EIT | Te Pūkenga in Tairāwhiti has teamed up with Rāngai Limited to offer new programmes next year. Pictured here in the new production studio are Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director of the Tairāwhiti Campus, and Shannon Dowsing, the Founding Director at Rāngai.
New communications and screen production programmes will be available in Tairāwhiti next year thanks to an agreement that will see workforce development company Rāngai offer them in partnership with the IDEAschool at EIT | Te Pūkenga.
The agreement will see Rāngai deliver the NZ Certificate in Communication and Media Level 4 and the NZ Diploma in Screen Production Level 5. The learning experience will be further enhanced by paid work experience created and delivered by Rāngai in their built for purpose television production studio.
The programmes get underway in February 2023, and enrolment can be completed with EIT | Te Pūkenga. Several enrolments have been received already across both levels.
EIT | Te Pūkenga will provide Rāngai with the programme content, delivery material and assessments, while Rāngai has engaged tutors for the programmes and provides the studio space and professional equipment. An experienced lecturer from the UK, Dr Jacqui Knight leads programme delivery, and industry experts are being engaged to work with students throughout the year in specialist skills.
Cherie Freeman, the Acting Head of the IDEAschool at EIT | Te Pūkenga, says: “We are very pleased that we have secured this great arrangement with Rāngai, and we are going to be able to deliver these two programmes in Tairāwhiti.”
“Being EIT | Te Pūkenga programmes, our systems are there to ensure that NZQA requirements are met, while Rāngai focuses on the delivery.”
“We think this is going to be a really good opportunity for the Tairāwhiti region and is something that, through Te Pūkenga, we will probably be seeing more of.”
Shannon Dowsing, the Founding Director at Rāngai, says he started the business five years ago with the intention of being an industry partner with the education sector in New Zealand.
“Rāngai, as a company, is focused on workforce development and partnering with education and the industry to elevate the opportunities of students. Understanding where there are workforce gaps, filling entry level roles with a student workforce, and creating the most experienced graduates in the industry is our goal.”
“This relationship with EIT | Te Pūkenga is a big step towards becoming a nationwide entity, providing real experience to tertiary students across the mōtu. We are not stopping here.”
Shannon is also New Zealand Managing Director of an international technology consultancy called Target3D. Working across all industries Target3D provides innovative solutions for virtual production, VR & AR, robotics, biomechanics, animation, VFX, gaming, training, and simulation.
In New Zealand Target3D recognised a workforce shortage, so first created Rāngai to resolve this issue. They now hire Rāngai students to work on projects, initially documentary and television series production.
Shannon also recently announced the company’s second studio under construction in Queenstown, a multimillion-dollar virtual production studio next to the SIT |Te Pūkenga campus.
“We are investing in regions. In Tairāwhiti there was no existing production space or partners, so we purchased our own building neighbouring the campus, built a studio and resourced all the equipment.”
Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director of the Tairāwhiti Campus, and Shannon Dowsing, the Founding Director at Rāngai.
Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director of the Tairāwhiti Campus, says: “Rāngai has provided the opportunity to partner with new industries in the tech sector. These qualifications provide another pathway for more Tairawhiti creatives to find new and exciting careers to develop their full potential. EIT has a long history is supporting creative industries, this partnership provides local access.”
“We look forward to seeing the first group of students in February 2023.”