This is Executive Director Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga’s last week with MIT and Unitec.
In 2017, Peseta joined MIT as Deputy Chief Executive – Pasifika following a political career in local and central government.
He sat down with The Nest / MITNET to talk about his time with us.
What attracted you to the job at MIT?
MIT just presented an opportunity to serve in my local community after leaving parliament on the Saturday, I started here on the Monday
Education is just such a great platform. It’s been so good to me as a migrant from Samoa. Education was one of my parents’ big goals. To serve at MIT and to do it in my local community where I grew up presented an opportunity to have an impact on local communities.
What were your first impressions?
Thankfully I’d come here quite often as a member of parliament. I knew the work MIT was doing, the kaupapa, the purpose was really strong around helping lift aspirations and hope for local people to get trained and get into better jobs. It was good in that sense.
Certainly, in Otara some of the buildings were a bit worn, dilapidated, needed a bit of work.
What have been your highlights?
Many highlights. Graduation always presents highlights to celebrate with the families and graduands which gives them respect and honour for all the work that they’d done as they transition to work and other activities
Other highlights include bringing new facilities, some of the best facilities in the country, including a Technology Park at Manukau, some of the best nursing suites at Manukau, Building 108 at Mt Albert gave us Creative Industries, computer science labs which attract new students. Why not give local people the best facilities in their communities?
Do you think the move to a single entity is a positive outcome?
I think a single entity provides us with collaborating on resources, on sharing best practices from across the region, offer more, better products.
Single leadership will provide us with a clarity around what we can deliver across the region
I think we’ve already seen some of those positive steps. Last Saturday, I was at Polyfest and the teams were working together out there promoting the single entity, our services and engaging with local communities I think that’s easier done as one than two separate entities.
How would you describe your approach to leadership?
For me, I very much start with values. I like to live the values of the organisations I’m part of. If it’s manaakitanga at Manukau or mahi kotahitanga at Te Noho Kotahitanga at Mt Albert and Waitākere.
I like to focus on people, people’s needs and that’s not just our kaimahi ‘staff,’ that’s learners, that’s what industry needs, what can we do to help.
Then I like to focus on performance. I’m please for where we have got to that’s in terms of financial sustainability and the products that we are offering.
Performance should be on how our learners are benefiting from our services. Our performance indicators that we report to TEC are really high and we’ve got to be happy, our completion rates at 84% are at historic highs. We’re really pleased with that.
What are you going to miss about working at MIT and Unitec?
There are many people I’m going to miss. The events, the buzz you get from a pōwhiri. Welcoming new people, new staff, new learners to our place. I don’t think you have that sort of experience so often in other jobs. I’ll miss the people but I’m looking forward to a new challenge
Any final thoughts?
Final thoughts? For me, thank you. I’ve been blessed to be part of this organisation. I will remain MIT and Unitec whānau into the future.
I wish you well it’s been a tough period. I think there’s a sense of optimism, you’ll have new leadership and I urge you to support Christina in what she will bring to this new job and this organisation.
But above all be optimistic, focus on the things that matter. They’re our learners, you, your whānau, your communities and if we do that we’ll be highly successful.
Ngā mihi nui, faafetai tele lava, wish you well.