Jan Mogford, Campus Director

There’s been so much to celebrate at EIT Tairāwhiti recently that it’s tough to know just where to start.

Graduation was wonderful and it’s always such a charge to see so many achieve their goals and dreams, and to learn that some are already taking another step in their education journey.

We have plenty of courses available for all grades of learning – from our Adult Community Education (ACE) programme that will see 30 courses underway shortly ranging from waka ama in Tuai to Te Reo programmes on the coast; through to new Get Started programmes which allow potential students a chance to come along and try mainstream programmes to see if it is what they want to pursue; and of course our many degrees, diplomas and certificates.

Our revamped Hub is proving a winner with students, lecturers and the wider community.

It’s a well-utilised asset with plenty of good food on offer from the café and the computers are always in hot demand. The new lecture theatre is offering our students a much higher quality of education with a more effective delivery across the two main campuses. It’s great to see.

We’ve completed our first marae restoration project in conjunction with Ngati Porou. The end product at Te Horo Marae near Ruatoria is something the students involved in the rebuild can be extremely proud of. They have done an amazing amount of work and gained valuable skills along the way.

The programme has been so successful in so many ways that we are now looking at ways to continue it, as well as investigating opportunities for the level 3 students to go on to complete apprenticeships.

Other students in Gisborne are also out and about completing a lot of project-based type of learning throughout the trades programmes. EIT Tairāwhiti was one of three organisations successful in tendering to host a group of international wine writers and wine makers and producers who were in town for the Gisborne Regional Wine Awards. The tasting at the Waimata Winery was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our training facility, students and wines to some highly influential industry people.

We’ve also had other great guests visit – this time to Toihoukura where Steve Cotton, one of the biggest names in contemporary New Zealand art, ran a two day waituhi wananga (painting workshop) for more than 30 students. Toihoukura principal lecturer Derek Lardelli led a national Tā Moko Symposium at the Auckland Arts Festival and presented a public lecture on “Moko in Rehearsal”.

EIT Tairāwhiti is really blossoming and proving it is worth its weight in gold to our wider community.

Jan Mogford