Listening to industry needs and understanding future employment trends is the basis for developing the UCOL Te Pūkenga qualifications and professional development offerings. It's important to us that industry sees our qualifications and graduates as work relevant and ready, so we continually take a fresh look at what we offer and how we offer it to ensure we are providing relevant and exciting study options. Ways we have remained agile and flexible to the needs of our local Business & Industry partners include offering:
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blended delivery options for learning on campus, on job and online,
- short or block courses to upskill the workforce, like our te reo and tikanga Māori courses at
Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway,
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scholarships to business networks to aid in the COVID-19 recovery efforts,
- communal and collaborative spaces for business to flourish, like the
BackHouse in Whanganui and the
Workhub in Palmerston North (new premises opening early 2022).
Our staff and students connect with industry by creating meaningful partnerships with industry,
completing projects for local employers, attending and hosting industry events, and
entering and winning industry awards.
Here are some examples of UCOL's Te Pūkenga industry connections which benefit staff and students:
- A partnership with the Jets Manawatu basketball team, provides a great platform for our
Exercise and Sports Science staff and students to turn their practical skills into reality and our local high school students to experience professional sporting events.
- We continue to work with
Get-Go Horowhenua to increase our collaboration in the Horowhenua and provide strong outcomes for ākonga, most notably in the Trades sector.
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Whanganui Chamber of Commerce and UCOL Te Pūkenga have a strong relationship dedicated to providing the best learning and employment outcomes to Chamber members and UCOL Te Pūkenga ākonga.
- Close collaboration with
ManawaTech to create exciting work experience, internship and employment opportunities for our
Information Technology ākonga.
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Our ongoing association with
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has resulted in multiple cohorts of NZDF ākonga undertaking discounted studies and
Assessment of Prior Learning pathways into UCOL’s Te Pūkenga Bachelor of
Business and Applied Management.
- The UCOL Te Pūkenga Hospitality Faculty are active members of
NZ Chefs, regularly attending events with our industry peers and engaging with employers with site visits through our in-work cookery programme. Our lecturers have the opportunity to judge regional and national Salons (competitions) as well as help organise the bi-annual Manawatu Hospitality Awards and sponsor the Emerging Chef class. We also engage in the
FoodHQ stakeholder meetings and have membership to the Baking Industry Association of NZ (BIANZ).