kōkiri i te ao hou
Gus Gilmore
Tumuaki o-nāianei me te Pourangi Ako | Acting Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive Ako Delivery
Ngā kōrero hou
— Our updates
Upcoming consultation for kaimahi most affected by Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures
In the week beginning 12 February 2024, Te Pūkenga will start consulting with kaimahi most affected by Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures. This consultation will include:
- Kaimahi in disestablished roles
- Kaimahi who have accepted or received offers for new roles
- Kaimahi who were advised of a reporting line change (sometimes called ‘lift and shift’ or ‘mapped in’).
These kaimahi will receive individual letters detailing the options available to them and how to share their feedback, preferences, and any concerns with People, Culture, and Wellbeing (PCW).
It is important that we receive feedback from kaimahi we are consulting with and that we understand their preferences before any decisions are made about their employment. Consultation in February will allow time for this important kōrero.
Why this is happening
The Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills said in her Letter of Expectations that it is no longer the Government’s priority to have a centralised organisation for delivering vocational education and training. In response, recruitment for the Tāraia te anamata | Creating our futures structure and phase two of the Digital group restructure halted, and work started to realign our work plan with the Minister’s expectations.
More details
When consultation starts, all kaimahi being consulted with will receive a letter. Managers, supported by PCW, will then meet with kaimahi who accepted offers in the new structure to talk about the options available to them and how to provide feedback.
All kaimahi consulted with are welcome to meet with their leaders or PCW during the consultation. Kaimahi will also have time to seek support from union representatives or external advisors.
Decisions will be shared as soon as possible following the close of the consultation.
More information about the consultation, including key dates and a link to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), will be shared before the consultation starts.
Briefing to Incoming Minister released
The Government is taking a coordinated approach to releasing Government organisation Briefings to Incoming Ministers (BIMs), including Te Pūkenga.
The BIMs were released on 1 February, published on our website and linked to the Beehive's website.
The purpose of a BIM is to give a new Minister an overview of the priorities of their department or Ministry and identify some of the significant issues and opportunities.
The Te Pūkenga BIM outlines immediate matters for the Minister’s attention, including governance, finances, and impacts of the Unified Funding System.
There are also sections on our Māori-Crown Partnerships and embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our work, and the importance of equity.
Cyclone Gabrielle wellbeing survey
The Mental Health Foundation is researching community wellbeing after the extreme weather events in 2023. This includes Cyclone Gabrielle. Surveys are currently running in the following areas: Te Matau a Māui in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti in Gisborne, Tāmaki Makaurau in Auckland, Te Tai Tokerau in Northland, Thames-Coromandel, Wairarapa, and Tararua.
Anyone based in these areas can complete the survey. The extreme weather events may have affected you, or not. The survey is anonymous. It takes only 10-15 minutes, and you can win one of three $200 Prezzy cards!
Complete the online survey here.
Read some tips for coping after a natural disaster.
Major step taken towards full reopening of Hawke's Bay campus
A dawn karakia, on Monday, marked the reopening of three blocks at EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale.
Last February, the site was extensively damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle which caused more than 500 rooms to be inundated with flood water and contaminated silt.
Bringing the facilities back into service while continuing to deliver learning for ākonga has taken a major team effort with a third of the site reopened in time for the beginning of Semester 2, 2023.
EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness says this most recent stage is an important step towards making the campus fully operational.
“Blocks A, M and G are large buildings and will enable significantly more delivery and student facing services to return to campus. Of note, G block is home to the Hawke’s Bay Secondary Schools Trades Academy, which will see secondary school students return to campus from 12 February,” says Mr Harkness.
EIT is grateful for support of kaimahi, community and contractors for the commitment and dedication they have shown to ākonga and the region during this challenging period.
Table of contents
Upcoming consultation for kaimahi
Briefing to Incoming Minister released
Cyclone Gabrielle wellbeing survey
Major step taken towards full reopening of Hawke's Bay campus