Former EIT student joins NZ Army to bring plumbing skills to East Coast

Sapper Brooking Poi from the East Coast has embarked on a plumbing career with the NZ Army thanks to advice he got while attending an EIT programme, and one day he intends to bring his skills back to Tairawhiti.

• Former EIT student Brooking Poi is training in plumbing with the NZ Army to serve the East Coast.
• Poi, 19, completed a study programme at EIT Tairāwhiti, preparing him for his Army career.
• He aims to return home to Tairāwhiti after his service to address the plumber shortage.

Former EIT student Brooking Poi has been learning a trade in the NZ Army so he can one day provide plumbing service back home on the East Coast.

Sapper Poi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūmatuenga) has been on a positive journey and wants to help promote the benefits of study to potential students in his East Coast community.

The 19-year-old was born in Gisborne but spent his childhood in Ruatoria before finishing his schooling at Lytton High School.

He was always keen to join the Army and was told by Zac Te Maro, a tutor at EIT, that he should go to the Army and the best way to prepare for it was to do a programme at EIT.

It was worth the effort as he completed the NZ Certificate in Study and Employment Preparation (Services Pathway) (Level 3) at EIT Tairāwhiti.

Poi enjoyed the programme because of the working environment. He is based at Linton Army Base near Palmerston North, where he has been doing a plumbing trade.

“I would like to go back home, especially back in Tairāwhiti, where we don’t have many plumbers and help out the Kaumātua.”

Having signed up to the Army, Poi has to stay there for eight years, but he believes that he will stay on a bit longer and get all his licences.

He even has ideas to trade change after his apprenticeship to gain more knowledge.

He says that studying further after school was always something he wanted to do.

“It was just the way I was raised. Put your head down and do the mahi and you get the treats later. Not only did I have mates at EIT, but tutors were nice and they were very respectful to us.”

EIT Trades and Technology Head of School Todd Rogers said it was great to see Poi’s pathway through to the NZ Army, following the path carved by other members of his whānau.