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| WelTec is pleased to bring you the second 2011 issue of our Connect magazine linking industry and our stakeholders with the latest WelTec news and achievements.
The Minister was very complimentary about WelTec. Below is a short extract from her speech. "I am delighted to welcome you to Parliament for the launch of WelTec's new Bachelor of Youth Development. WelTec has a long and proud tradition of equipping New Zealanders with the skills and qualifications they need to be active and positive participants in society. So, introducing this new qualification is timely, given the challenges facing today's youth. The Bachelor of Youth Development that we launch tonight is the only qualification of its kind at this level anywhere in New Zealand. As such I believe it represents a significant acknowledgement of the important challenges facing young people today. These young people are the future of this country. They are tomorrow's leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, and they will be at the heart of strong whānau and thriving communities." WelTec again sits among the country's top Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) in results published by the Tertiary Education Commission today for qualification completion, progression to higher study and students retained in study. "We are delighted that WelTec has been rated second in New Zealand amongst ITPs for qualification completion - the most significant measure both for individuals who want to equip themselves for their careers, and for employers to whom it sends a clear, positive signal," says Dr Linda Sissons, WelTec's Chief Executive. "Research shows that qualification completion really matters. All students who complete their qualification earn 29% more than those who leave without completing. Completing all or most of the courses within the qualification also makes a difference to earnings, but not as much as completing the qualification overall," says Dr Sissons quoting a New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report to be published in September. "We have worked hard to ensure our students do well. To have them just completing an enrolment form and turning up for class has never been good enough for us. We offer specialised mentoring for Maori and Pasifika students and for our young learners. Our Maori students on our Tamaiti Whangai programme are actually outperforming their Pakeha peers," says Linda Sissons. "Ensuring our students are retained in study so that they complete their qualification is our priority. This is reflected in WelTec also achieving the second highest result amongst ITPs for students retained in study. "These good results also reflect what other recent external surveys have revealed about WelTec. In an independent survey conducted earlier this year 9 out of 10 Wellington employers told us our graduates are work ready and that our qualifications are relevant. Employer feedback is very important to us. "These results, along with the continued support of employers, means we are well-placed to deliver the training required to meet the needs of industry. This is particularly important for the building and construction sector which is forecasting a considerable skills shortage next year off the back of the Christchurch earthquakes and leaky homes," says Linda Sissons. NEC and WelTec Collaborate for Research
This collaboration, spanning three years, will see research staff and students from the Wellington Institute of Technology work with technology experts from NEC, to co-develop new and innovative technologies and solutions on biometrics, human interactions, and visual solutions in the fields of energy, environment, public safety, and health, and transform these ideas into relevant applications for the market. Since WelTec was established in Wellington, New Zealand over a century ago, it has worked hand-in-hand with industry and developed a unique store of expertise, backed up by sophisticated equipment and workshops, in areas as diverse as digital media, business skills, counselling, engineering literacy and numeracy, hospitality, automotive and information NEC New Zealand is the local subsidiary of NEC Corporation in New Zealand, with offices in Wellington and Auckland to provide the latest technologies and total solutions to the New Zealand market. Its forte in biometric research and development has led NEC New Zealand to become one of the leading players in this field, providing innovative applications of its biometrics solutions. As part of this collaboration, NEC New Zealand becomes a Technology Partner of WelTec, and will provide a sponsorship of NZ$90,000 over three years, which will be used for the funding of fellowships, projects, and student research allowances. WeITec will establish a new position for applied research titled "NEC Applied Research Fellowship" in recognition of Dr Linda Sissons, Chief Executive of the Wellington Institute of Technology says, "WelTec is thrilled with this investment by NEC which recognises our contribution to providing applied R&D and Technology Transfer services to industry. WelTec and NEC are leading innovators in their respective fields. There will be significant benefits to our staff and students through Leonard Dench, General Manager at NEC New Zealand says, "NEC is excited to partner with WelTec, a leading research institute in New Zealand to explore and bring to market new innovative technology solutions. With this collaboration, we believe the combined strengths and collective expertise with a real practical focus, will take innovation to new heights in
Innovation, inspiration and collaboration were the themes of this year's annual WelTec Innovation and Technology Breakfast, attended by over 60 business and Government leaders at the Petone campus. WelTec Chief Executive Linda Sissons opened the event with a recap of highlights since last year's Breakfast, including the launch of WelTec Connect Ltd (WelTec's service and commercial arm for industry), the expansion of our cadetship and work placement programmes, and extra funding to train more students in construction trades.
