Four hundred and fifty students are eligible to graduate with Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Postgraduate qualifications in Whanganui UCOL’s upcoming graduation ceremony.
The numbers are up this year by over 30% and many of the graduands will attend the ceremony in Whanganui this week to personally receive their new qualifications.
The ceremony will be held at the Royal Wanganui Opera House on Thursday 24 March at 12.30pm.
Whanganui UCOL Acting Campus Manager Gina Guigou says Graduation is a time to recognise the hard work students have put into achieve their goals during their time at Whanganui UCOL.
“Completing a qualification is hard work, and graduates’ achievements will motivate other students and provide inspiration. Gaining employment, or self-employment, will be a focus for graduates now. Their experience studying at Whanganui UCOL would have opened up opportunities for them, and I know they will do great things.”
Thirteen students will be the first Whanganui UCOL graduates of the New Zealand Certificate in Baking, now equipped with lots of practical experience backed up with theory taught by experienced chefs.
The largest group of students eligible to graduate is 110 from the National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) delivered in partnership with Training for You. Graduates of this programme will now be able to simply embed literacy and numeracy into their teaching delivery.
Students from seven other Certificate programmes are eligible to graduate with qualifications proudly delivered in partnership with Training For You, Skills Update Training Institute and Horowhenua Learning Centre.
Students from the final cohort of UCOL’s Bachelor of Fashion (10 students) and bachelor of Fine Arts (nine students) will also graduate.
During the ceremony heritage Architect specialist Bruce Dickson, and Whanganui community champion Kevin Ross will be presented with UCOL Council Honours Awards.
UCOL Chief Executive Leeza Boyce, and Council Chair Malcolm Inglis will deliver addresses at the event. Innovation Leader at Whanganui & Partners, Marianne Archibald will be Keynote Speaker.
Weather dependent, at the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will form a procession from the Royal Opera House to UCOL’s campus on Rutland Street for light refreshments.