Te Tai Tonga

Matthew Maynard Regional Manager, Te Tai Tonga

Te Tai Tonga region encompasses Kapiti Coast, Wellington, Lower Hutt and the South Island. This is a huge demographic area, covering a number of iwi: Te Ati Awa, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa, Kai Tahu and the seven iwi in the South Island.

“The Porirua Campus (the ‘University on the Hill’) started out very small. We have worked very hard to build our relationships and standing within the communities we serve. A big part of our focus has been to show them how we can support their whanau and help people to achieve their aspirations. We have now moved significantly forward from where we were in 1996, and this year we have over 3,000 students.

“It’s the transformation I see in people who come here that motivates me. I remember when I set up a computing school, I had a student who was studying Level 2 computing and it took her two years to complete it. When she graduated she came up and gave me a big hug and said: “Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you”. The pride I saw in that student’s face, knowing that she had completed the course, that she deserved the certificate she held in her hand, and seeing her family around her, acknowledging her achievement – to me that epitomises what Wananga is about. We are more than just a training institute. We are empowering whanau, not only the people that come to us but everyone else who interacts with them.

“We help people who have struggled through earlier education. For us, failure is not an option. Success breeds success, and that is a key point for us to focus on.

“By creating a supportive environment and looking after all of the aspects of the person – taking a holistic approach to their education rather than treating them as a number – we are doing everything we can to help our student achieve.