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“If someone wanted to train as a hairdresser, I’d tell them to come to NorthTec because you get the job experience in a salon and you get the feel of it before and you get to go into a salon with all this practical experience behind you.”
I’m learning discipline and how to motivate myself to push through. It’s great being amongst the other students because everyone wants to be there and is committed to learning.
“If you’re thinking of starting a career in Mechanical Engineering, come to NorthTec first because they teach all you need to know before you get into the workplace. They tutors are a great support and they can potentially hook you up with a job too…
Doing this course is confirming that I want a life linked to the land, and although I failed a lot at school, I’m getting A’s here because I’m so interested.
The completion of the course and the certificates I will receive will give me a lot more job opportunities than I originally thought.
“The staff support here is amazing, both at class level and from the international support team.”
“This study has already changed my life. I realise how much I now know and that is reflected in my confidence and my ability to do the work. I’ve gone from being a trainee engineer to being a site engineer.”
“Not being in school for a couple of years has made it a bit challenging but that’s where the support at NorthTec comes in. My tutors are so helpful and on to it, and the whole class is like a little family as well. We all help each other out, we do…
“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.”
This course is letting my imagination run wild again and opening up new horizons. I knew I could do it but I haven’t studied for years so I’m surprised that it’s coming back quite naturally.
The mechanical work is great and we even get to work on our own cars so I’ve just replaced the fuel system in mine. I want to do an apprenticeship in Whangarei and completing this course will give me a much better chance of doing that.
The learning environment here is so different from school. Our classmates are a mix of ages and we all support each other because we’re all here to move our lives forward.
I like learning for an applied and practical purpose so this really suits me, and the farm is fairly isolated so I enjoy being with people is a similar farming situation.
The people and the environment here are really relaxing and very personal. It’s like a second home to me and I’m amazed at my own growth and confidence.
I came here to broaden my creativity. It’s so hands-on here at NorthTec, you create your own stuff all the time. Everybody is really supportive, and if you struggle with something they will help you.
There’s a great team spirit here so we all bring our experiences and learn from each other.
I’m getting the confidence now to carry on with higher levels of learning. As I continue educating and healing myself, job opportunities are starting to come my way.
I love it here every day. There’s heaps about painting I didn’t realize – the prepping, plastering, learning about the paints and safety. It’s all a challenge and that’s what I like about it.
“I knew I’d like this course but I like it even more than I thought. I kept getting into trouble at school so eventually Mum decided to pull me out. We lived on a farm and I liked it, but I didn’t know anything about it so when I saw a brochure on t…
I’m really surprised at my own capabilities and expanded vision now. I believe completing this degree will not only help further my career, but also enable me to apply what I’m learning in everyday life like conflict resolution, planning and better …
“I believe this programme is teaching me things that are beneficial to my future career. This is getting me ready for what the industry will throw at me and what it expects of me.”
“I’ve always been interested in cars and fixing them - I decided it was now time to chase what I love and this course was near where I live.
Our class is a real mix of ages and backgrounds but we really gel as a group and I love the added experience of having clients come here for us to work with.
“Getting a good understanding of the basics is essential to improve so that I can later have enough knowledge and experience to do my dream job of coaching athletes.”
“I want to say a big thanks to NorthTec and our tutor for inspiring not only me but our whole class to do our best in everything we do here so that we can be job ready.”
Everyone is so approachable here and we can ask anything we need to know. We each do our own thing but we all help each other.
“It’s great to be able to study locally. Being in a classroom environment makes you strive that little bit harder and motivate yourself. NorthTec in Kaitaia is the only place around here that will provide you with a formal qualification in Business …
“This course has prepared me really well for a job, I’d say I could probably walk into one straight after I’ve finished and we’re lucky because our tutor has given us a lot of referrals for different jobs.”
“I love designing and this course is helping me understand why we do what we do when we’re building. It’s extending my horizons of what’s possible. I would tell anyone now to push your limits.”
I’m one of the youngest but we all get along because we’re interested in the same things. It’s one of the best classes I’ve ever been in. Everyone is so relaxed and just getting on with it.
I really like how dedicated the tutors are to the students. They go out of their way to help us understand and they do extra tutorials, so I’m picking things up a lot more easily than I expected.
“I’m loving learning things I want to learn, compared to school where the subjects didn’t interest me. It’s also much easier to learn here because the student-tutor relationship is closer in small class sizes, and we get to apply hands-on what we’ve…
Some of our classmates are experienced and some are totally new to farming but we’re all learning at our own speed.
