NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

2015

1990-201525 YEARS

BUSINESS DEGREEA WIN-WIN

Students and employers involved in Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s (TPP) new Bachelor in Business and Enterprise say the degree programme is becoming a win-win for everyone.TPP launched the new degree, which is based on the international Edinburgh Napier University degree in Business Enterprise, in May this year. Students must be in employment and are supported by their employers and study focuses on workplace innovation, enterprise and creativity.Tutor Kate Campbell says the feedback from the first students and employers involved in the programme has been fantastic. “The students are really enjoying the fact that they are learning a lot about their organisations and a lot about themselves. Because the programme is project-oriented and requires students to put their learning in to practise in the workplace, employers are already seeing the benefit of supporting their staff in the training.”Learning is largely delivered online, through the Edinburgh Napier University, and TPP tutors support students through regular classroom sessions, email and phone. TPP has recently enrolled students in Wellington and Auckland and Kate says the programme can be delivered right around the country.“There was a lot of demand through our Greymouth campus from students who wanted to take their business training to the next level. But we can also deliver the degree anywhere in the

country, through the significant online component and regular visits from tutors.“Our first students are approximately half way through their total programme and have achieved excellent results for both their theoretical and work-based learning components. The assessments are marked at Edinburgh Napier University and are quite demanding, so far all of those who have sat the assessments have passed and some excellent grades have been achieved,” Kate says.The next intake of students will be in May 2016 and Kate says demand is increasing.The TPP Bachelor in Business and Enterprise is open to people who have completed the New Zealand Diploma in Business and want to take their career to the next level. The innovative new degree will give students knowledge and skills to boost their business acumen – the programme covers business creativity and enterprise, innovation, growth issues and general business processes. Students learn while they work, so the study will not interrupt employment or business commitments.“This degree has a focus on innovation, enterprise and creativity, which are proven to add value to any business. International research shows that the training and development of employees on-the-job has a positive impact on productivity and this programme is tailored to deliver just that,” Kate says.

First intake of Business and Enterprise Degree students

Whether dangling from a cliff face in Yosemite National Park or guiding people in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Paula Roberts brings a world of experience to TPP’s Outdoor Education training.Recently returned from an 11-week rock-climbing tour of the western United States and straight back into teaching, the TPP outdoor education tutor says she might just have one of the best jobs in the world.Paula’s affinity for outdoors adventure started from a young age, with weekend family tramping trips and holidays which she calls “a regular New Zealand outdoor” childhood. She always knew an office job was not for her, so she enrolled in an outdoors programme and began to learn the basic skills for climbing and guiding. “During my training, I volunteered at Fox Peak ski field and I ended up working at Mt hutt in ski patrol for about 10 years.”She was based in Twizel, working as mountain guide at Mt Cook in summer and doing ski patrol and heli-ski guiding over winter, when she heard about the job as a TPP outdoor education tutor.“I knew at that stage I didn’t want to be a guide full-time. Physically it is incredibly demanding and I just wanted something more. The idea of a job teaching outdoor education piqued my interested – it was my chance to try something a little different.”

Seven years on, which she has spent both teaching and developing her own outdoor experience, Paula says jobs don’t get much better.“It is great to be able to pass on knowledge to other people, I take a great amount of satisfaction from the work. I’ve always been a people person and I just love watching the kids soak-up all the information and learn about the world.”In addition to teaching , Paula works as a heli-skiing guide every winter and manages the “odd bit of mountain guiding” over the summer months. She is also set to complete the rigorous NZ Mountain Guiding Association guide training in March next year – this will give her an international qualification that just a handful of New Zealand women have achieved and can open doors to the guiding industry around the world.Paula admits she is the type of person who likes to be on the go, but says it’s a great lifestyle and an essential component of being a good tutor.“You’ve really got to keep your hand in – consequently it’s quite busy! But it gives you credibility as a tutor and all the tutors do the same. It’s something that the students actually rate really highly; you gain so much more respect.“I never really thought I would be able to have a career in the outdoors that lasted

this long and it’s great for the students to see there are opportunities out there if they make the most of them.”While she is enjoying her busy career and has no intention to move on in the immediate future, Paula still has big plans.“My next adventure would be to spend time on the ice, training Antarctic scientists the

basics of looking after themselves out in the mountains. It’s on the list of things I would love to do and I’m lucky to work in an industry where we can have these ideas and these dreams and then actually be able to make them happen.”

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

Paula Roberts climbing in the Yosemite National Park, USA.

