Operations of Wintec and Toi Ohomai will be absorbed into Te Pūkenga

The operations of Wintec and Toi Ohomai will be absorbed, as they currently stand, into Te Pukenga. Photo / File

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) will move into Te Pūkenga on May 31.

The early move by the two subsidiary Institute of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) marks the first time ākonga will be directly part of the new national vocational education provider, rather than a regional subsidiary.

Te Pūkenga (the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) chief executive Stephen Town is pleased to welcome Toi Ohomai and Wintec into the Te Pūkenga whānau.

"Te Pūkenga is committed to continued vocational education excellence in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. Tiriti partners and Māori stakeholders are important to this commitment and the change in structure. All three organisations have appreciated Tiriti partner and Māori stakeholder engagement with this process," Town said.

The operations of Wintec and Toi Ohomai will be absorbed into Te Pūkenga. There will be no staffing changes other than that to the role of the chief executives and the dissolution of the boards. The formal dissolution of the two ITPs will happen before completion of Te Pūkenga Operating Model, where organisational structure will be finalised.

"Current partner relationships and agreements will continue to be upheld and nurtured, as they always have been,"says Te Pukenga. "We acknowledge that it is critical to recognise and retain these relationships as we navigate this transition."

This early move will not affect the current brands, campus or building names. Toi Ohomai and Wintec, along with the other ITP subsidiaries, recently began co-branding with Te Pūkenga as part of an engagement campaign to educate their local communities about the shift into Te Pūkenga.

Te Pūkenga establishment is one of the key changes being made through the reform of vocational education.

Welcoming ākonga is a key milestone in the formation of Te Pūkenga, and the delivery of its operating model, Te Pūkenga says.

Toi Ohomai chief executive Dr Leon Fourie will take on the role as Toi Ohomai / Wintec transitional lead and Wintec chief executive Dave Christiansen will take on the role of Te Pūkenga ITP transition lead. Both will report to Te Pūkenga.

Toi Ohomai is one of the largest tertiary education providers in New Zealand with campuses in Rotorua, Taupō, Tauranga, Tokoroa and Whakatāne.

Christiansen says: "As chief executive I know Wintec is ready for this. Our staff have demonstrated resilience, dedication and commitment to their roles, and to our learners. Wintec has made a significant contribution to this region over many years and this will continue. After 22 years at Wintec, and nearly four as CE, this is quite a change for me personally. I leave knowing that we've achieved a lot and that Wintec will be in great hands with Leon - he's a talented and committed leader and I'm looking forward to contributing to the further success of Te Pūkenga in a different capacity," he says.

"I look forward to working with the talented executive teams and staff across both organisations as we look to build to the next level of delivery across the wider rohe," says Fourie.