I’m learning to believe in myself and to just do it, and I’m surprised to find I’m getting good results. The tutors always support me and are helping me to relax more.
“The tutors here have strong professional links which open doors to work experience and this can often progress into paid employment."
“If anyone has been out of the work look for a while, studying at NorthTec is a good place to start back into it again. ”
I’m on my way to creating my own life now. Follow what you want to do and don’t let anyone hold you back.
The best part of the course for me is the focus on machines. We learn machining, fabrication and welding, and machinery overview, and we come out with a certificate in all three.
“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.”
All the students here are keen to learn and we’re all looking to step up and improve, and the tutors are wonderful. They understand where we’re coming from and relate the info we’re learning to us and our lives.
“I’m thriving in this environment. I love how the tutors support you, and I’m local so I can stay home yet keep expanding and studying. I don’t know where I’ll journey but I know to keep going.”
It’s a great environment to learn in here. I’m surprised at how many avenues there are in electrical engineering and what it can lead to.
I was used to fixing my own mowers and machinery so I looked on the internet and found this automotive course close to home.
I love the intensity of this course. I also like how one tutor emphasizes how to be professional in this field and the other one focuses on how to develop yourself in architecture and in your life. It’s helped me create my own aspirations for being …
"As a mature student, it’s a long time since I studied but I’m enjoying learning and my memory is better than I thought it would be.”
“The best part about studying here is being involved with the International Rally when it comes to Whangarei. Working on the rally cars alongside international teams is pretty awesome, it’s not an everyday thing! I think it will help me in my future…
The dream is to take the best possible care of our whenua out there where we live, and to pass that knowledge on for others to do the same.
School wasn’t supportive for me so I’m amazed at how massive the impact of the tutor here has been on me being able to study. He has reassured me that anything is possible if we put in the time and dedication.
We get to go on various field trips and talk to people in the conservation industry that are making a difference, and it is just that invaluable experience of being able to say I have experienced this myself first-hand."
This is giving me the skills and requirements to re-enter the work force and I’m happy to get a foot in the door. It’s important to make the most of every opportunity and to have the right people around you to grow and develop.
Getting better at English is a big motivation for me and I feel really well supported here as an international student.
I love meeting the people here and sharing ideas. I tend to think in black and white so I like to see and learn different ways of looking at things.
I’m feeling competent and confident. I know what I need to do, in what sequence, and how to price it.
I’m one of two pākehā students with 11 Maori and during the course someone died so we got to share in the experience of a tangi. We‘re a good mix of people and we developed a strong team spirit.
I love getting real world skills and being on the campus is a really good experience. It’s easy to get around and close to family
I have to focus to keep up but I’m surprised at how much more I’m memorising than I have in the past, because I’m really keen and the tutor helps us with study skills.
What I love most about doing the course is that I’m interested enough to focus. Usually I fade into myself but the tutor is really helping me to hold my focus.
Being able to see the produce you’ve grown, taste the flavour, and be part of living in a sustainable way is what I’m here for.
“This programme makes you work ready. It teaches us what’s inside commercial trucks and all the technology we need to learn. It also gives us a lot of hands-on experience from drivers who have been in the industry for a long time so we can prepare o…
It’s a challenge for me to show up every day and stay with it but it’s worth it. I’ve met heaps of new people because we go out painting on the job.
“I’m so glad I chose this course. Everyone is so comfortable with each other that it feels like one big family and we have a lot of fun together.”
“This programme has really helped to prepare me for the hospitality industry. I’ve been taught so I can walk into a five-star restaurant and know what I’m doing. I have a thorough base knowledge of everything I need to bring to the workplace because…
I have learnt so much from coming here that it doesn’t matter so much whether I become an artist or not. I’d like to become an artist but I realise it feels more about what I’ve learnt on the way on every level. I feel blessed to be here and to be h…
I’ve started my learning journey and I want to say to other young mothers – if I can do this, anyone can.
I love that we’re pushed here to pursue things to find answers, rather than being given answers. I learnt so much just in the first few weeks
I’m finding out that I love learning. It’s exciting to me. I need help so I’m the one that asks 100 questions. I was hesitant to put my hand up at first but the teachers encouraged me to just go for it.
Meeting new people here has opened me up to new ideas and the tutors are the best. They’ve been in the trade and are teaching us their tricks.
I’m surprised at how well I’m doing and how much I’m getting on with it. I’m also surprised at the range of what we learn. It’s not just driving but includes safety, making your load secure, and how to prevent driver fatigue.