10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT TPP

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1. TPP was gazetted in 1989 and is now in its 26th year of operations 2. Our Music and Audio Institute (MAINZ) faculty operates in both Auckland and

Christchurch CBD’s and provides programmes in audio engineering, live sound, event management, music performance, DJ and electronic music. In 2015 over 400 students are studying at these campuses

3. We enrolled over 9,000 part and full time students in 20144. TPP employs 190 staff nationwide; 112 staff are employed on the West Coast5. We deliver Trades Academy programmes for over 150 school students on the West

Coast 6. We provide foundation programmes (Levels 1 and 2) all the way up to degree

programmes7. Our international collaborations include; Wharton Business School, Edinburgh

Napier University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guilin Institute of Tourism, Chengdu Technicians College, Rock Academy in Germany and many more

8. Our Training for Industry faculty delivers training throughout New Zealand in cranes, rigging, scaffolding, industrial rope access and more!

9. We have 9 campuses in New Zealand, which includes our Ski Patrol programme based in Wanaka with a ski-to classroom high on the slopes of Treble Cone Ski Area

10. Our Digger School programme operates from four locations nationwide: Auckland, Hamilton, Greymouth and Invercargill

0800 TPP INFOTPP.AC.NZ/SUMMER

DECEMBERForklift Westport: 1 DecemberGreymouth: 2 December

First Aid - Comprehensive Westport: 1- 2 DecemberGreymouth: 7 - 8 December

First Aid - Refresher Westport: 3 DecemberGreymouth: 9 December

Wheels, Tracks and Rollers Greymouth: 8 December

Dangerous GoodsGreymouth: 10 December

LCQFranz Josef: 15 - 16 December

BaristaFranz Josef: 17 December

NZ Diploma in BusinessGreymouth: Starts early December

JANUARYBeauty School Greymouth: 25 - 28 January

FEBRUARYIntroductory Academic Study Skills Greymouth: 3 & 17 FebruaryWestport: 24 February

ALSO COMING SOON...Reading for Academic Study, Maths for Academic Study

All courses will be run subject to numbers

SAY ‘SEE YA’ TO WINTER AND GET SOME GREAT SKILLS THIS SUMMER

From next year, Tai Poutini Polytechnic will adjust the timing of its hospitality training to meet the demands of local businesses eager to hire staff. The Culinary Arts programme will run from March to September, with students then taking part in a 20-week paid internship, and the customer service-focused Food and Beverage course will run from May to September.The General Manager of the Punakaiki Resort and The Ashley Hotel, Melanie Hibbs, says there is a huge shortage of skilled staff for hospitality positions across the board on the West Coast.“Our season is from October to April – that’s when we need staff so it made sense to talk to the Polytechnic about the timing of the training programmes. It is good for us and great for the students. They get all the experience of working in the real world during our busy period and we have access to staff with the skills needed to get started in the business.”Moana Hotel on Lake Brunner Manager Phillip Barnett says the West Coast has so much to offer residents and visitors, but it remains difficult to attract skilled staff to the business.“We are a tourist-focused community, with one of the highest visitor-counts in the country, but I know

at least five hotels who can’t find the staff they need. If you are serious about a career in hospitality, then Greymouth is the place to be right now.“As a community, we need to make sure people know everything that is on offer on the Coast. That’s why working with partners like the Polytechnic to think about a new approach is a good thing for everyone,” Phillip says.Tutor Tourism and Hospitality Ian Johnson says the Polytechnic wants to listen to the needs of the local industry and respond.“Changing the delivery dates for 2016 means students can step out of training and directly in to a 20-week, paid internship. Working in partnership with the local community means we can increase the value of the training we provide our students and address the needs of the industry at the same time.”Ian says staff regularly meet with representatives of the local hospitality and tourism industry to talk about what they need. “Our local hospitality and tourism businesses have some great ideas for the future and we are keen to work with them to deliver some new and exciting programmes,” he says.Short courses in hospitality, including Barista and Licence Controller Qualification (LCQ) are available throughout the year across the West Coast.

HOSPITALITY JOBS IN DEMAND

High school students with a love of the outdoors can turn their interest into a career with Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Ski Patrol training programme.Ski Patrol Programme Leader Karen Boserio says many of her students have made the successful progression from high school outdoor education programmes, through TPP’s ski patrol training and on to great careers on the mountain.Two recent examples are Harry Nichol and Jack Paterson, who both took part in Mt Aspiring College’s outdoor education programme and are now embarking on year-round careers in the outdoors.Harry admits he didn’t really know what he wanted to do when he left school and was under pressure to enrol in a university course.“All I knew was I didn’t want to go to university. Then a guy I knew told me about the Ski Patrol course – I’ve been in love with skiing for years so it just went from there.”“I loved the course, being in the mountains six days a week was a dream that doesn’t come true for many. Work placement was the best part, it was a really good experience coming into a ski patrol team as a rookie, building on my skills and knowledge and gaining the respect of the team.”Harry has now graduated TPP’s Ski Patrol programme and is lining up a job in the mountains

