Source: Te Pukenga
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden visited Otago Polytechnic’s He Toki Kai Te Rika Trades Training Centre building site in Dunedin today.
“We were delighted to share with the Prime Minister our progress on He Toki Kai Te Rika, our Trades Training Centre today,” said Otago Polytechnic Chief Executive Dr Megan Gibbons, who was out of town at the time of the site tour.
“He Toki Kai Te Rika translates as ‘A tool for your hand’. When completed our new Trades Training Centre will provide our future learners the tools or skills to perform a trade of their choice.”
He Toki Kai Te Rika will provide an outstanding learning environment, offering modern learning facilities including common learning spaces, to meet industry and more sophisticated learner demands.
“We are proud of our reputation as a leader in the sector, particularly around the innovative education we deliver and connections for the local community that we make possible,” Dr Gibbons said.
“With the support from the Government’s Shovel Ready funding for He Toki Kai Te Rika, we are showing our ongoing commitment to ensuring we keep pace with and respond to new opportunities that support our community to flourish.
“Otago is on the cusp of transformational change, and we continue to play a key role the future success of our community,” Dr Gibbons said.
“As we transition to Te Pūkenga, Otago Polytechnic is in a strong position to work to meet the needs of mana whenua, our employers and our community and work with the rest of our sector to create innovative and future-focused learning that results in more work-ready graduates to meet the skills shortage of our region.
“Trades apprentices being trained now will potentially be involved in the Dunedin Hospital rebuild during its peak construction period of 2024 to 2027, as well as in residential construction.”
Construction of the $31.7 million He Toki Kai Te Rika project began in January 2021. Although time has been lost due to COVID lockdowns, the project team aims to have the building completed in the first quarter of 2023.
