Speech: Turia - Opening of the NZ Management Academies
te-pati-maori
Thu Jul 05 2012 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Speech: Turia - Opening of the NZ Management Academies
Thursday, 5 July 2012, 12:54 pm
Press Release: The Maori Party
Hon Tariana Turia
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
Opening of the New Zealand Management Academies
Waikato Academy
Tower Building, Level 2, 48 Ward Street, Hamilton
6pm, 3 July 2012
Tena koutou katoa
Ki a Kingi Tuheitia, me te kahui ariki anei nga mihi. Aa ki te tangata whenua o te rohe nei, nga iwi o te waka o Tainui – tena koutou.
I acknowledge my parliamentary colleague, David Bennett. I also acknowledge Tim Cullinane and Rosanne Graham who have a proven track record in management, particularly in the communications industry. Their leadership of the New Zealand Management Academies particularly in carving out a pathway for hospitality, business, retail and communications is well respected, and it is indeed an honour to be part of their plan moving forward.
And to everyone who has come here tonight – tena koutou katoa.
There is one special person that I have been thinking of, who would have been at the heart of the festivities this evening.
He is described best, in your words:
“Loved, respected, treasured, influential mentor, wine connoisseur, coffee king and general "knower of all", most importantly - senior tutor. Generous without fault; with his time, food and cups of tea but most of all, with his knowledge. "Papa Alan" you were highly regarded by all staff and students, past and present”.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
I think tonight of Alan Hatchard and the impact he leaves on the New Zealand Management Academies, in the Waikato and in Auckland.
We have an expression in Te Ao Māori which captures this moment in time: Mate atu he tete kura, ara mai he tete kura. As one fern frond falls another is born to take its place.
Tonight then, we celebrate the start of a new journey for the Waikato Academy – and in doing so we reflect on the fascinating legacy of Papa Alan, in extending the pathways and opportunities for others.
From butcher to chef, hotelier to tutor; from Lake Zurich in Switzerland to here in Hamilton his life was driven by the belief that enthusiasm is the best investment.
It is also significant that this event has taken place during Puanga or Matariki, the Maori new year. This is the time where we celebrate our achievements as a nation, where we reflect on where we have come from, and we take stock to plan our journey forward anew.
Matariki, of course, has special significance here in Waikato, where you will see the image of this star cluster on the coat of arms of the Kingitanga, and it is used by many organisations in the rohe as a symbol of knowledge, both traditional and contemporary, and a sign of innovation, creativity and inspiration.
The stars, as we know, are an important tool used in navigating, and I would have to say that so far the stars seem to have aligned for the event that we have come to celebrate tonight.
This event marks a new beginning for the New Zealand Management Academy, who have now opened this premises in Hamilton. This is also a new opportunity presented to the people of Hamilton and the wider Waikato region, to further advance their aspirations for the people of this rohe in education, employment and training.
And I want to really mihi to all of your team, and in particular Marama Tahapehi, the Waikato Academy Manager
Marama and ‘Matauranga’ seem to go hand in hand. Marama started her career in early childhood and primary schools, before working in a range of tertiary institutions including Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Waimarie Training and Development – also known as EmployNZ.
Not content with the cut and thrust of the classroom, she has also experienced the rush of bureaucracy – through time at the Ministry of Education, NZQA and the Tertiary Education Commission. In fact I’m struggling to think what part of education Marama doesn’t know.
She well and truly represents the aspiration all of us here uphold – for learning to be a lifelong adventure.
In four rapid years, Marama has taken up the vision of the New Zealand management academy – and today we see that vision translated into reality with the opening of these new premises.
Your mission at the Waikato Academy is simple and yet profound: “to be a leader in New Zealand education by making a meaningful difference to the lives of our students and our communities”.
I really love the focus on being real – this is not about learning for learning’s sake – this is about creating opportunities for your community; for your families to benefit from knowledge and education.
It is about investing in educational pathways for our whanau and communities as a key part of the strategy for development.
While development and success will be defined differently across whanau, communities, regions, hapu and iwi – an important part of creating successful outcomes is being able to provide choice; to provide pathways and opportunities that are available to support them on their journey to wellbeing.
This is what I find so exciting about the work you are doing here – that it is focused on connecting, on engaging, on representing, on responding to the needs and aspirations of your rangatahi – being a centre of learning in the centre of this community.
Education is at the heart of the Whanau Ora approach. Educational and employment opportunities, are in fact, a critical part in furthering the advancement of our whanau, and in ensuring long term and sustainable wellbeing.
We have another saying “Te manu kai miro, nōna te ngahere; te manu kai matauranga nōna te ao” – the bird that eats miro berries, his is the forest; whereas the bird that eats of knowledge, his is the world.
This whakatauki not only maps out a pathway to empowerment, it places knowledge and learning at the centre of this journey.
So you see, knowledge and education in its various forms, whether it happens in formal institutions such as this, on a marae, in the kitchens of the Kingsgate Hotel, or deep in the Waitomo Caves– is a critical element of ensuring that whanau can achieve successful outcomes.
The key to Whānau Ora is supporting the learning that happens outside the home and making sense of the skills and strategies within the home. It is about acknowledging the value of transferrable skills – appreciating how a little learning can go a long way.
While success can be measured in many different ways, one of the most immediate ways that knowledge can empower a person is through self-belief, building confidence, and developing skills. It is these elements which can often lead to long term sustainable employment outcomes – and this is something that I think every one of us in this room want to see more of, within our communities.
Of course, there are other very clear outcomes that are visible proof of the success achieved by the students of this school.
It is absolutely fantastic to know that 86% of all enrolled domestic learners successfully gained a qualification and 40% of graduates progressed to higher levels of education.
This is a wonderful achievement for the Academy, for the students, and of course for their whanau around them. These results deserve to be commended.
Finally I want to make special mention of the introduction of the Diploma in Hospitality Management which will mean that students enrolling here may be able to move from a Level 2 qualification right through to a Level 5 Diploma.
This will mean that students will not only be prepared for employment, but also prepared to take on the highest levels of responsibility, which can move them up into higher levels of employment. I know that Alan would have been very proud.
I want to thank the Academy for the inspirational work you are doing here. You provide us all with the challenge that we must build on your success, and continue to provide opportunities for our rangatahi to further their learning in the workplace and in the community, supporting their aspirations, and their learning needs.
We all have a part to play in supporting our rangatahi into employment including through collaborative approaches between community organisations, businesses and government.
I am particularly keen to investigate ways to strengthen these relationships as a means of producing multiple outcomes for our rangatahi and whānau – and I look forward to all of your ideas about how we can do that.
Tonight however, is about the New Zealand Management Academy. I congratulate you for the work that you are doing in advancing the journey of our young people here in Aotearoa. I wish you well with this new campus and in your new endeavours that you will soon be undertaking. And of course, we all look forward to hearing the stories of the success of your students.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from The Maori Party on InfoPages.