Artesha Matiu - Health and Wellbeing

NorthTec Ākonga

“I was very clear that I wanted to go to uni and study psychology but I didn’t get uni entrance from school so was looking at the best bridging study to get there when I chanced across this course. I was here for Orientation to support my partner and when I mentioned what I wanted to do to his tutor, she said this health and wellbeing course was perfect.”

“I was very nervous and quiet when I started because I come from right up north and was the youngest in the class, but my advantage was that I was straight out of school so I was used to study and written structure. I’m finding my grades are really good so that has helped my confidence and the course helps with communication and making presentations. It’s a really open environment here and all the students and tutors are genuinely supportive.”

“I’m realising since leaving home that my Dad is my inner voice encouraging me to be my best self. I’m really surprised here how strong the Māori aspect of the course is. I’m Māori but our parents didn’t speak te reo and I had to learn where I came from to give my pepeha here.”

“I can truly further my education by doing this course. I’m keen to upskill and want to absorb as much as possible to better my confidence, communication and motivational interviewing. I’ve already started applying to Auckland University where my sister is studying to be a doctor. My path will be a Bachelor of Arts with a Psychology major and my family’s end goal is to open a clinic up north for our own people. My Mum has her social work degree, my Dad is studying social work, my sister will have her medical degree, and I’ll have psychology.”

“I’m one of the oldest of ten children and all of us know how much need there is for education and up-skilling in our region. We as Māori are a small percentage of the population but the statistics in prison, mental health, and limited education are high. Together we can help with this. As youth, we all have capability to lift ourselves but a lot of us don’t realise we can do that by studying at NorthTec in a supportive system and staying in the area.”

Liam Wilson - Construction

NorthTec Ākonga

“I was doing construction as work experience at school for an hour a day and loving it so I knew I wanted to go into building. Some of my mates had done this course so I signed up straight after the school holidays.”

“It’s so much easier to learn here than at school because we’re doing what we love, the tutors are really cool, and we’re independent so we do the work because we want to not because we’re told to.”

“I’m the youngest in the course and it was hard at first because I had no mates here, but now we all know each other and get on well. When I finish here I hope to get an apprenticeship. The tutors have good connections to help with that but I’ll find my own as well.”

“My dream is to build my own house, be my own boss and have some people working for me. To other students out there that don’t like school but are into something else, I’d say go and do the training for what you’re interested in."

Dylan Wrathall-Epiha - Automotive

NorthTec Ākonga

“Working on rally cars with people from the industry for the International Rally is such a great experience, it is really important for my studies. It will help me with my future career and the potential to gain employment or an apprenticeship after my studies.”

Matthew Garlick - Painting (Trade)

NorthTec Ākonga

“You’re never too old to change it up. I had been in retail for 20 years then had some digestion issues so took some time out and started doing some plastering for a builder. It was less demanding physically and mentally, so I looked at my strengths and decided house painting was something I could do.”

“I’m amazed at how satisfying it is. There’s a real sense of accomplishment to see what you’ve done at the end of the day and there’s plenty of scope to advance in skill levels. We also cover a lot more than I was expecting – learning about scaffolding and health and safety.”

“The tutors here are very understanding and kind, even with logistics like a tutor doing home drop-offs for some of us on his way to and from work because, in our case, our family shares one vehicle. There’s a big support net here at NorthTec too from nurses, advisors and financial guides that makes me feel very at home. The other students are also very accepting and, as a mature student, it’s humbling getting to know some of the younger ones.”

“Now that I’ve got my confidence I may go on to level 3 with some of the other students, then I’d like to start working in this industry before starting my own business. In the meantime, I feel I’m also being a role model to show my kids how we can adapt to life’s changes and still progress. I’m a father of two and so I have responsibilities at home, and the temporary dip in income while I study impacts us all. But my wife is proud and I’m loving what I’m learning and the possibilities ahead.”

