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HB New Home for Coast Scholarship Winners

May 21, 2015

EIT East Coast students Tihei Turei and Jarrod Rogers-Hughes are hopefully on their way to successful careers after winning the inaugural Te Toka Plumbing and Electrical Scholarships – an initiative sparked by the late Dr Api Mahuika.

The Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou and EIT Trades Training Scholarships, will cover their accommodation costs at the EIT Hawke’s Bay student village for the year, and the EIT Hawke’s Bay Māori and Pacific Trade Training Scholarships to cover their programme fees. The total value of each scholarship is approximately $11,000.

For Rangatukia 20-year-old Turei, the chance to do his Plumbing and Gas Fitting Certificate is particularly special.

“It was one of Papa Api’s ideas and that makes it really special to me,” he says. “It feels great to be doing this because I know what it is like to have a student loan.”

Jan Mogford (Tairāwhiti Campus Director), Jarrod Rogers-Hughes (Recipient for Electrical Trades Scholarship), Tihei Turei (Recipient for Plumbing and Gasfitting Scholarship) and Allan Jensen (Chief Finance Officer – TRONPnui).

Jan Mogford (Tairāwhiti Campus Director), Jarrod Rogers-Hughes (Recipient for Electrical Trades Scholarship), Tihei Turei (Recipient for Plumbing and Gasfitting Scholarship) and Allan Jensen (Chief Finance Officer – TRONPnui).

Turei schooled at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori Te Waiu o Ngāti Porou, completing a year at EIT Tairāwhiti with the Trades Academy, and later completed a level 3 carpentry course in Wellington.

His goal this time is simple – to get a good career under his belt.

And it is similar for 19-year-old Rogers-Hughes.

The Ruatoria teen has completed the level 2 and 3 carpentry courses at the coast campus, and also did the Trades Academy while at Ngāti Memorial College.

“This is a really good opportunity for me,” he says.

Rogers-Hughes will study electrical trades at EIT Hawke’s Bay.

EIT Tairāwhiti campus director Jan Mogford says the scholarships offer a significant opportunity for the young men.

The two students will study three days a week at the campus, with one or two days out in the community on work experience.

“That goes a long way towards turning their studies into an apprenticeship. There are no guarantees in life but you have a lot of people working with you on this,” she told the two students.

“You will eventually be the tradesmen everyone will be proud of.”

TRONPnui chief financial officer Allan Jensen said the Te Toka initiative would encourage both training and later contribution to the local community in an area that had a shortage of tradesmen.