Learner Journey and Experience

Te Pūkenga is putting learners and their whānau at the centre of everything we do.

ILAC 252 Learner Workshop LAUNCH

The ‘rito’ is the inner shoot of the flax. In the same way, our learners and their whānau must be at the centre of Te Pūkenga. Everyone has a role in ensuring the success of the rito – staff, learners, whānau and communities, our Treaty partner, leadership, and employers.

Our commitment to ākonga

Not only are these things guiding what we’re doing, there is legislation to support our efforts.

  1. Prioritise our ākonga

    Put learners at the centre of everything we do.

  2. Empowerment

    Operate in a way that allows us to empower learners on academic, non-academic, and wellbeing matters and matters relating to our practices and services.

  3. Equity

    Work towards equity for learners of different genders, ethnicities, cultures, and abilities.

  4. Improve outcomes for Māori

    Respond to the needs of and improve outcomes for Māori ākonga.

  5. Meet the needs of all

    Meet the needs of all learners especially those we haven’t previously served well: Māori, Pacific and disabled learners

Te Rito reports and insights

At the beginning of Te Pūkenga journey in 2020, we started the Ākonga at the Centre research project. This project involved a small research team that travelled across Aotearoa to gain insights directly from our learners, and those who support them.

We asked “what were the enablers and barriers to learner success at all stages of the journey?” From there, we identified potential opportunities to enhance success for all learners, especially those who haven’t previously been served well: Māori, Pacific and disabled learners.

These learner insights are at the centre of all our mahi at Te Pūkenga. Read this research and hear from our learners and the people who support them — Te Rito Learner and Staff personas - imagined characters based on real-life learner research

Download all Te Rito reports:

Further accessible versions

Te Rito Learner and Staff Personas booklet

Videos for use in presentations and awareness raising:
Te Pūkenga Learner Persona Video 1 - Creating a legacy for my whānau
Te Pūkenga Learner Persona Video 2 - Determined and Enabled
Te Pūkenga Learner Persona Video 3 - Our Needs
Te Pūkenga Learner Persona Video 4 - Titiro ki Tua

Download Te Pūkenga Strategic Disability Action Plan

See:

See (screen-reader accessible versions):

 

We’ve heard from ākonga

Online and face-to-face engagements

In 2020, we activated online and face to face engagements so that a deep understanding of the unique needs of learners, especially those we haven’t previously served well, are understood.

 

The insights gained from what we heard have been shaped into reports that bring together the current state across the learner journey with future priorities for Te Pūkenga as we seek to bring together on-the-job, on campus, and online vocational learning as a unified network. 

Key themes we hear from ākonga
  • I want stigma free access and equity to succeed - instead of structures and practices holding me back
  • whanaungatanga and manaakitanga are essential - I need to feel connected, encouraged and believed in
  • Learning is life long and it should fit around me, my life and my goals
  • Success is more than a qualification, it's about gaining confidence and skills, meaningful relationships and contributing to my community, my whānau, hapū and iwi
  • My voice matters - I want a system that values and enables my input to be heard and acted upon
Learner Voice — Stocktake Summary Reports

This report provides a summary of the insights from a stocktake conducted in 2021 to understand how learner voice is currently captured and used to improve learner outcomes and experience throughout the network.  

 

The insights detailed in the report will be used to help inform recommendations and next steps to strengthen learner voice systems, in order to enable effective learner voice across the network.

 

Read the report here: Learner Voice - Stocktake Summary Report

Read the report here: Learner Voice - WBL Stocktake Summary Report 

Ākonga are shaping their future with Te Pūkenga

Setting up a Learner Advisory Committee to Te Pūkenga Council

Having learners input to strategy, decision making and how we operate is a principal goal if learners are to have their voices heard and acted upon. Te Pūkenga is setting up a national student committee. 

 

Learners from throughout the network will be elected to the committee, which will enable real opportunities for active participation in Council’s decision making. We have been working with a team of learners to design the Learner Advisory Committee (LAC), it’s function and how learners will be elected, both for the interim and long-term.

Building our operating model around what learners have told us

Te Pūkenga is designing a future operating model that will describe what we will be, what we will do, and how we will be different. Building an operating model will help us work out what we want to achieve and how we will deliver it. Learners have been involved in the core co-design group and have been invited to provide feedback at each stage of its development.

Building our strategy around what learners have told us

We will reciprocate the tāonga gifted by those that shared their experiences, by reporting on what we have heard as a resource for our network and others. Their experience can inform us to take action.

 

For example, the Learner Insights captured in our Te Rito report are utilised within our various portfolios and workstreams to ensure the learner voice is at the centre of Te Pūkenga’s strategies, decision making and development.

Shaping a framework to empower learner voice at every level

Learner voice means ideas, feedback and thoughts from anyone who is a learner, about anything that they care about. The learner voice framework will help strengthen learner voice systems, to enable effective learner voice across the network.

Inviting learners to be involved in workshops and reference groups for various areas

We have involved learners in a variety of working and reference groups already, such as the development of the Learner Advisory Committee and the Ākonga at the Centre project and more will follow (see ‘Have your Say’ section below).

Group photo clapping, learner journey workshop

Have your say

Academic regulations

Academic regulations set the rules and standards that ensure the integrity and quality of teaching, learning and assessment throughout Te Pūkenga. The first draft of Te Pūkenga Academic Regulations has been completed and is available for your feedback.

Operating Model

Te Pūkenga is designing a future operating model that will describe what we will be, what we will do, and how we will be different. Building an operating model will help us work out what we want to achieve and how we will deliver it.

You can have your say through our Your Voice platform.