The courses are open to anyone, and iwi leaders hope they will boost capability generally across the district. About 100 people took part.
Most of the courses were offered by Ucol, and this year computing, driver licensing, civil works and manaaki marae will be offered, with carpentry continuing. Forestry and horticulture may join them.
One of the courses, in whaikōrero, is being offered at Tini Waitara Marae.
On the health and social services front, rūnanga provider Te Kotuku Hauora is looking to take on two new social workers and a new whānau ora worker.
A 10-week summer internship with the iwi's research team, for a recently-graduated tertiary student, is also beginning.
On the agriculture front at Te Hou Farms, 2ha of blueberries have been planted in tunnel houses to add to the beef, dairy, cropping and lamb finishing done there. The rūnanga is in a one-third partnership to operate the 1224ha farm.
It is also looking for a horticulture manager, who will turn 5ha that was formerly a corner of Harakeke Forest into a strawberry farm. It has honey investments with 500 hives, and forestry interests.
Environmental manager Chris Shenton has held a wānanga for the hapū of Tini Waitara, with a view to them monitoring and caring for Lake Koitiata.
Schools have been visiting Te Poho, with Whanganui's Te Kura o Kokohuia learning the history of the area, and Palmerston North's Manukura learning traditional Māori sports.
The iwi's AGM on Sunday finished with the graduation of six young people from its Maripi Tuatini leadership programme. The programme takes 10 secondary school-aged young people from each of its four marae and hosts them for a week in three school holidays every year.
Usually the stays are on marae, and the hosted youths learn a whole range of things including first aid, business development, tribal history, waiata, tikanga and water safety. Six are graduating this year, and will talk about their experience.
After that, the occasion ends with a Christmas lunch for about 150 whānau and kaumātua.