I got a job straight from the course because the transport company approached the tutor. The tutors are very professional and really know what they are doing.
Working with Archi-CAD is the thing I love most about the course but it is also the most challenging thing for me. I thought architecture would all about drawing but it’s mostly computerised and CAD is a challenge to learn.
I am dyslexic so I had convinced myself I’d never be able to study or get into uni, but there’s so much support here and with our small classes we get one-on-one time with the tutors. They put their personal support into our success.
My challenge now is that I’m so invested in my studies that I have to remember it’s important to maintain a life outside of the course too!
It’s great getting the conceptual tools for ways to think about things. I’m surprised at what we’ve covered and the course has opened my eyes to different aspects of management and leadership.
“This programme has a lot of variety and options to explore and mix and match, and I really like that we do both practical and theory because not many art courses include practical any more. The content is engaging so you want to apply yourself but …
I’ve already started a business as my ‘big industry’ project in this last year of my degree. Studying here has given me the building blocks for that and the confidence to begin.
“Working on the rally cars for the International Rally that comes to Whangarei is just awesome. It’s a really rare opportunity and gives us the experience and skills we wouldn’t usually get. It’s also really cool to network and meet the big names in…
“I’m now getting to create what’s in my head, out into reality. I’m so keen that I’ve filled a whole sketch book with my own work in addition to the course work. I’m also opening up to heaps of new ideas from our art history study and I realise how …
The course is all online and the best part of it for me is meeting all the other students with an interest in writing. We critique each other’s work and socialise online, and occasionally meet up physically at a hui, but most of our connection is on…
I looked at other universities but this is the same degree with the same result and it’s right here at home.
Being outdoors with the animals and learning new things are the best parts of the course for me. The study needs some self-discipline but I’ve made it a priority.
The tutors here really want you to pass, are helpful and make you feel inspired and confident. At the moment I’m enjoying waxing and spray tanning, and the make-up that we do soon will be fun.
"I love the small classes and how hands-on our learning is"
The combination of the learning journey and being student rep is strengthening my personal growth and character so I’m becoming more confident.
I especially love learning about the bigger tools and how to use them safely. And I’ve fallen in love with the hand router. I had no idea it existed and I love using it.
We have a strong class bond in the course because we’re all motivated to move our lives forward. We’re all here for different reasons so it makes an interesting mix of people.
"It was a big step for me from a small town but our class is small and the whole campus is family-orientated and so I fit right in here."
I’m loving being around people who love what I love, and it opens your eyes to be amongst people with different ideas and attitudes. The tutor is excellent and finds a way that works for how I like to learn.
My classmates are all adult students and we’re here because we want to be, so it’s a great learning environment, and the tutor has been in the industry so can give us feedback on both commercial and domestic situations.
The best part of this course is that we’re out there doing up a community building in town, not just sitting in a classroom.
I’m enjoying the drawing, which is a real surprise to me. It looks complicated but on the computer it’s so easy. It’s very satisfying when you get all the components together.
I’m full time Dad for my three year old so the challenge is balancing study with the time with my daughter, and NorthTec is really flexible and supportive around that.
“Since I’ve been here, I amazed at the massive growth in myself and in others on the course. It has transformed my sense of self, and when I get my degree I’m keen to serve as a role model for rangatahi”
“I used to have a lot of excuses as to why I couldn’t move my life forward – the kids, or not enough time or money – but now that I’ve stepped up, I’d encourage others to just try something. Don’t let fear stand in your way – and you might find it’s…
“I’m delighted with my progress and I completed a book during level 6 which is now with editors in London and New York, and I’ve almost finished another one. I am ripe with so many ideas that I plan to live to 112 to get them all out.”
The best part of doing the course is learning things that I didn't know existed. We get a window into other cultures.
“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.”
Doing this course is changing my perception of myself, my own whakapapa and my tupuna.
I love the touch of the soil and being amongst the smell and growth of the plants.
“We all come in from different industries for a day a week so it’s great getting feedback from each other.”
There are a whole heap of surprises within this course. We learn about life and we learn about our own development and in doing so we develop and grow as people.
I love everything about the course and I’m even getting through the written assessments OK. The students are a good team and some of us knew each other from school.
Weaving has literally made up the fabric of the social, economic and spiritual development of our people. Now I’m seeing the value on every level.
