Our Unitec Pathways Team is small but mighty, and their approach to continuous improvement means they feel supported and confident. Find out about how this team’s Professional Development activities help them achieve their team and personal ambitions.
The UPC team (from left): Anaru Parangi, Debbie Loots, Andrea Thumath, Sarah Sommerville, Beth Fitzgerald, Blair Sorensen, Renee Peeni.
The Unitec Pathways College (UPC) team is well known around Unitec; as both a School and a Support Service they partner with almost every team here and have produced some outstanding results in the past few years.
They’re a team of seven: Andrea Thumath – Director UPC and Under 25s Success, Anaru Parangi – Team Leader Secondary Schools and Community Engagement, Sarah Sommerville – UPC Operations Coordinator, Debbie Loots – Secondary School and Community Liaison, Blair Sorensen – Secondary School and Community Liaison, Renee Peeni – Secondary School and Community Coordinator, and Beth Fitzgerald – Health Vocational Pathways Lecturer.
One major role they play is channelling around 380 secondary school students into Unitec’s vocational pathway courses. It’s a ‘try before you buy’ approach that aims to make the students feel welcome and comfortable on campus, so they’ll consider Unitec as the next step when they leave secondary school. Coupled with the work of the Secondary School and Community Liaison, the team are introducing under 25s to Unitec through a number of different channels and initiatives.
“Our relationship with each school, kura and community is different and we adapt as needed. We have been developing stronger relationships with Kura Kaupapa Māori and Rumaki Reo over the past 18 months which for a number of us in the team has meant an increase in professional and personal development and growth. It is essential we can partner in a genuine and respectful way, reflective of Te Noho Kotahitanga so their young people feel the strength of all that Unitec has to offer them. They need to experience going from one whānau to another so a big part of our own development has been spending time in the community so we can truly understand what we need to be doing as an insititute to better serve their young people.” says Andrea.
“Within Unitec, we partner with our Schools to deliver the vocational programmes, school holiday programmes and a variety of visits. We also work with support services like Maia, Pacific Centre, the wider Student Success whānau, Marketing and Communications, to be honest there are probably not many areas we don’t partner with and learn from as we sit in that unique position of being a School and Support Service .”
Then there’s the events – UPC is Unitec’s ‘face’ at community events like Polyfest, Waitangi at Waititi, Sirens and Sounds, school expos and more. Many of these also involve partnering internally across Unitec providing even more opportunities for the team to learn from their Unitec whānau.
“Everything we do comes back to supporting under 25s in secondary schools and our community.” Andrea says.
Sharing is caring
Such a diverse range of activities requires a diverse range of skills, and this team has that in spades. A big part of their team culture comes from sharing knowledge and supporting each other to upskill. Some team members are strong in event management and have been working alongside their teammates to improve their skills. Others have skills in public presentation or Te Reo Māori.
“I gain confidence to speak Te Reo Māori from other members in the team. We have a number of strong speakers and I’ve learnt so much from them” says Andrea.
“We continuously tick the 70% (on the job learning) and 20% (learning from others) aspects of our Professional Development just from being around each other. We’re a small team so often have to be agile and cover each other’s roles”.
A wealth of opportunities
“We also take up heaps of opportunities offered at Unitec. We usually take a whole team approach and we’ve attended free workshops covering Te Reo Māori, Dealing with Distressed Students, Waiata, Understanding Pacific Students, Beyond Diversity…basically if it’s free and will benefit the team, we’re in!”
Tapping into other teams’ skills has helped the team to be more efficient, especially when it comes to using web platforms and programmes. Sarah and Andrea have learnt how to use PeopleSoft and the Student Portal to keep an eye on where their students are at in their journey at Unitec.
Renee has drawn on the Marketing team’s expertise to learn how to upload information directly to our website, to cut down the time needed for updates.
Renee has also been attending Kura Pō (Te Reo Māori classes) and this year is part of the Karanga Wānanga, led by Kai Awhina Lynda Toki and Lecturer Te Mamaeroa Cowie.
“I really appreciate having opportunities to develop in so many different spaces. I can draw on the skills I’ve gained for different aspects of my role. For example, at school expos with Māori and Pacific students, all the development I’ve undertaken helps me to connect even more with the students.” says Renee.
Anaru and Blair are working with Taurahere Marae Lecturer, Hohepa Renata to develop their skills in kaikorero – the male speaking part at powhiri.
“I like that we have an environment where upskilling and knowledge-sharing is valued. In the process of connecting with others at Unitec, you’re creating links with other staff members – it’s the ‘kanohi ki te kanohi’ approach to relationship building” says Blair.
“Our team is led exceptionally well by Andrea. We’re supported to learn and train in different areas. Andrea leads by example – I’m super thankful for that.”
Formal qualifications
When it comes to more formal development (10% of their PD plan), the team have planned to meet or exceed the requirement to do two teaching credentials (badges) by the end of the year. They’re all working towards the ‘Working with Pacific Learners’ credential, and some are working on the ‘Moodle’ and ‘Moderation’ credentials. Andrea is also helping to develop the ‘Understanding Under 25s’ credential.
Many of the team are also completing qualifications through Unitec and other institutions.
Beth has just started her Masters of Education Psychology), Sarah and Andrea are completing their Master of Educational Leadership and Management, Debbie is in her last semester of a Bachelor of Career Development and Blair is completing a Certificate in Maori and Indigenous Art.
When asked why the team is so focused on continually increasing their skills, Andrea says they take a lot of pride in the work they do.
“Its a privilege to work with our communities. To respect the communities and Unitec we need to be as well prepared as we can be.”
“As we aim for parity for priority group students by 2022, I encourage everyone to take up opportunities to ensure we’re creating a supportive, nourishing environment for our Māori and Pacific students. Particularly if you’re not of Māori or Pacific descent – don’t use that as an excuse to not engage. We are well supported here to learn.”
Doing a great job team. Keep it up!
Fabulous work team!
“They need to experience going from one whānau to another.” So true!
Great work as always team 🙂