A GROWTH in EIT student numbers is reflected in its 3604 graduates from 2018 — the highest number in the institute’s history.
EIT celebrates its Tairāwhiti Graduation Day on Friday, with graduates and staff to parade through central Gisborne in traditional academic gowns, satin-lined hoods, korowai and tasselled trenchers.
Led by the City of Gisborne Highland Pipe Band, they will march from Heipipi Endeavour Park, along Gladstone Road, into Grey Street, on to Childers Road and into Bright Street to the War Memorial Theatre for the official ceremony.
Graduation marks the awarding of diploma, degree and postgraduate qualifications completed last year.
EIT, which has campuses in Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland, continues to achieve strongly. There were a total of 3604 qualifications achieved in 2018 — 275 more than 2017.
Of these, 931 were diploma or higher (886 in 2017), with a further 2673 certificates awarded at ceremonies held at the end of last year (2433 in 2017).
Of note is the growing number of Maori completing qualifications across EIT’s various schools.
For 2018, 46 percent of EIT graduates were Maori (44 percent in 2017).
EIT’s student body is characterised by its diversity. Thirteen percent of those gaining qualifications last year were international students, up 1 percent on 2017.
In another significant trend at the institute, EIT’s student body is getting younger, with 41 percent aged under 25 and 62 percent of this year’s degree graduates under 25 (45 percent in 2017).
Chief executive Chris Collins said the biggest number of graduates in EIT’s history reflected the growth in student numbers.
In 2018 there were 10,325 students studying at EIT — 1000 more than in 2017.
This year’s guest speaker at the ceremony is Apryll Parata MNZM.
Apryll Parata was raised and educated in Ruatoria, Gisborne and Waikato University. She is on secondment from the Ministry of Education working with the Provincial Development Unit in the Ministry of Business Innovations and Employment.
She is the senior regional official for the Government in the Gisborne-Tairāwhiti region. In this role she is supporting sustainable economic, employment and environmental growth.