Sigh Of Relief As Graduation Allowed To Go Ahead

Yesterday’s Alert Level announcement caused a huge sigh of relief for WITT and the 1,600 students and guests who plan to attend Graduation tomorrow.

More than 400 WITT students will march the streets of New Plymouth’s CBD in full academic regalia at 12:30pm, before heading to their graduation ceremony at TSB Stadium.

A special Māori & Pacific Student Celebration will be held in the New Plymouth campus whare, Te Piere, this afternoon from 4:30pm. Whānau, friends and supporters are invited to celebrate the achievements of Māori and Pacific learners alongside graduating students, staff and current students.

Members of the public are encouraged to join in the celebration and cheer students on as they march from Puke Ariki along Ariki Street, Egmont Street, Devon Street West and Currie Street between 12:30 and 1pm tomorrow.

WITT Chief Executive John Snook said graduation is an important day for the region.

“This is a celebration for everyone. As members of the Taranaki community, as employers, as business owners, we all benefit from the mahi of those who choose to invest in themselves through education. These graduating students are the future workforce of our region.

“If you’re working in the CBD or able to be in town at lunchtime on Friday, make sure you’re out on the street between 12:30 and 1pm to show your support.”

This year, over 1000 students will have their qualifications conferred. Those who are unable or don’t wish to attend the ceremony will receive their qualifications by post.

“It’s fantastic to see so many students graduating this year, especially after the challenges and disruptions of 2020. It says a lot about the resilience and māia of these learners – they stuck with it and have proven to themselves, their whanau and their community that they’ve got what it takes.

“Graduation is the most important day of the year for Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki as an institute and for the graduating students who finally get to cross that stage to receive their hard-earned qualifications. They’ve put in hundreds of hours of mahi to get to this point and deserve to be celebrated.”

John adds that both events will take place with safety front of mind, and in line with Alert Level 1 guidelines.

“We are asking our graduands, their whānau, our staff and VIPs the same thing. If you are unwell, please stay home. Now more than ever it’s important to be vigilant, and protecting the health and safety of our whānau and community is critical.”

There is a live stream of the entire ceremony for those that can’t make it. Live stream details are available on the WITT website, witt.ac.nz/graduation

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