Deeana Manu - Foundation (Nursing)

NorthTec Ākonga

Deeana Manu has wanted to become a nurse ever since her oldest daughter was born nine years ago. When she moved to Whangarei from Perth, Australia to be closer to her partner’s family, she realised it was now or never. “My daughter has been in and out of the health system her whole life. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it all without the support of the nurses and medical staff - they inspired me to want to pursue a career helping others. Now that my daughter is older and has the care she needs at school, I was able to start my nursing study.

“I worked as an orderly at a hospital in Perth but I knew I couldn’t start my degree there because I didn’t have a support network around me. I have three children so it is really important for me to have the support for all of us while I study. I chose to come to NorthTec because it is so close and convenient to my support network.

“I really love the tutors here on this programme, they are just amazing because you can go to them for help with anything. They make it as easy as possible because they want you to pass and do well. My classmates are just awesome, the support here is just incredible. It’s important for me to get that support because I haven’t been in a classroom for about 15 years and even when I was at school I wasn’t listening, so I was expecting this to be really hard, but I have surprised myself. Having smaller classes has been awesome because we have become such a tight-knit group.

“What is important to me to remember is that I’m not alone – my classmates, tutors and my family are all behind me wanting me to succeed and helping me as much as they can.

“The programme is pretty flexible. We have classes Monday to Wednesday and all of the course content and information is online for us to go through.

“Completing this programme will be a huge influence on my children. They are watching me do this and are already so proud of me. It will affect what they are going to do in their future, and for them to understand that hard work does pays off.

“Getting up in the morning and coming in and having a routine makes me feel like I have a purpose – because I am getting closer to my dream goal. Ultimately, after I am a Registered Nurse, I want to be a Paramedic or a Midwife.”
 

Kate Skerten - Sport and Recreation

NorthTec Ākonga

“Although my Mum was a physiotherapist, and keeping active was a normal part of life for our family, it wasn’t until I went to St Peter’s College in Cambridge that my spark for this as a career really got lit. I was exposed to a broader range of sports and spent more time in a gym environment I then studied Sport and Recreation (Personal Training) to level 5 at Otago Polytech but returned to Northland and was reassessing my direction.”

“In the meantime, I was doing some part time work running fitness classes and doing some voluntary work when my employer encouraged me to upskill to level 7 to become more employable. So I signed on here and I love the small classes and how hands-on our learning is. We have practical workshops with guest speakers, we do personal training, we learn about sports performance, strength and conditioning, sports science, coaching, and nutrition. We also had the opportunity to have workshops with Turbo Touch, Northland Cricket, Far North CrossFit, Manaia Fitness, and we have work placements.”

“Part of our curriculum involves volunteering at community events and we recently helped out with the Lions Tour and ran a Turbo Touch tournament in schools. We’re also in partnership with Sports Northland programmes so we can help with things like the Weetbix Triathlon and the Run/Walk series. These activities all give us experience and build confidence in our ability to apply what we learn.”

“The learning process is a challenge for me because I’ve got dysgraphia which means I have poor comprehension and have trouble getting my ideas across in a systematic order, so the tutors and NorthTec’s Student Success have really supported me with this.”

“As students we’re constantly working in small groups doing presentations, projects, or group fitness so the interpersonal level is high and we have a synergy like a family. I’m surprised at how much growth, knowledge and life experience I’ve gained through the course, and at how broad the course is. I’ve also learned to be adaptable to new ideas because initially I thought I only wanted to do group fitness and personal training but I’m finding I enjoy working with children and youth. I like keeping them engaged and enjoying physical and mental activities.”

“I already volunteer as a youth coach for football and tennis teams, and when I finish the course I’ll either do more work with youth, go into the Police Force, be an outdoor contractor working somewhere like Outward Bound, or do some post-graduate study in sport or teaching.”

“My overarching interest though is in helping people keep physically active from a young age so they can keep mentally healthy. Youth drop-off levels in sport are relatively high now, especially with the use of technology and parents struggling to run children around, and it’s concerning because physical activity is a fundamental part of keeping healthy on every level.”