The staff at the Hastings Learning Centre

Hastings’ new regional learning centre underscores EIT’s commitment to serving the needs of all its communities.

The site, in Heretaunga Street West, has many pluses including greater foot traffic, its proximity to public transport and the opportunity it provides to raise EIT’s profile in downtown Hastings.

Highly accessible to the community, the strikingly refitted building reflects EIT’s belief that a high quality tertiary education should be available to all.

A shopfront for wider inquiries about EIT’s 148 programmes, the centre opened for public inquiries on April 18. That was preceded a week earlier by a karakia (blessing), held as an early morning ceremony.

Students started their classes at the end of the month.

Previously, the centre operated from the Tower Building, on the corner of Railway and Lyndon Roads. EIT is donating furniture surplus to the new centre to Pacific Island communities.

EIT purchased the Heretaunga Street property last year to provide a more central location – one that is easy to access, close to public transport and tailored to meet the needs of students and staff.

The single-storey building was renovated and refitted to meet the needs of students and staff, with a flexible open-plan layout which allows for more collaborative learning and an expanding suite of programmes.

As at the ‘former’ centre, retail, community and horticulture programmes are offered, the latter in association with community groups operating existing gardens.

Barista training, te reo Māori and Māori and colonisation will be offered as short courses as firsts for the centre and a level 2 te reo Māori programme is running this second semester.