Also popular with guests were the displays of technology from some of WelTec's industry partners. NEC, whose Technology Partnership was announced at the Breakfast, demonstrated their facial recognition technology, and Iain Jerrett of Astara Technologies had his electric motorbike on show, featuring a battery storage system developed in collaboration with WelTec.
This is the message from Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) Chief Executive, Dr Linda Sissons. "The experts all agree, there is going to be a significant and immediate call for trained staff to not only rebuild Christchurch with an estimated additional 30,000 trained construction workers required, but to work in other centres to fix the country's 42,000 leaky homes. There's also the pent up demand for new homes following a period of historically low levels of house building throughout New Zealand", says Linda Sissons. "This is why the government has just allocated an additional $850k to allow 200 extra students to learn trades skills at WelTec this year. "The demand for skilled workers in the construction industry is forecast to skyrocket from the second half of 2012. People need to start training now to be in a good position to pick up this work otherwise New Zealand companies will be looking overseas to fill vacancies. We want to train people so they can work in the construction industry. "Education contributes to economic growth and improvements in productivity. For sustained economic growth and ongoing innovation and productivity companies need to utilise the skills of their staff. They can best do this by taking on trained staff who are work-ready and who have acquired skills in a New Zealand setting or by upskilling their existing workforce who already have an understanding of the company they work for. "WelTec is keen to hear from young people and their families about the study options available," says Linda Sissons. What Industry says
"The correct type of training is an essential element. At A Sparks Ltd we have been employing apprentices for over 20 years and have had great success with students from WelTec. "Licensing will be in force soon so we need to be constantly upskilling ourselves. Apprentices can help with this as they are in training. Construction materials and methodology are also changing and at WelTec students are provided with the latest information on new products and ideas. "The WelTec pre-trade course gives apprentices great knowledge and practical use with materials and tools so they have a good basic understanding by the time we take them on. "We strongly believe it is important to protect the future of the building and construction industries and we encourage other tradespeople to do the same.
WelTec culinary students Lillian Poulgrain and Eunbyul Yu, went head-to-head in the kitchen with 22 other culinary students to create six covers of a three-course meal in just two-and-a-half hours. The team’s restaurant service competitor Melissa Lind then served the dishes to VIP guests attending the event. A panel of 17 judges comprising local and international leading chefs and culinary professionals scrutinised the team’s every move throughout before later declaring them the overall winners. This year is the first time that WelTec has taken out top honours and received the coveted ‘golden hat’ award. The team said they were ecstatic with the win which had come after a considerable amount of time and effort had been spent preparing for the event. "We practised for over two months whilst also holding down jobs at the same time," Lind said. She said the key to the team’s success was teamwork coupled with determination and lots of practice. The team praised their tutors who had helped them to achieve their goal of winning the competition. WelTec Senior Lecturer and the team’s culinary trainer Scott Campbell, said he was delighted the students had won as it was solid endorsement of the hard work and effort the team had put into preparing for the event. Campbell also credited Logan Brown Executive Chef Shaun Clouston who had provided support and advice to the team. Clouston competed at the same event many years ago and said it set him on the road for developing his culinary career. The WelTec team’s winning meal comprised a starter of Akaroa Salmon tartar, followed by a main of New Zealand beef sirloin wrapped and baked with mushroom farce. The menu concluded with a dessert of lime and ginger iced parfait and coconut sago. Nestlé Toque d’Or is the country’s longest running and most prestigious student cookery and food service event. It is held in 17 countries around the world and has launched the careers of world-famous chefs, including Jamie Oliver. The event is designed to simulate the pressure of a real working team environment.
