Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
2 minutes ago
Students in EIT’s supported learning programme are celebrating a new beginning, returning to the Hawke’s Bay campus with a refreshed curriculum, a custom-designed learning space, and a teaching team made up entirely of EIT graduates.
The newly renamed New Zealand Certificate in Skills for Learning and Working (Level 1) replaces a previous qualification and reflects a significant shift in both content and delivery.
EIT graduates Mel Gregory, Pete McLachlan, Georgia Blair and Kelly Dickson are now working as Learning Facilitators for the New Zealand Certificate in Skills for Learning and Working (Level 1), while fellow graduate Janine Blamey is a lecturer on the programme.
Programme Coordinator Les Blair says it is a fresh start in every sense.
“It is a new programme, new space and new team – new, new, new.”
The return to EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale comes after more than two years based at Equippers Church Napier, where staff and students took refuge following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Students marked the end of their time at Equippers Church by crafting a commemorative tile plaque.
“We made great relationships in the community, but it’s good to be home,” Les said.
“We’re just so grateful that people took our advice about what the space needed. It’s a welcoming place for the students to be in,” Blair said.
“There’s now a real sense that we’re EIT students again.”
The new facility includes a homeroom and a flexible classroom setup, with digital tools that support collaborative learning – improving accessibility and allowing students to move more freely.
The transition from temporary facilities to a permanent home marks more than just a change of address. For Les and her team, it signals a reconnection with the wider EIT community — and a chance to reset expectations for students.
“That’s a really positive shift.”
The newly assembled teaching team includes five graduates from EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science, several of whom have transitioned from student placements to staff roles.
“They’ve brought not just their own journey but the skills and technologies from their training. It’s exciting to see former students come full circle.”
Dr Andrew Garrett, Head of School, Health and Sport Science, said: “Les and her team do an excellent job on the skills for living programme”.
“Providing a really valuable contribution to the community. It’s great to see they now have purpose built facilities on the campus with their students joining the vibrant student community.”