A new event at Wintec will deliver the warmest of Pasifika welcomes for Pacific people interested in joining the Wintec community as future students.
The event, Experience the Pasifika Pipeline, promises a taste of the real thing at Wintec, where the diverse Wintec Pasifika community will gather to host people who want to explore their learning journey.
Wintec Pasifika Lead, Rose Marsters says the event is an authentic opportunity for the Pasifika community to explore their career and education options at Wintec.
“A significant proportion of our Waikato Pasifika population are young, vibrant and culturally-connected and we have a supportive, authentic and encouraging community here at Wintec, with a lot of study opportunities for them. So, it made sense to create an authentic framework, the Pasifika Pipeline and launch it with this event where we can extend that welcome and demonstrate there is support for them here,” says Marsters.
“We’re focussing a big lens on Pasifika learner success here at Wintec and many people may not know what can be achieved, how to start or even what is available to them, so we are gathering next Wednesday to show the way through that Pasifika pipeline at Wintec.”
Experience the Pasifika Pipeline is happening from 10am – 1pm on Wednesday 18 November in the Atrium at the Wintec, Hamilton city campus. The event is an opportunity for one on one conversation, exploration of options, a chance to meet and experience Wintec’s vibrant Pasifika community, and tour the campus.
“Kia orāna, tālofa lava, mālō e lelei, fakaalofa lahi atu, ni sa bula vinaka, taloha ni, halo olaketa, kia orana, ko na mauri, tālofa, aloha and warm Pacific greetings,” says Marsters who says that while Pasifika people come from a diverse range of Pasifika cultures, “we are all connected through our sea. Just like each wave that etches its journey into the sand, we’re inviting Pasifika students to join us and take that learning back into their communities”.
Marsters and colleague Colin Tuaa were appointed as Pasifika Leads recently to grow participation and equity for Pasifika students at Wintec. They are working to connect and integrate Waikato Pasifika communities to Wintec. The Pasifika Pipeline is an initiative that will see future events and developments roll out as part of a wider Pasifika strategy.
“We want to ensure that all Pasifika students see Wintec as a culturally safe place and they have a sense of belonging when we welcome them here. Through events like the Pasifika Pipeline we can demonstrate they will be able to carry their cultural values through the student journey and out the other side,” says Tuaa.
Boosting Pasifika achievement is a priority in the Governments’ Tertiary Education Strategy . By 2030, 30 percent of New Zealanders will be Māori or Pasifika and there’s a call for tertiary educators in New Zealand to focus on supporting achievement to these groups.
Pasifika students are part of a growing community at Wintec and they are supported through the Wintec Pasifika Club, dedicated staff, including pūkenga āwhina (learner support) and faculty, and a widening business and community support network.
Find out more about the Pasifika Pipeline event at Wintec on Wednesday 18 November.