this coming winter. With plans to complete TPP’s rafting guide programme, a secure year-round career in the outdoors is well within reach.“My advice to anyone who is enjoying their high school outdoor education programme and wondering what they are going to do next year is to consider a career in the outdoors. Don’t think that there isn’t a job out there – keep going after what you want and don’t settle for something you’re not passionate about. All you need are the right qualifications and a foot in the door, both of which TPP’s Ski Patrol course will provide.”Jack Paterson always knew he wanted a ski patrol job and he is about to realise his goal.“Every time I went up skiing I thought: I want to do ski patrol. So I talked to the ski patrol guys on the mountain – a lot of them had trained through TPP and they said you have to sign-up.“It was the best value-for-money – you can learn all the different training components separately, but the TPP programme is the only one that gives you the experience of a work placement on the mountain where you can make great contacts.”Jack is now heading to Japan for a ski guiding job and is lining up work in New Zealand next winter. He says there are plenty of opportunities out there, students just need to talk to people, get involved, volunteer and be keen.

SKI PATROL A SOLID CAREER OPTION FOR STUDENTS

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Former Tai Poutini Polytechnic student Shriana Williamson urges anyone unsure about what they want to do with their future to sign-up for a course and get learning.After finishing high school, Shriana enrolled in TPP’s Hospitality and Tourism – Service Sector programme in early 2014 and hasn’t looked back since.“I had no idea what I really wanted to do and a friend put me in touch with the polytech. I found the training really great and Ian, my tutor, was so helpful.”Shriana finished her training and found a job almost immediately at Greymouth’s iSite. Since

then, she has moved to Christchurch where she is working at the Pavilions hotel.“I love my job now. I mostly work in waitressing and reception, but I get the opportunity to try everything. I see my future in hotel or tourism management, but right now I am happy working here and living in the city.“If I hadn’t signed-up with the Polytech, I’d probably still be living at home in Greymouth and I don’t know what I would be doing. It’s awesome – I’ve definitely never looked back. I’d encourage anyone to give studying a shot – you really don’t have anything to lose.”

SHRIANAWILLIAMSONHOSPITALITY

‘If I hadn’t signed up with the Polytech, I’d probably still be living at home...’

TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY

TPP provide Specialist Training in: ScaffoldingRiggingRopesCranesConfined SpacesElevated Work PlatformsHealth and SafetyFirst Aid

As New Zealand’s leading provider of scaffolding and rigging training, Tai Poutini Polytechnic is helping companies across the country turn out qualified, competent apprentices.TPP Programme Leader - Scaffolding/Rigging/Ropes - Wain Chambers says it’s the combination of experience, quality training equipment, expert tutors and industry connections that makes TPP the go-to training institution for industry professionals.“Our programmes have been specifically developed with input from industry for high-risk access and height work. We have 14 years of experience training apprentices and staff, and campuses across the country, from Invercargill to Whangarei.“We offer a range of programmes, starting from basic training in scaffolding and rigging, right through to advanced and specialised industry courses. Students are all employed by industry – usually through apprenticeships – and we offer the support required to ensure they have the skills and safety training needed to succeed in the industry.

“Our students learn from expert tutors, who are all well respected in their fields. We’ve also made significant investment in our campuses and training equipment to ensure students gain experience working in a real-world environment.”TPP works in conjunction with industry and other polytechnics, with three campuses in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, and tutors who cover other parts of the country.Students can work at a range of levels to achieve:• National Certificate in Elementary Scaffolding Level 3• National Certificate in Intermediate Scaffolding Level 4• National Certificate in Suspended Scaffolding Level 4• National Certificate in Advanced Scaffolding Level 5• National Certificate in Basic Rigging Level 3• National Certificate in Intermediate Rigging Level 3• National Certificate in Advanced Rigging Level 4• Plus a range of other, more specialised programmes.Once achieved, these Certificates guarantee a successful application to Scaffolding, Access and Rigging New Zealand Inc (SARNZ), which awards the Certificate of Competence for industry.Programme Leader Wain Chambers, who is on the Board of both SARNZ and the Industrial Rope Access Association of New Zealand (IRAANZ), recognises the importance of industry contacts to ensure the training offered remains relevant.“We have regular discussions with our contacts and have been involved in writing curriculum and industry best practice documents. That means we understand industry regulations, we know what our clients need and we are ready to adapt as those requirements change over time.”

Students on crane training at the Auckland Allied Trades Campus.

