Source: Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
As part of the Reform of Vocational Education, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is officially a subsidiary of New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) effective Wednesday, 1 April 2020.
Previously, Toi Ohomai was a Crown Entity. Under the new structure, Toi Ohomai is a limited liability company as a subsidiary of NZIST. The Institute’s Executive Leadership Team will now report into a Subsidiary Board of Directors.
What Does This Mean for Students?
The changes are being introduced gradually and carefully. Our students won’t notice any changes in 2020 and will still be able to complete their Toi Ohomai qualifications. Students will be able to enrol in another course, including courses that last for more than one year.
Support services will stay the same, fees will stay the same and student relationships with organisations such as StudyLink, will also stay the same.
The long-term goal is for students to have more access to high-quality learning in the workplace as well as on campus. Eventually, it will become easier to move between learning in the workplace, on campus and online. People living in remote parts of New Zealand will have more opportunities to learn online, and there will also be more support to help all learners achieve their goals.
Industries will be more involved in setting the standards for what students’ study, to make sure they gain the relevant skills that employers want. It will also be easier to transfer to another part of New Zealand to learn, without it affecting the qualifications students are training for.
Name and Location of NZIST
An online consultation process was conducted on the Board’s preferred name (Pukenga Aotearoa) from Friday, 14 February to Monday, 9 March. Having considered the feedback gathered through that process, along with stakeholder meetings held earlier in the year, the Board has decided that it needed more time to consider and reflect on some of the issues raised.
The recommendation to the Minister was that the working name, NZIST, continue to be used for another month. With the arrival of COVID-19 to New Zealand, it is likely this will remain the working name for a slightly longer period.
The process for determining a location for the headquarters of the NZIST is also on hold while New Zealand is at Alert Level 4.
The Toi Ohomai Subsidiary Board will host its inaugural meeting on Thursday, 2 April, and will be led by Chair, Cathy Cooney.
The full list of the new Subsidiary Board of Directors is available on the Our People page.
NZIST Academic Board
The inaugural NZIST National Academic Board, with the suggested name of Poari Akoranga, is expected to be in place in April, following recommendations for membership appointment going to the NZIST Council meeting on Thursday, 9 April. The NZIST Academic Board will have an important role in giving effect to the NZIST Charter by providing strategic academic direction and leadership.
All current Academic Boards will become Academic Committees reporting to the National Academic Board. The Committees will retain control over changes and approvals to current programmes offered. The National Academic Board will examine new course/programme creation as there could be overlap with another learning provider and potential for partnership. There will be further discussion around the function of the Academic Board versus its Committees once the incoming Council is appointed and the CE Designate is in place.
All six Workforce Development Councils are expected to be up and running by June 2021. It is yet to be confirmed when the function of programme approval will be taken over by WCDs, but it is expected to be after June 2021.
Staff, Student and Māori Advisory Committees
It is a requirement of NZIST to establish a Staff Committee, Student Committee and Māori Advisory Committee, who will play an important role in communicating the views of their stakeholders to the NZIST Council. To ensure the voices of staff, students and Māori are heard, once the committees are established, each one will elect a member to sit on the NZIST Council.
After the NZIST’s first Council meeting on Wednesday, 1 April, letters will be sent to all existing polytechnics, staff and student unions outlining the process and selection criteria for the staff and student committees. Members will be democratically elected to both committees. Elections will happen as soon as practically possibly given the current situation with COVID-19.
All permanent members of the teaching or general staff of the NZIST or of an NZIST subsidiary polytechnic will be eligible to stand for election to the staff committee. In the same way, all students enrolled at an NZIST subsidiary institute of technology or polytechnic will be eligible to stand for election to the student committee.
NZIST is still developing the process for establishing the Māori Advisory Committee.
More information is available on the NZIST website.
