Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Established	May 2016
Academic staff	1,036 (2016)
Students	14,000
Location	New Zealand
Campus	Rotorua, Taupō, Tauranga, Tokoroa, Whakatāne
Website	https://www.toiohomai.ac.nz

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, also referred to as "Toi Ohomai" is a New Zealand tertiary education institute. Toi Ohomai is a provider of vocational education for over 14,000 students, including more than 1,400 international students^[1] studying at over 86 different delivery sites across the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato region.^[2] Offering around 200 different programmes and study options ranging from certificate level to post-graduate level in courses such as Business, Forestry, Engineering, Hospitality, Toursim, Trades and many more.^[2] Toi Ohomai provides vocational education in order to make graduates employable^[3] and "work ready" with relative skills that employers need.^[4] New Zealand's vocational education system is a important part of the New Zealand tertiary education institute as it supplies employers and industry with the skilled employees they require while also ensuring vocational learners get consistent, effective and quality training.^[5]

Toi Ohomai has 5 main campuses in Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō, Tokoroa and Whakatāne. It Is the largest tertiary education provider in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato region.^[4] Toi Ohomai was formed on the 1st of May 2016, when the Rotorua's Waiariki Institute of Technology and Tauranga's Bay of Plenty Polytechnic officially merged to become the Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. This merge ensured the employment and education needs of the region were meet more effectively.^[2] Later being renamed Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology on the 7th of October 2016.^[6]

Toi Ohomai is the third largest of New Zealand's 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) which also includes The Wellington Institute of Technology or WelTec and Whitireia. On the 1st of August 2019 Chris Hipkins, the Minister of Education at the time, announced a proposal to reform vocational education in New Zealand.^[2] Which aimed to create a unified vocational education system that responded to the needs of employees and students.^[7] This led to the creation of Te Pukenga New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (Te Pukenga) on the 1st of April 2020 which joined all 16 of the ITPs into a single, national, unified network of regionally accessible vocational education and training.^[8] This included Toi Ohomai, who became a subsidiary of Te Pukenga on the 1st of April 2020.^[2] On the 31st of May 2022 Toi Ohomai, along with Waikato Institute of Technology, announced they would directly become a part of the national vocational education provider in Te Pukenga, instead of simply being a subsidiary institute.^[9] On the 7th of December 2023, the newly elected National Party Government, apart of their 100-day plan, announced the disestablishment of Te Pukenga effective on the 31st of December 2026, moving away from a centralised model to establish a system of stand-alone polytechnics.^[10] The disestablishment of Te Pukenga has direct implications to Toi Ohomai, with the institute already facing a reduction of 21 full-time equivalent roles and 16 programmes ranging from youth work, health, forestry and hairdressing being discontinued as of 2025.^[11]

Toi Ohomai has a set of values which are defined by the institute's vision to empower people and communities, in conjunction with their purpose of partnering with iwi, industry and communities to deliver innovative learning. The Toi Ohomai values were developed and launched in May 2018 following an extensive engagement and consultation with staff.^[12] The set of 4 values were named 'Toi Ohomaitanga' and include;

• Toitūtanga - defined by Toi Ohomai's staff and students courageous and humble pursuit of excellence ^[12]
• Manaakitanga - Dedication to uphold and strengthen the mana of others and communities ^[12]
• Whanaungatanga - Building and nurturing relationships and connections that enhance Toi Ohomai's purpose and vison ^[12]
• Kotahitanga - Being united in the shared purposes and responsibilities of Toi Ohomai ^[12]

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is an amalgamation of the Bay of Plenty's and South Waikato's highest performing polytechnics: The Waiariki Institute of Technology in Rotorua and The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic in Tauranga.^[2]

The Waiariki Institute of Technology has roots back to 1881, when the Rotorua College and Grammar School Endowments were established by the New Zealand Government. Early conceptions of tertiary education in Rotorua came in 1910, when locals suggested a technical school should established. Technical education in Rotorua came to fruition when the Rotorua Boys' High School (founded in 1914)^[13] established their Technical Department in 1939. This focused on carpentry, electrical wiring, engineering, arts and crafts, home cookery, and secretarial work. Rotorua Boys' High School's technical division merged with Rotorua Girls' High School's Business college in 1972 to create the Senior Technical Division, which was placed under the Rotorua High School's Board of Governors in 1976. To accomodate this division, building on Mokoia Drive in Rotorua commenced, with the newly named Waiariki Community College being opened on 1 April 1978. An 'outpost' in Tokoroa, previously established by the Senior Technical Division in 1973, became the first regional campus for Waiariki, with additonal campuses being opened in Whakatāne, Taupō, Tūrangi, and Kawerau in the 1980s. During this time, further courses such as tourism, hospitality, nursing, journalism, Māori studies, and forestry were added to Waiariki's curriculum. In 1987, the college's name was changed to Waiariki Polytechnic. It was changed again to The Waiariki Institute of Technology in 1998.^[14]

