In an era when the lines between traditional education and the workforce are blurring, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology stands at the forefront of innovative learning and vocational education in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato. Our commitment is to not only adapt to the changing world, but to lead the charge in shaping the future of education.
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s focus has always been, and continues to be, on providing quality vocational education and training to meet the needs of our diverse communities and in line with employers needs in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato.
The education sector, among others, is facing changes and challenges, but better than anyone, we understand the need to provide education that responds to the needs of our people as well as those of our industries. We have a long-standing history in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato and our core focus on ākonga (student) success goes a long way in both delivering education and also in maintaining our strong industry connections.
We recently engaged with our local business communities at our Business After 5 (BA5) functions – in Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō and Whakatāne – through our partnerships with local chambers of commerce. They have been great at opening up conversations around the future of vocational education and for hearing directly from local businesses and community leaders. Collectively, we are all facing similar challenges, which is why it is so important to work together to address and overcome these.
We held an interactive activity asking participants to select the topics they wanted to hear us speak about. We covered three areas our partners were keen to hear about with the first addressing the biggest challenges and opportunities for youth employment and how education providers could help.
Collectively, we are all facing similar challenges, which is why it is so important to work together to address and overcome these.
We know that offering flexible study options (including online and in-work) can improve youth employment by aligning training with growing job markets.
We highlighted how partnerships and collaborations between educational institutions and local businesses are crucial for creating relevant programmes that lead to immediate job opportunities, and we covered the importance of graduate connections, where engaging with graduates helps businesses understand youth skills better and align job openings with available talent.
Ongoing dialogue and continuous communication is also vital between businesses and education providers by ensuring graduates acquire the skills local employers need.
The next topic addressed the changing vocational education landscape and the delivery models/approaches that support robust education to employment outcomes. We highlighted how broader shifts in education – including polytechnic mergers, funding model changes and new government policies – impacted regional areas and created uncertainty.
However, Toi Ohomai has a commitment to delivering education and training across the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato and supporting local industries and workforce development. We are adapting with flexible approaches, such as new courses and partnerships, and we know the importance of engaging with local businesses and stakeholders.
The final topic explored how businesses and industry can access our graduates and understand their skills. We want to continue to promote collaboration and build on events, such as our BA5s, as we need to encourage environments where local businesses and Toi Ohomai work together to align educational offerings with industry needs, including internships, apprenticeships, and industry placements. We need to ensure ākonga benefit from integrated industry experience, giving businesses opportunities to engage with and evaluate ākonga before graduation.
We want to use skill mapping of businesses to understand local needs and talent required, enabling us to pinpoint areas for further training or development, as well as programming that assesses the skills of graduates and maps them to the needs of industries.
Strong partnerships with local businesses, industries and iwi are integral to our approach. Through work-integrated learning opportunities, ākonga gain hands-on experience and develop practical skills directly applicable to their careers. These collaborations ensure our curriculum remains relevant and aligned with industry needs.
By continuing to engage with our industry partners and fostering these relationships we are not just keeping pace with the future, we are shaping it.
