Earlier this month we hosted the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) ‘Whanaungatanga Day’ at Mt Albert campus, a very special celebration for these new trade trainees.
The event marked MPTT Auckland’s first 200 students to receive their scholarship and the start of their training programme.
Unitec is a member of the Auckland branch of MPTT Consortia which offers targeted TEC funded support for our Māori and Pacific Level 3 pre-trades students. This is a national initiative which launched in 2015. There are 12 or more TEC approved consortia across the country.
The students were from Unitec, MIT, PTE and ITOs and were welcomed to our campus with a powhiri, followed by a day of speakers including trades and industry focused breakout sessions, food, as well as a 200 person team multicultural haka!
Whanaungatanga Day (kinship and belonging) was originally planned to be hosted by MIT but at short notice the venue had to be changed. As a partner in this scholarship programme it was a great opportunity for us to step up and offer Unitec as a venue – a big thank you to everyone involved in making this possible!
The event was a huge success and a great way for us to show our support, and showcase Unitec and our resources to these students.
You can view the Whanaungatanga Day multicultural haka here.
About the MPTT scholarship programme
Students apply for a MPTT scholarship through a Unitec-managed process, and if successful, they will receive a course fee subsidy from TEC, plus specialised wrap-around mentor support from Consortia contracted ‘Navigators’ (here on campus). They can also receive help with driving licence costs, and attendance at MPTT national and local team/career building events.
As the student completes their study with us they can also apply for up to $700 (a student support fund) which is typically used as a grant towards ‘tools’, we then go on to support the student into L4 formal trades training either through our own programmes or into ITO pathways. Each year we bid for around 135 EFTS and we have EPI/L&T focused MPTT meetings to track our students and report their success to both TEC and the Consortia annually.
We have two intakes of scholarship students each year. Part of the application process is to ensure the students understand that the scholarships are earned and recognise their commitment to the MPTT national whānau. Being a successful MPTT graduate is a valued endorsement for the employer, giving them confidence to take on our pre-trades graduate as they start the longer apprenticeship journey. This year we have spent some time restructuring how we support and facilitate the MPTT opportunities and ensure that dovetails into our own Māori/Pacific success strategies.