Demand is high for the next planned venture between Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) and a top United States business school in January 2016.Last summer, TPP hosted 14 students from the prestigious Wharton Business School to take part in a New Zealand “Coast-to-Coast” themed leadership training course. Every year as part of their training, Wharton students take part in a series of “ventures” in locations all around the world.Director Experiential Leadership Centre Dave Ritchie says the venture was so successful that 110 Wharton students have already joined the waitlist for the next TPP-led course, due to start in the new year.“We have developed a great working relationship with Wharton Business School and they tell us that our NZ-based venture has received more interest from students than any other on offer.“It is great to know that we are making an impact on this globally recognised business education provider. We will

continue to develop our partnership and welcome more Wharton students to New Zealand.”The details of the January 2016 venture are still being finalised, however Dave says that the success of the first programme and the subsequent demand for more means New Zealand could become a permanent training ground for Wharton students.Wharton Business School is consistently ranked in the top three in the United States, alongside Harvard and Booth. Dave says securing the international partnership offers benefits for the Polytechnic both in terms of delivering the training programme and creating networks for the TPP staff and students involved.“Hosting last year’s inaugural leadership venture here in New Zealand was in line with TPP’s International Strategy and contributed to the Government’s tertiary education priority of increasing links with our international partners. We are looking forward to an ongoing partnership with Wharton in the future.”

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME IN DEMAND WITH U.S. STUDENTS

An increasing focus on academic research has seen Tai Poutini Polytechnic become more involved than ever in publications, conferences and artistic performance and exhibition.All tertiary education institutions offering degree-level programmes are required to produce research, and TPP is encouraging all staff to get involved through its Research and Knowledge Exchange Policy. Research is defined as intellectual investigation that results in new knowledge, the discovery of new information or the further understanding of existing information – it includes publications in books and academic journals, creative works such as performance or exhibition, and presentations at conferences.Chief Executive Allan Sargison says the Polytechnic is committed to supporting the research endeavours of its degree teaching staff to ensure the long-term success of the programmes.“We also want to encourage other staff to take part in research of any kind, creating a culture of research within the institution and reflecting our commitment to working with our communities and sharing knowledge.”A formal register of research was set up last year and already includes 230 different examples of research carried out between 2010 and 2014. In future, the annual register will be published in TPP’s annual report. So far, research has been dominated by the work of staff in the MAINZ Auckland and Christchurch campuses, including compositions, CDs concerts and other performances. Examples of other research across the Polytechnic are growing and include:• Publication through Ako, the Aotearoa National Centre for Tertiary Teaching

Excellence, of “Mā pango mā whero ka oti te mahi: Digging for Māori Values at Te Tai o Poutini Polytechnic”, an investigation into the relatively high rates of Maori participation and completion through TPP’s Digger Schools.

• A recent jade carving exhibition in China.• The publication of a journal paper on the technicalities of transferring a

Scotland-based business programme to New Zealand.• A conference paper outlining the merits of distance-, block-, and video-

teaching methods used to deliver TPP’s NZ Diploma in Business.• Several journal papers on employment relations and human resources

by Associate Professor and Programme Leader: Business and Enterprise Keith Macky, including a paper presented to Australian Psychological Society Industrial Organisational Psychology Conference in Melbourne: “Distractions, distrust, enemies & selfishness: social liabilities at work”.

FREE RETURN BUSDAILY FROM HOKITIKA TO GREYMOUTH

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Available for students studying at Tai Poutini Polytechnic!

Departs at 7.45am from the Fitzherbet St Store, HokitikaReturn trip departs at 4.30pm from TPP, Gate B, Puketahi St

ACADEMIC RESEARCH AT TPP

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Graduates of Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s drilling programmes are walking out of study and in to full-time jobs across the busy industry.The winner of the 2014 New Zealand Drillers’ Federation scholarship, former TPP student Blair Adamson, encourages anyone thinking about signing-up to “just go and do it”.“I wish I had done it years ago. It’s changed my life – you’ve got to put in the hours and its hard work, but you can go all over the world with this industry.”Blair, a former dairy farmer, has been working for Taranaki-based Interdrill since graduating last year and is already operating rigs independently and taking on further job-based training.He says he applied for a few drilling jobs before signing up with TPP, but was told to come back once he had done the basic training.His employer, Interdrill Managing Director Dale Preston, says Blair was a great employee from the start – and he sees plenty of potential for the future. “He’s a great all-rounder. He was very competent from the start and is a fast-learner.”