“The way I can study at NorthTec is just awesome – I’m able to study at NorthTec and learn from not just the tutors there but everyone else coming to learn because they all bring in their own ideas and experiences as well."
“A big surprise for me is how much rāranga has reconnected me to my people and my whakapapa, and I’d love to pass the skills on.”
“This course has given me confidence and a belief in myself that I didn’t have and has opened networking opportunities and doors to success."
“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.”
“I encourage anyone to go with your gut in deciding what to do with your life. For me, doing something I really didn’t like for two years was what gave me the motivation to go for what I love."
The step from year 12 to here (level 2 to level 5) is a challenge in self-discipline, but I’m so much more motivated to learn. I also love that we have a small class with direct access to the tutors.
“I love being introduced to new foods, I love the atmosphere here, and I love learning new things.”
“I love how family-friendly NorthTec is with flexi-time if personal issues arise, and the tutors also open doors for us and, through them, I’ve just started an internship with an accounting firm. It’s amazing the huge difference in my life in just 1…
I’m a people person and my nature is approachable and gentle so I think my hospitality manner is natural.
“I’ve been really surprised at how much I’ve learnt about myself through the personal development part of the small business programme, and amazed to think we’d learn that in an apiculture course. It’s so much broader than I imagined and I’m confide…
I’m loving having a play on the machines and the course is a lot more hands-on than I expected. I’m also surprised at how good I am on the lathe.
I'm developing even more of a deep passion for helping those people out there who are struggling with addiction and mental illnesses.
I really appreciate the smaller class size here, getting to know our class mix of domestic and international students, and the one-on-one access with the tutors.
"The stand-out of the course for me is that all the content is relevant to what I want to do and the tutors help us get two days a week of work experience."
Plants are the best therapy and they need to be nurtured - just like people do. It’s great for me learning from other like-minded students and the tutor.
I especially love the CAD and the modern technology that we use. It’s fast and the results look really professional.
The best thing about the courses is that we learn totally on the job with the tutor when he comes on site.
“Doing this course has put me on a career path around the world that I could never have imagined."
We plan to put up a purpose built honey extraction and processing shed that will be the basis of an industry on the peninsula, but first we need to get on with learning the basics.
This course can really open doors and has made me so happy and confident. This is an international ticket and longer term I want to be a professional make-up artist for famous people.
Another aspect I enjoy is that we learn how to train others, so we work with school students who are keen to learn. I’m surprised at how much the tutor goes out of her way to expose us to employers and the industry.
“It’s years since I’ve studied and I didn’t do that well at school, but because I’m interested in architecture my marks and motivation are good and I’m keeping up with the deadlines. It was challenging at first but there are other mature students in…
“I now look forward to Mondays to learn more, and I find rolling paint on walls soothing and very satisfying.”
There is such a huge difference from school and I really look forward to coming here every day. The environment is great and the classes and students are fun but we still learn so much.
“NorthTec’s tutors also have great connections and networks with people locally and throughout New Zealand that can help us get a foot in the door of the industry as students. I was able to gain some work experience with Manganui Logging Trucks, whi…
“Come to NorthTec to study because it’s supportive, there are easy steps to follow, you can learn a lot from the tutors who are passionate about different things, and, it’s fun!”
“The best thing about being at NorthTec is that it is close to home, I didn’t have to move away from my family. I like everything about this programme – the building, the people in my class because we are all here for the same reason, and my tutors.”
I want to help my kids strive by showing them that their parents can study and do well. I’d love to now move on into Social Work and help others with addictions.
“Everything is a challenge here because I haven’t studied for years but the tutors help me to wrap my head around it and all of the students bounce off each other."
I’ve learnt a lot here about how to work respectfully with others. I’m strong in who I am and I can assert my opinions, and I’m learning to respect diversity.
The paperwork was a bit of a challenge but the tutor helped me, plus I went home and studied in the evenings - and I finished top of the class.
“My advice to anyone thinking about coming to study is – stick to what you’re passionate about!”
This course is helping push me out of my comfort zone to try new stuff and then I find out it’s easy.
“I’m loving my class here and all the people involved. If you want to do something, go and do it. Don’t procrastinate any longer. Share it with your core group of people who matter to you.”
“I wanted to work in a trade and I wanted something that would make me think, so I looked into uni but it wasn’t for me. I’m from up north and lived on a farm so I knew some of the basis of electrical engineering and knew I was interested."
Doing the course has changed my life and enabled me to live up here. I’m earning real money doing real work and it’s good fitness training in the process.