The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, initially named Bay of Plenty Community College, was established on 1 September 1982 as a local community college in Tauranga. It offered a mix of courses in secretarial and office administration, carpentry, automotive engineering, agriculture, and horticulture. Over one third of student admissions focused on horticulture, which reflected Tauranga's needs at the time. The college was built on Poike Road in Tauranga, and is now known as Windermere Campus. Poike Road is land significant to the Ngāti Ranginui hapū who inhabit it. "Poike" roughly translates to "arrive late at night" in Māori, indicative of the late night meetings characteristic of the hapū. In 1988 the organisation's name was officially changed to The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. The same year saw the completion of the Rex Williams Student Amenities Centre and an atrium, part of a major horticulture complex within the Polytechnic. New training programmes were also developed in areas such as fashion, tourism, and hospitality. Three years later in 1991, the Polytechnic's second major campus, The Bongard Centre (named after Bill Bongard, the first community college council chairperson) was established in central Tauranga. This provided a space for office systems and various programmes. During the 1990s, Māori-centred programmes were added to acknowledge the Ngāti Ranginui hapū and local Māori communities, furthering the Polytechnic's relationship with local Māori. In 1997, Windermere's horticulture complex was repurposed into a hospitality studies centre, and the Bongard Centre opened a video conference space to facilitate long distance learning. From 2000 to 2003, two new learning centres were built: Te Aongahoro — The Student Learning Centre, which featured a library, cafe, and lecture theatres; and Te Pare a Ruahine — The Aquatic Centre for Pacific Coast Applied Research. In 2008, a partnership with the University of Waikato was formed to share facilities and resources to provide better pathways and enhance the skills of the region.^[15]

On 1 May 2016, these two institutions merged to become the Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. This became Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology on 7 October 2016.^[6] The name was gifted to the organisation by local iwi within the region, and means "to achieve great heights; to be awakened by learning".^[16] The name aims to inspire students to pursue excellence in their studies and focus their mindset on learning, while also acknowledging the mana whenua and significance of the land where Toi Ohomai conducts their education.^[17] Toi Ohomai was created in order to serve the region's education and employment needs more efficiently,^[2] ensuring better education and employment outcomes for young Māori by providing greater access for dispersed communities throughout the region.^[18]

Toi Ohomai has six campuses spread across the Bay of Plenty Region:

Toi Ohomai’s Taupō campus consists of two separate sections: The main campus, which includes a common room and study areas, and the Taupō automotive workshop, an off-site service and repairs shop at which students enrolled in automotive courses receive hands-on training from industry tutors.^[19] Along with carpentry, automotive engineering certificates are the most common courses offered at the Rotorua campus.^[20]

Similarly to Taupō, Tokoroa campus is small, made up of a common room and study areas. It also most commonly offers carpentry and automotive courses, alongside healthcare and Kaupapa Māori.^[21]

Whakatāne also has a smaller campus, geared towards forestry, fishing, and tourism courses. It includes an automotive workshop, a nail salon, and a common area.^[22]

Windermere campus in Tauranga is the most modern of Toi Ohomai’s campuses. Situated on 24 hectares of gardens, it features laboratories, recording studios, a beauty salon, and a radio station, along with several cafes and a restaurant. Windermere offers a wide variety of courses, from veterinary nursing to accounting to fashion.^[23]

Toi Ohomai has two campuses in Rotorua. Mokoia, like Windermere, is a more modern campus, with lecture theatres and many specialised buildings, such as pottery studios and hair salons.^[24] The second campus, Waipā, is a one-of-a-kind wood manufacturing plant that acts as a training facility for students.^[25]

Across its campuses, Toi Ohomai offers many leisure activities and events for students. This includes a wide variety of celebrations such as Māori language week, Diwali, and Halloween, along with market days, live music, and barbeques. Some campuses house amenities, including gyms and cafes. The vocational training centres, such as the nail and beauty salons, are also available for students as clients. There also has a number of childcare options for parents who are studying.^[26] As is traditional with New Zealand tertiary education institutions, Toi Ohomai hosts an Orientation Week with themed events for new students to connect with one another and become acquainted with their campus.^[27] Since 2018, Toi Ohomai has used a student app for communications. This app is particularly focused on ensuring those in lower socio-economic areas are able to access resources and collaborate with other students.^[28]

Main article: Te Pūkenga

On April 8, 2022, it was announced that Toi Ohomai, along with 15 other learning institutions, would be assimilated into one singular overarching organisation called Te Pūkenga.^[29] This change stemmed from a 2018 government report commissioned by Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education for the Labour Government at the time. The report included a review of "a programme of change for the institute of technology and polytechnic (ITP) subsector and for vocational education more generally."^[30] The report found that changes were required to ensure that vocational studies—which make up the vast majority of Toi Ohomai’s offered courses—had equitable access and provided relevant, meaningful skills for students.^[30]

It was decided that Toi Ohomai combining with other ITP’s would be the most effective way of addressing the issues outlined in the report. The Labour Government at the time believed that the siloisation of the education system was leading to a lack of collaboration between sectors.^[30] By integrating with other ITP’s, Toi Ohomai would be more closely aligned with institutions similar to itself. In theory, this would bring many positives, including more consistent vocational standards, more cross-institutional cooperation for research, and improved partnerships with Iwi and Māori communities.^[31]

On May 31, 2022, a month after the initial announcement, Toi Ohomai officially joined Te Pūkenga, becoming the first ITP to do so, alongside the Waikato Institute of Technology. Cathy Cooney, Toi Ohomai Board Chair, welcomed this move, saying: “Bringing Toi Ohomai and Wintec into Te Pūkenga whānau early will enable a low-risk phased approach, giving assurance and confidence as we move the rest of the sector by 1 January 2023.”^[29] This was a significant event for Toi Ohomai. When talking about the transition of ITPs to Te Pūkenga, Christopher Hipkins admitted that "change on this scale will be disruptive."^[32] Te Pūkenga was a long-term plan, looking to fundamentally reform the way vocational study was offered in New Zealand.^[31]

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