“We have done very well with previous TPP graduates. If I was faced with two similar potential employees, one with TPP training and the other without, there would be no competition. Basically, they come out of the training and they are ready to work. The TPP programme teaches them what they are in for – they are ready to roll with all the health and safety training under their belt and a good understanding of the industry.”The Certificate in Drilling - Non-Hydrocarbon (Driller’s Assistant) has a solid success rate for putting graduates into industry jobs. It is designed to prepare students for work in the non-hydrocarbon drilling industry as an offsider and study covers: • Working safely and effectively in a drilling team• Maintenance and use of a range of drilling equipment

and tools• Hazard identification and control• Class 2 Licence, WTRs, Forklift with OSH, 4WD, ATV• Loading and towing trailers• Lifting and removing a range of loads• Height Safety• Introduction to welding and gas cutting• First Aid

NZDF SCHOLARSHIP WINNERBLAIR ADAMSON

After leaving school at 15 and working for three years, Ethan Row decided in 2014 that he wanted something more for his future.“I decided I needed to do some training, but I didn’t have the background qualifications I needed to enrol in the sports science course I was interested in at the time.”So Ethan found out about Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Certificate in Pre Health and Science, signed-up and hasn’t looked back since.“I was a bit nervous and I thought it was going to be really hard because I was never very good at school. But I loved it. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I guess I was a bit more confident in myself and the tutor helped us all along.”Now Ethan is enrolled in the New Zealand Institute of Sport personal training programme and is looking forward to a great career. “At the end of the year I will be a qualified personal trainer. I can get a job, or there are other higher training courses that I could carry on with. It was a big step to start the training with TPP in the first place, but now I’ve got so many more choices.”

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MAKESOMENOISE

Bachelor of Music Arts / Graduate Diploma in Business

and Enterprise /Live Sound & Event Production /

Contemporary Music / Foundation Sound and Music /

Audio Engineering / DJ /

Music and Event Management

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APPLY NOW FOR 2016

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ETHANROWCERTIFICATE INPRE HEALTH ANDSCIENCE

‘It was one of the best things I’ve ever done’.

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPSAPPLY NOW!

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Allan Beaumont Student AwardCave Creek Student Memorial ScholarshipSouth Westland Community Activities Trust Attendance Assistance AwardsSouth Westland Community Activities Trust Entrance Awards

Returning after six years at the helm of Minerals West Coast, Peter O’Sullivan plans to use his industry contacts and professional connections to ensure Tai Poutini Polytechnic is the mining trainer of choice in the wider New Zealand minerals industry.Peter is recognised as a leader in New Zealand’s minerals industry and brings a wealth of experience in environmental safety, regulation development and industry professional standards to his new role. “I am really looking forward to this role and leading the development of the New Zealand School of Minerals, Energy and Infrastructure concept. The opportunity to be involved in the creation of a Centre of Excellence for education in support of the wider industry across Australasia is what

motivated me to return to the Polytechnic.”The Centre of Excellence is a new division of the Polytechnic, growing from the School of Mines programme but broadening to address the needs of the wider mining, minerals and infrastructure industry needs. The new division, which incorporates existing digger and drilling schools, is based in Greymouth and has campuses in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Invercargill.Peter is a West Coaster, raised in the Reefton mining community, and is enthusiastic about the future of the industry, both on the Coast and around New Zealand. He sees higher-level training as a potential growth area for the Polytechnic and is keen to investigate all the possibilities.“In my eyes the planets are aligning quite well to lift the relevance and value of training. By training people in the practicalities of the industry, as well as ensuring they complete the required unit

standards, we can really add value for companies.“In addition, I think there is a real opportunity to develop pathways to higher learning and better job opportunities. I’m keen to investigate some cadet-style programmes that lead to higher-level training for those that wish to progress.“I’m enthusiastic about my new role and I want the industry to know that, if there are training needs within the mining, quarrying and civil construction sectors, I am keen to work them to meet their needs.”TPP Chief Executive Allan Sargison says it is a real coup for the Polytechnic to secure Peter in the new role. “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Peter back to the Polytechnic, where we know he will have a significant impact on the training programmes we provide. He is highly regarded by industry and has excellent contacts within the New Zealand minerals sector and we look forward to having him on board.”

INDUSTRY LEADER TO EXPANDMINING & MINERALS TRAINING

An afternoon visit to Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Westport campus to “take a look at the brochures” has resulted in a serious course of study for local woman Ashley Tipping.“I had graduated high school and was working in retail locally, but I just decided I wanted to challenge myself. I thought I could advance my skills so I went in to the Polytechnic and had a look.”Ashley, 23, completed the Certificate in Business Administration and Computing in 2015 and is now studying part-time towards the NZIM Diploma in Management while continuing to work locally.“I am so pleased I decided to sign-up for the Certificate course. It was really fun and covered a wide variety of work, I met lots of great people and the tutor was fantastic. “I didn’t really have any further study plans beyond that, but I was doing well and the tutor asked if I had considered further study. So I found out more and now I’m doing the Diploma.“Everything has just been falling in to place for me. To be honest, I still don’t have a goal for the end of my study next year. At the moment I am just taking it as it comes and seeing what opportunities will arise. I’d say to anyone thinking of upskilling that it is definitely worth giving it a go – you never know what might happen.”

