Whitireia and the Wgtn Institute of Technology join forces

Whitireia and the Wellington Institute of Technology join forces to provide new tertiary training courses in Kāpiti

24 September 2013

For immediate release

Last night Whitireia and the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) jointly hosted industry stakeholders, local government representatives and major Kāpiti businesses at the Whitireia Kāpiti Campus. Invited guests had the opportunity of providing input into the direction of tertiary education training for the Kāpiti region.

This stakeholder event was held under the new partnership arrangement between WelTec and Whitireia; a partnership known as ‘The Choice Protocol’. ‘The Choice Protocol’ is Whitireia and WelTec working together to give students education choices that matter, one that also provides a region wide approach to tertiary education.

The event was highly successful with a lot of excellent feedback received. This will be used by the two polytechnics to develop tertiary training programmes that will support the economic developments in the Kāpiti region.

This was the first in a series of engagements to obtain feedback said Hon Roger Sowry, Council Chair, “We are very pleased with how this event has gone and what we heard last night from local Kāpiti business people. From the feedback we have received, we will now collectively identify some future directions for tertiary education training for the Kāpiti region.”

Providing quality tertiary education and relevant programmes of study for the Kāpiti region is a high priority for both WelTec and Whitireia, and the Council of both institutions. Last night Whitireia and WelTec announced that two programmes of study will be offered for the first time from the Kāpiti Campus in 2014. The programmes, the National Certificate in Infrastructure Works will be offered by Whitireia while the National Certificate in Health, Disability and Aged Support and the Certificate in Community Support will be offered by WelTec.

The decision to offer the National Certificate in Infrastructure Works programme in Kāpiti was in response to an expected boom in the Civil Construction industry in the Kāpiti region said Don Campbell, Chief Executive, Whitireia. “With Civil Construction projects confirmed for the Kāpiti region for the next 5-10 years it made sense for us to offer this programme here and provide training opportunities in an industry that is growing and one that will need trained workers.”

WelTec looks forward to bringing its community support certificates to the Kāpiti region said Linda Sissons, WelTec Chief Executive, “These certificates will provide training in the areas of eldercare, health and disability, aged and community support.”

Beca also took the opportunity to announce new engineering scholarships for people wanting to study higher level engineering qualifications with WelTec. “These scholarships are vital to stimulating interest among young people to follow an engineering career via an NZDE or Bachelor of Engineering Technology with WelTec,” says Linda Sissons. “Demand for these qualifications will be high with the major new infrastructure projects on the horizon for the Wellington region.”

Whitireia and WelTec remain committed through ‘The Choice Protocol’ to provide targeted, relevant vocational training that meets the needs of the Kāpiti region, the investment in the new Kāpiti Campus will see this continue with new joint opportunities now being offered.

ENDS

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