Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Working fulltime and studying? Why you should hang in there

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chairwoman Merepeka Raukawa-Tait addresses graduates at the ceremony.

Opinion

Sitting and watching graduates last week waiting to receive their Diploma in Whānau Ora reminded me how difficult it is to work fulltime and undertake a programme of tertiary study.

Mine was a two-year MBA programme over 20 years ago. After the first year, I was struggling with my heavy workload as well as having to fit in, and complete, my study requirements.

I contacted the programme director over the summer holidays saying I would sit the next year out but would come back after 12 months.

I can hear her to this day: “Merepeka, the road is littered with people who were going to come back; they rarely did. You will not be one of them”.

She refused all further discussion, and I reluctantly turned up in February and got on with it.

I am so grateful to her because I suspect she was right; I may well not have returned.

The funny thing is, within a few months I knew I was on the homeward straight. I just had to hang in there.

That’s why I have the utmost respect for those who study while working fulltime. You have to be committed to staying the distance.

There were 76 graduates from all over the North Island in the Wai Tech class of 2022, and the diploma reflects the importance of growing Māori service provider workforce capacity and capability.

The demand for a well-trained, skilled workforce is growing rapidly in the social services sector.

From my observation, the majority of graduates were mature students. Many would have had years of work experience, and life experience as well.

Perhaps some had recently made a career change within the wellbeing sector or were new and wanted to know more about the Whānau Ora service model.

The work the graduates do is not for everyone. They are working with families that often have high and complex needs. Some have lived on struggle street for so long, I have heard them say they believe “this is as good as it gets”.

Whānau Ora provider partners know this isn’t true.

What these families may have experienced in the past and what they are going through now cannot be allowed to determine their future.

The Whānau Ora approach is to work alongside families to encourage them to plan and participate in growing their own strengths. And to use these to make decisions that will ultimately move them to a desirable future that they themselves have chosen and worked to achieve.

We believe in our families.

Within the next two years, there will be a degree in Whānau Ora as we constantly strive for the best Māori work practice and standards.

The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency considers investing in training at all levels a priority.

We know the value of Māori-led, whānau-centred and culturally informed service provision. We know where the need is most compelling.

A well-trained workforce is crucial to the ongoing success that is Whānau Ora.

Through their efforts, knowledge and skills, there is the potential to profoundly transform service delivery within New Zealand’s social and health sectors. And we all know how long overdue that is.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has been chairwoman of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency for a decade. She has worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Today she writes, broadcasts and is a regular social issues commentator on TV. Of Te Arawa, Merepeka believes fearless advocacy for equity and equality has the potential to change lives.