Students of all ages and backgrounds are taking part in Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Numeracy and Literacy Scheme to ensure they have the basic qualifications required to get into jobs or further training.Westport-based Literacy and Numeracy Tutor Franziska Gloor says the NCEA Level 1 qualification is essential for many job seekers, however there are a lot of people out there who do not have the qualification, often gained in high school. “There are many different reasons why people may have not achieved NCEA Level One – some may have missed by just one or two credits, while others may have left school years ago to pursue a trades career and didn’t complete the qualification or moved to New Zealand from overseas.”“People now find that if they apply for a new job – even if they have the right skills – they won’t be considered without this qualification. It also means they can

progress to further study and education – many people don’t realise that even if you do a Level 3 course you won’t gain your NCEA 3 unless you have those six essential NCEA Level 1 unit standards.”TPP’s Numeracy and Literacy Scheme can be tailored to individual students, to fit around jobs or family commitments. It covers different aspects of maths as well as reading and writing skills and is focused on a ‘real-life-context’. During the course of the semester, students create a portfolio of work which is used as evidence to gain the unit standards needed for their NCEA Level 1.Franziska says she has students of all ages and backgrounds in the scheme, which is offered in both Westport and Greymouth. She encourages people to find out more about what is on offer as the qualification can make a real difference for job hunters.

QUALIFICATIONSCOUNT FOR JOBHUNTERS

Students taking part in a gardening project which involved real-life numeracy and literacy skills.

Making study fun for high school students is one of the ways Tai Poutini Polytechnic gets involved in the local community.Once a term, different TPP staff visit The Shed, a Greymouth community group where school students come along to relax and chill out. TPP runs activity nights to introduce different programmes in fun and interactive ways. Recently, staff have held a tourism quiz night, hot chocolate-making night and also helped to judge The Shed Idol competition.The evenings are a way of showing high schools students the types of training on offer through the Polytechnic in a fun, relaxed environment. As well as being a great opportunity to get out in the community and build relationships, the activity evenings are also a fun event for everyone involved.Nicki Mora, who runs The Shed, says partnering with TPP is definitely one of the best things the community group has done. “The kids really enjoy the activities, and meeting with the tutors and staff that come along. For them it creates a positive relationship with the Polytechnic. Many comment at the end of the night that they plan to do that course when they leave school.” The Shed was set up to give high school students in Greymouth a fun, safe place where they can chill out and relax with friends. “It’s great when we can partner with the community to offer some fun activities and show them what’s out there,” Nicki says.

TPP AT THE SHED

MELPARSONS

An adventurer at heart, Parsons grew up on a farm at Cape Foulwind near the small West Coast town of Westport, and her adventures to date have taken her all over the world. When she can, singer-songwriter Mel Parsons heads home to recharge, but much of the time she lives out of a suitcase, touring and performing all over the world. Mel’s passion is music, telling stories through song, reaching out to and drawing her audience in. And judging by the lush sounds and lyricism of her latest album Drylands (released April 2015), her reputation is set to soar.Mel was already focused on a career in music when she moved to Auckland in 2002 to do the Diploma in Contemporary

Music Performance. ‘MAINZ was brilliant. I still think it’s the number one music performance school in New Zealand. It offers practical, hands-on training, fully grounded in reality.’She thrived at MAINZ, honing her performance skills, starting to build a repertoire of original songs, learning from and alongside like-minded people. ‘One of the most valuable things about studying at MAINZ is the connections you make. The tutors also work in the industry, they live the experience, and the friends you make are the people you’re in business with.’Mel’s followed her dream and life is good.‘I feel very, very fortunate to be able to make it work.’

SINGER - SONGWRITER

‘MAINZ was brilliant. I still think it’s the number one music performance school in New Zealand’.

6 0800 TPP INFO | TPP.AC.NZ

ASHLEYTIPPINGBUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

‘Everything has just been fallingin to place for me’.

TPP AT THE SHED

Work on Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s new $2 million trades training facility is forging ahead, with the workshop set to be ready for new students in 2016.TPP announced at the end of last year that work was about to start on a purpose-built trades training facility in Greymouth. The new building will provide a fantastic site for students to learn their trades and work is progressing well.Facilities Manager Doug Griffin confirmed that construction on the new building was progressing well and it was on track to open for students at the beginning of next year.“Things are looking good on site and we’re excited to have the new workshop water-tight, with internal work now cracking along,” he says.

