Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
2 minutes ago
A ministerial delegation from Kiribati has visited EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus to learn about the institute’s national training programme supporting workers in New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
The delegation, led by Kiribati’s Minister for Employment and Human Resources Hon Auria Kitina, met with EIT staff involved in the programme during a visit on Friday (March 13).
A ministerial delegation from Kiribati, led by Minister for Employment and Human Resources Hon Auria Kitina, visited EIT.
The visit, coordinated by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, focused on labour mobility and opportunities for Kiribati workers participating in the RSE scheme.
It was the first time a Kiribati ministerial delegation had visited EIT. Since the programme, known as NOA – Village of Learning, was launched in June last year, a ministerial delegation from Papua New Guinea has also visited, along with liaison officers from other Pacific countries.
EIT holds the national contract to deliver training to RSE workers across New Zealand, providing practical courses designed to build skills that workers can take back to their home countries.
EIT RSE National Operations Manager Meriama Taufale said it was a privilege to host the delegation and share how the programme supports both New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries and Pacific communities.
“It was a privilege and an honour to host a ministerial delegation from one of our Pacific partners and for them to see first-hand the opportunities available through the NOA programme,” Meriama said.
“The RSE scheme is hugely important to New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries, and it also creates real economic benefits for Pacific countries through the opportunities workers have while they are here, and the skills they take home with them.”
Secretary Terengaiti Awerika, on behalf of Kiribati’s Minister for Employment and Human Resources Hon Auria Kitina, said the visit provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections between EIT and the Kiribati Institute of Technology.
“It was a privilege for the Minister and the delegation to meet with EIT staff and learn more about the NOA training programme and how it is tailored to the needs of Kiribati workers.”
“The skills workers gain while in New Zealand are valuable not only for their jobs here but also when they return home, where they can create opportunities for themselves and their families.”
A cohort of Kiribati RSE workers have recently arrived in New Zealand ahead of the harvest season, and Meriama said they will have the opportunity to take part in the programme while they are in the country for nine months.
Since June last year, nearly 1,500 RSE workers have taken part in EIT training programmes delivered across key horticulture regions, from Central Otago to Northland.
Meriama said the programme is designed to ensure workers gain practical skills that can support them long after their time in New Zealand.
“It’s about setting workers up for long-term success when they return home. We are conscious of keeping it simple but doing it well.
“The biggest thing is being able to deliver the training within a country context, meaning it is delivered in the language workers can understand and use to contextualise the learning.”
Courses include practical skills such as concreting, small engine maintenance, financial literacy and small business training.
Meriama said feedback from both workers and employers had been very positive as the programme expanded across the country.
EIT Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen said Noa highlights the importance of partnerships between education, industry and Pacific nations.
“Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti sit at the heart of New Zealand’s horticulture sector, and the RSE scheme plays a vital role in supporting growers in those regions, and around the country. At EIT, we’re proud to deliver training that supports the industry while helping workers
build skills they can take back to their families and communities.”
