On 1 April Mark Oldershaw will step into his new role at Whitireia and WelTec Polytechnic.

EIT’s Deputy Chief Executive Mark Oldershaw has been appointed as Chief Executive of Whitireia and WelTec Polytechnic in Wellington. The first day in his new role is 1 April. The date coincides with the changes of the Reform of Vocational Education coming into effect and New Zealand’s 16 ITPs merging into one national body.

Mark Oldershaw has been with EIT for five years and has made an important contribution to EIT which is widely recognised and one of New Zealand’s high performing ITPs. Before joining EIT, Mark was the Chief Executive of the Industry Training Federation.

“Mark has led a broad range of industry and business related activities, and his stakeholder engagement and lobbying for EIT have been outstanding. He will leave hard shoes to fill,” says CEO Chris Collins. “The experience he has also gained at EIT of the work we have done of bringing together Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay institutions, which is widely regarded as success story, will stand him in good stead in his new role. He goes will our best wishes and full blessings”.

Whitireia and WelTec Commissioner Dr Neil Barns said he was delighted to secure a Chief Executive with a deep knowledge of the vocational and training sector. 

“With the formation of the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology (NZIST), all polytechnics will evolve to deliver both on- and off-job training and vocational education. Mark’s unique experience as a senior leader in both the polytechnic and industry training sectors will be invaluable as we gently change our focus and ensure we’re delivering for learners in Wellington and the wider region,” says Dr Barns.

Mr Oldershaw has previously lived and worked in Wellington and is looking forward to returning to the region he calls home.

“I am thrilled to lead Whitireia and WelTec as we come together into NZIST. My early focus will be ensuring we deeply understand what our learners, communities, iwi and industry need, including how we can deliver on- and off-job training. I’m looking forward to meeting the staff, regional leaders and members of the many communities Whitireia and WelTec are part of.”

Chris Collins says it’s great to see someone from EIT progress onto a CE role and he looks forward to continuing to work with Mark as a fellow CEO as the reform of the polytechnic sector gets underway.