The new facility will include a three-bay workshop, offices and classroom space. It follows construction of a new engineering workshop at the Westport campus, which opened in February.“The building is an investment in West Coast tertiary education and signals the Polytechnic’s commitment to the region. When it’s finished, it will make a big difference for our automotive trade students,” says Doug.“We have modelled the facility on an actual working environment, so students will be learning in real-life workshop surroundings. It will really raise the bar in terms of modern, spacious facilities for our students.”

NEW $2 MILLION TRADE WORKSHOP TAKES SHAPE

Progress on the Trades workshop

MAINZ students have once again rocked-out schools across the Auckland region as part of the annual MAINZ School Tour.The 2015 event visited eight schools from Kaipara to Manurewa and involved 20 MAINZ Bachelor in Musical Arts musicians, Certificate in Live Sound and Production crew, and Diploma in Music and Event Management event organisers. Now in its 13th year, the annual tour is a great opportunity for students to work and perform under real event conditions.The tour also provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase MAINZ and Tai Poutini Polytechnic across the city, in some of Auckland’s largest and most musical high schools – as well as treating school students to a live performance from some of New Zealand’s up-and-coming musicians.The 2016 tour is already in the planning stages and schools can expect to be hearing from MAINZ early next year.

Students performing on the MAINZ School Tour.

MAINZ SCHOOL TOUR

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AUCKLAND DIGGER SCHOOL ON THE MOVENow is an excellent time to join the civil construction industry and enrolling at one of four Digger School locations can help you on the journey towards working in the booming civil construction industry. Digger School has campuses in Auckland, Hamilton, Greymouth and Invercargill. After a successful eight-year partnership with Holcim at its Bombay quarry, Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Auckland Digger School is on the move to a new location in Mangere.Programme Leader Civil and Mining Emmett McAdam says the school has received enormous support from Holcim over the past eight years. “They have supplied everything from free aggregate to work-based training positions and we have truly benefited from the partnership. Now the company is expanding and the digger school needs to move on to a new location.”Emmett says the search for a new site was a lengthy one but, thanks to Lead Tutor Tony Bellis and his outstanding industry connections, a new site has been found and the move is underway.

“As of 1 October 2015 the current Holcim digger school site will be closed and the programme moved to Pukaki Street, Mangere. This new site offers benefits in terms of good transport options and its proximity to the Auckland Trades campus, just 10 minutes away. “We’ve had great local support from the industry, with donations of materials to help in the set-up of the classroom and site,” Emmett says.The Auckland Digger School would like to thank the following for their hard work and dedication: • Joe Glock, Principle of new Mangere

venue• Auckland Regional Fulton Hogan• Management of Holcim Quarry for their

support over the past eight years• Doug Griffin, Facilities Manager Tai

Poutini Polytechnic• Tony Bellis, Lead Tutor Auckland Digger

School.

*Conditions apply

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TRAINING ON COAST FOR COASTERS

FULL & PART TIME OPTIONS AVAILABLE - ON THE WEST COAST

ChefTourismHospitalityJade & Hard Stone CarvingPre Health & ScienceEarly Childhood EducationHair, Beauty & GroomingOutdoor EducationNon-Hydrocarbon DrillingCarpentryAutomotiveEngineeringCivil Construction, Quarrying & MiningComputingBusinessMusic new Level 3 programme starting March 2016

Agriculture next intake June 2016

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The Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (MAINZ) is a faculty of Tai Poutini Polytechnic, with campuses in Auckland and Christchurch. MAINZ offers a range of programmes designed with the music industry in mind. MAINZ offer certificate, diploma, degree and post-graduate qualifications across a range of programmes including: Audio Engineering, Contemporary Music Performance, Bachelor of Musical Arts, DJ and Electronic Music Production, Live Sound and Event Production, Contemporary Music Performance, and much more! MAINZ Auckland students are learning the tricks of the trade from event management specialists Evitan Events.