Learning here is so different than in China because there they tell you how to solve the problem. Here you learn how to solve the problem yourself.
The course has helped me from a personal level right through to broadening my whole worldview and has given me tools for my kete that I can use every day.
I’m planning to get into the military to train in automotive engineering. I’ve always known that’s what I’ve wanted to do and this course is my first step on that journey.
If you want to chance at something, just do it. I kept telling myself I couldn’t do this, then one day I told myself to shut up. And I just got on with it.
By doing this course I’m proving to myself that I can follow my heart and be successful. I can trust myself. Follow your heart because your head will follow that.
“Having worked with people in the industry that had come through NorthTec’s Cookery programme, I have seen first-hand the quality of training they received, so coming to NorthTec was an easy choice for me.”
My recovery journey has fuelled my motivation to help people take really good care of themselves on every level in their life and work.
“With what I’m learning, it’s exciting to think about what the future holds – both as an individual and for our greater culture.”
"I had no qualifications and minimal family or other support, so the complete wrap-around support I’ve received here is something I’ve never experienced in my life before."
“The best aspect for me is that the whole industry is so broad with lots of potential work options."
“I grew up on a sheep and beef farm so I’ve always been around farming but I wanted to step up a level in my knowledge and broaden my experience."
“This course is really hands-on. It’s only three days a week and we work in a workshop on real cars. These cars are brought to us by people around Kaitaia who might not be in a position to afford taking them to a mechanic. We work on them, gain the …
“I’ve learned that if you want to do something, do it. Even if you don’t succeed at first, just adjust and self-correct. What you do after you come through those little knocks, makes you a stronger person.”
“I will be fit and ready for a job in hospitality after this course.”
This course is broadening my horizons as well as extending my writing. I thought I’d write children’s books and poetry, but now I’m wondering about a novel.
I love the hands-on approach. It’s enabled me to really ‘get it’ in a way that I couldn’t do if it was just on paper. I’m actually doing it and it’s really satisfying seeing the built result.
“It has been difficult for me to be back in the classroom after over 30 years, but the tutors have been really awesome in helping me with the process. The whole class is really encouraging and we all help each other.”
When you’ve been stuck, the first step is the hardest. Once you’re over that, you’re flying!
I love creating the meals, finding out what’s involved in that, and learning about the ingredients and the history of the food. The tutor is amazing and gets us to work as a real team.
I’ve gained so much more confidence in myself now. I also want to inspire other mums to step out and up. The steps and support are here to get on a study pathway.
It’s great being able to do what you love and get a degree out of it. I want to be an art teacher and this qualification will give me a lot more options for the scope and context of that.
I’m one of 11 siblings and I’ll be the first one to get a degree. It’s making my whānau proud and it is also self-rewarding. My whānau is my motivation.
A lot of the other students and the tutors are working or consulting as well, so we’re all able to network and give each other professional leads.
“When I complete the course I hope to have the knowledge and confidence to help our community with keeping their cars on the road in an affordable way."
I have just finished the Diploma and the flexibility of doing it part time while still working made sense. As well as being able to earn, I could put what I was learning into practice straight away.
The training here is so hands-on and I’m loving the community involvement. Some of the papers are designed around Sports Northland events and we get to volunteer at things like turbo-touch in schools.
“Prepare to be inspired - by the tutors, the students and the patients. And, prepare to be successful and rise to the responsibilities that come with that.”
"We have heaps of peer support. The other students and tutors are easy to be around so it’s given me confidence. I’ve now got a goal and a plan of how to get there."
“At my work there is more te reo spoken now, so the course also gives me a chance to understand more there.”
The best part of the course is having a tutor who supports each of us in every way. We’re all walking this journey together and the course is part of our own healing.
I want to specialise in working with high-level athletes like Olympians so the credentials of the tutors here, as top-level performers themselves, was also a drawcard.
I have two kids and I thought it may be too late for me to study, but as soon as I saw the pamphlet for this course everything fell into place.
I loved the atmosphere here, and getting to make the coffee in the café – complete with perks.
“I love that we have a lot of practicum in this programme and we get the opportunity to actually do what we learn out there in the community”
As part of the course we students work together on a house for work experience and we work well as a team. We’re a good mix of ages and backgrounds.
Our tutors have a lot of trade connections but we make our own way to getting work experience on Fridays and that can lead to other opportunities.
This course has really opened my eyes to the value of mainstream education. Before starting this course, I had been too scared and embarrassed to get help but the support is here.