Gen-i Partnership brings benefits to NMIT Students

November 24 2010
News Release
For Immediate Release

Gen-i Partnership brings benefits to NMIT Business and Arts Students

Local ICT company Gen-i have announced a comprehensive industry partnership with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology that spans both the School of Arts and Media and the School of Business.

The partnership will bring benefits to students in several ways. It includes a Gen-i scholarship for the Business School supporting its Bachelor of IT students who choose to major in the new ICT infrastructure programme.

Gen-i is also supporting the new high-tech Arts and Media Building with its leading edge media suite. Gen-i has not only assisted in setting up the IT infrastructure in the new media suite, including apple mac labs for the design students, but is also providing the specialist engineering expertise to help NMIT tutors with classroom teaching.

Managing Director of Gen-i Nelson and Marlborough, Russell Cockburn, says their existing relationship with NMIT made it a natural partnership.

“We are keen to support our industry with skilled young people who want a career in IT in this region, and NMIT provides that pathway through the IT degree. In terms of the fantastic new Arts and Media building, our motivation is the IT part of the building, but the reality is there are so many different areas across NMIT that technology touches. In arts and media, for example, our aim is to assist with the set up of the best apple mac lab systems, to allow the students to truly explore what’s creatively possible. And once they move out into industry they’ve also had the benefit of using the latest technology to deliver benefits to their new employers.”

Head of the School of Arts and Media, Suzie Peacock says the partnership with Gen-i is really exciting for the students.

“Technology is such a crucial form for expression that it’s vital for the students to have such leading IT expertise in our media suite and across the school. It means the whole area of digital creativity including design, reproduction and multi-media arts can be truly opened up to students, in the knowledge that it’s leading edge. I’m thrilled Gen-i have come on board and I know it it’s going to be a mutually beneficial relationship where the students reap the rewards.”

NMIT Business & Community Relationships and Development Manager, Sharon McGuire says both NMIT and Gen-i are in the business of helping to provide outcomes.

“Gen-i is strongly focused on making technology fit the required end use and that’s our aim as well. To have them not only set up the technology in the new arts and media building but also provide that technical training support as part of the partnership, shows their commitment to getting it right.”

Russell Cockburn says the new partnership has longer-term implications.

“There is a naming and sponsorship value attached, but there’s also the practical part of it where we’re helping put the tools in place for the students. So for us, it’s a partnership about our expertise and to show that we really do value the outcomes in both the creativity for the arts and media students and for building great ICT careers within our own region for the IT degree students. And in both areas, we’re extremely proud of what we can achieve at NMIT.”

ENDS