MAINZ has been working closely with Evitan over the past three years to offer students the opportunity to put their training in to practice at real-life concerts and events.Head of Department Live Sound and Event Production Tony McMaster says the rewards and benefits for MAINZ students are huge.“Evitan delivers major productions, from concerts and fashion shows through to corporate events and major festivals. Having our students working alongside the Evitan team offers an excellent experience of what it takes to make it in the real world of live sound and event production.“In addition to offering students experience on-set, representatives from Evitan recently visited the MAINZ campus and spoke

with our Live Sound and Event Production students about employment prospects and the realities of the industry.“They are happy for students to get involved and have offered to take on students who have the right skills and attitude for the job. This kind of real-life experience is incredibly valuable for students and the partnership is hugely valuable to MAINZ.”Shane King of Evitan Events says the team has been really impressed with the talent and skill shown by MAINZ students who have taken employment with the events company.“Students have been able to use the knowledge and skills gained from their studies at MAINZ and put them into

practice in a real working environment to great effect. MAINZ offers us a fantastic pool of talent and we have had nothing but positive feedback from our clients about the students.”Live Sound and Event Production students are working with Evitan across a wide range of disciplines, including sound, lighting, staging and site preparation. As part of the process, workers are evaluated and aligned with work that is within their capabilities and general interest. www.mainz.co.nzwww.evitan.co.nz

MAINZ STUDENTS WORKING WITH EVITAN

Bringing tertiary education options to students was the aim of the successful 2015 West Coast Pathways Roadshow.More than 25 universities, polytechnics, industry trainers and other pathway organisations took part in the roadshow. They visited Hokitika, Greymouth and Westport during June this year.Marketing and Sales Liaison Co-ordinator Jolan Kilkelly says the event was a great success, with students attending from secondary schools around the West Coast.“All West Coast secondary schools

were invited and we opened the doors to the general public as well in the evenings. We wanted to create opportunities for high school students and the wider community to talk face-to-face and receive information from tertiary institutions from around NZ.”Jolan says the roadshow was a great experience for the students and community members involved. “It opened new doors for a lot of students, showing them a range of different study options and potential career paths.”The West Coast Pathways Network which consists of secondary school career staff and local career pathway providers including Karoro Learning, the Trades Academy, Tai Poutini Polytechnic and WestREAP.

STUDY OPTIONS ON SHOW FOR STUDENTS

Students checking out what was on offer at the Roadshow.

Tourism training on the West Coast has been given a boost, as Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) announces a new partnership with the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI).Lead Innovation Consultant Zane Smith says the partnership is important to TPP’s International Strategy, giving access to the latest information on what outbound Chinese tourists are doing around the world.“TPP has been working with COTRI on a number of projects over the last two years, most recently co-presenting a seminar at the China Outbound Tourism and Trade Market in Beijing.“The exclusive partnership we have set up with COTRI means we now have at our fingertips the latest detailed information on what’s happening within China and with Chinese people traveling globally. We can use this information to tailor our training to the needs of the market.”TPP plans to integrate tourism training programmes with COTRI and is offering Chinese Tourists Welcoming (CTW) training programmes within New Zealand. These programmes are designed to provide an

in-depth understanding of the Chinese market and concentrate on maximising product offerings and providing the high quality service to this important source tourism market. TPP and COTRI are also working on a range of services specific to the tourism industry to provide this valuable data direct to the people who need it most: the operators and regional tourism organisations.Zane says the partnership also opens doors in the wider Chinese education market, meaning the Polytechnic can develop relationships with more potential education partners.“The biggest benefit is the access to information. We’re also looking at exchange programmes, where we will send students to China to learn about the market, as well as bringing Chinese students here to the West Coast.”TPP already has strong educational ties to China and is delivering various tourism training programmes both here and in the Chinese market. Zane says the COTRI partnership is yet another step forward in the Polytechnic’s plan to reach out to the growing Chinese market.

POLYTECHNIC PARTNERS WITH CHINA TOURISM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

STEFAND’MELLO

Stefan D’Mello grew up with music and loves being surrounded by music, which is just one of the reasons why he’s enjoying his MAINZ experience. ‘On campus there’s music everywhere around and all the equipment you need – recording studios, computer labs, rehearsal rooms and an auditorium for performers. I’m having a great time.’

He found out about MAINZ through an agency back in India and thought it looked like a place where he could get the best out of the programmes offered. It’s been a worthwhile move. ‘Everyone has made me feel so welcome. The

tutors and staff have been helpful since the day the course started and even before, helping me get on my feet here in Auckland and find my way around.’ Stefan already has a clear learning pathway in mind. After completing the certificate programme, he intends to stay on at MAINZ and study audio engineering and music production. Ultimately, Stefan says he plans to ‘take my love for music and my love for gaming and merge the two together.’ MAINZ is his first step on the way to realising his dream of working as an audio designer or engineer in the gaming world.

INDIACERTIFICATE IN LIVE SOUND AND EVENT PRODUCTION

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2015 GRADUATION

WEST COAST AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH

11 December3pmRegent Theatre,Greymouth

16 March 20167.30pmAuckland Girls Grammar School, Auckland

15 December7.00pmWoolston Club, Hargood Street, Christchurch

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‘I’m having a great time’.