WelTec Bachelor of Creative Technologies Gunter Muller and Max Hancock have taken their creativity outdoors and designed a mural on one of Wellington's busiest street corners at the intersection of Manners and Cuba. This will be the location of WelTec's School of Hospitality next year as part of the joint venture with Le Cordon Bleu. The text in the work is: 'Dont read into this' . Gunter says that people always try hard to decipher what it says so its a play on that. Max did the dragon which is a feature of his studio work. Young Maori Excel at WelTec
A variety of approaches are put into practice including: encouraging students to continue studying while playing sport, whether it's rugby league, rugby union or softball; promoting culture through Maori carving; and removing barriers to learning and feelings of isolation by setting up a team approach to learning. Students are expected to excel not only at their studies, but with their sport. In addition they are helped to improve on their social skills and to learn ways to make themselves more employable. "It's tough for young people trying to find work in a tight job market, but with the skills that students learn on this programme they are able to approach employers and most find work. Those that decide to carry on with their studies remain firmly focused on getting a job which, for most, will lead onto a career in their chosen field. At WelTec we want our young students to succeed. Completing their studies and getting a qualification that leads them into employment is our focus," says Dr Linda Sissons, WelTec Chief Executive. The Tamaiti Whangai Academy offers wrap-around support for students. This includes students learning about health and well-being, and developing their leadership skills. It's a programme that WelTec sees as critical to improving success rates for Maori studying at a tertiary level. "Of the 94 students enrolled last year, 79 successfully completed their course and four went onto further study. 86 got jobs or relocated to Australia. Completions rates were highest for Tamaiti Whangai students studying exercise science with most involved in rugby league, but also those students in the construction and electrical trades areas excelled. "Many of the Tamaiti Whangai students are now out-performing their peers. 79% of Tamaiti Whangai students successfully completed their course in 2010. This compares well against the total WelTec student population which achieved a 75% course completion rate," says Dr Sissons. "For Tamaiti Whangai students studying Electrotechnology we have partnered with Te Puni Kokiri and the Eletrotechnology ITO to offer scholarships to students who want to pursue a career in that industry. This has worked really well and led onto apprenticeships. "Whilst this type of programme is resource-intensive to run we get great results for a group that may not do so well otherwise. We have the support of Iwi who have mentors on site helping students. These mentors are also employees of WelTec. In addition organisations such as Te Puni Kokiri support our students through scholarships as they can see the positive outcomes, measurable in terms of course and qualification completion rates and employment." David Lomax, a mentor and tutor for The Tamaiti Whangai Academy says, "One of the biggest lessons young people learn when they come to WelTec is how to put past disappointments and failure behind them. They have an opportunity to do well here. We give them the skills to cope in a classroom, to work in teams and to develop their sense of themselves as achievers. Students learn how to deal with life's challenges without giving up or resorting to violence, alcohol or drugs." "The Tamaiti Whangai Academy has had a positive impact throughout WelTec," says Dr Sissons. "Our course and qualification rates have improved across the Institute. Some of this improvement can be attributed to the effectiveness of The Tamaiti Whangai Academy. All staff are learning how to better support young students. We have established a community through Te Whare Awhina - WelTec's Petone-based centre which supports Maori students through the practice of Manaakitanga and Awhina. This community wants to support learners to do well whether that is through a pre-trade electrical programme, a hospitality certificate or diploma or a creative technologies degree," said Dr Sissons.
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Connect is WelTec's Newsletter to key stakeholders. |
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The Youth Work sector joined WelTec's Council and Youth Work Advisory Committee for the launch of WelTec's Bachelor of Youth Development on Monday 29 August. 90 guests from industry attended the function at The Beehive. The Bachelor of Youth Development is the first degree for youth workers in New Zealand and marks a key milestone. 
NEC New Zealand Ltd ("NEC New Zealand") and WelTec 
Linda introduced the keynote address from Dr Andrew West, a well-known commentator and consultant who was instrumental in the development of the Crown Research Institutes and subsequently was Chief Executive of AgResearch and GNS, as well as NZQA. Dr West gave a thought-provoking and entertaining presentation on "How to boost NZ's productivity growth" which was followed by a lively discussion with the audience. 
Ash Sparks, the Managing Director of A Sparks Ltd Builders in Wellington says, "To be a successful constructor of high quality architecturally designed homes we need our team to be not only motivated and passionate but skilful in their profession - apprentices are an integral part of this. 
Three students from the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) emerged triumphant after beating off fierce competition from around the country to take out the top spot at the prestigious 21st Nestlé Toque d’Or competition in 2011.
A small yet very successful initiative called "The Tamaiti Whangai Academy" is achieving great results for young Maori in the Hutt Valley. The initiative, which is led by Te Ati Awa Iwi and the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec), is delivered at WelTec's Petone campus. In 2011 130 students are participating in the Tamaiti Whangai Academy. Expectations are high and students are put through their paces through strong role-modelling by staff, who are very focused on students doing well in their tertiary studies.