Te Pou Tū

Haramai ra e ngā whānau o Taranaki Maunga
Haramai ki Te Pou Tū o Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki e

Whakapiripiri mai, whakatatatata mai ki ngā kaupapa o Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki.  Poi mai. I te karanga o Hinenuitepo ki ngā tini mate, hoki wairua ki ō tatou tupuna.  Tihei mauri ora. 

Welcome to Te Pou Tū

E te whānau, tēnā koutou and a warm mihi to the Māori and Pasifika community and whānau considering their study options for 2022.  As your local tertiary institute, we invite you to come and study with us at WITT.

To ensure you are supported and successful we’re proud to launch Te Pou Tū.  This is a term that describes a person who is standing tall and with confidence.  Developed with the Māori and Pasifika community in mind, Te Pou Tū is our commitment to tautoko ākonga (students) to transform and be successful in whatever they want to do.

When you enrol with us you’ll become part of the Te Pou Tū whānau regardless of what you study, the level, full or part-time.  Te Pou Tū is about whānau and supporting you from day one.

On behalf of the WITT whānau we invite you and your whānau to our kura.  Haramai, because we’re committed to connecting you to your future.

Haramai ra ki Te Pou Tū.

Hei aha ai (why)

Our Strategy, Te Korowai Mātauranga o Taranaki (the cloak of knowledge) drives us to do everything we can for this rohe to succeed. Te Pou Tū is how we are going to transform Māori and Pasifika success across WITT.  We are focused on Māori and Pasifika achieving at the same rate as non-Māori and there is much that we can do.

It’s our objective to reduce the disparity one year at a time because our community deserves our very best.

What does this mean for you?

All kaimahi are committed to Māori and Pasifika success.  From Kaiako to those who pick up the phone when you ring, those who greet you when in reception, right through to the team who maintain our buildings and grounds.  

We also have a dedicated team who support ākonga outside the class, which makes being in class more enjoyable and less stressful.  It’s a total support programme made up of committed people with decades of experience between them.   When you come to WITT, all you have to do is ‘kia piki ake tōu ringa’ (put up your hand) and we’ll be there. 

Te Pou Tū provides you with all the support you might need:

Doing it for my whānau

Taking a leap of faith and making a life changing career decision was what kicked off 2021 for Tina Moeahu (Te Atiawa, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Porou, Taranaki, Te Arawa). “Three generations of my whānau have studied at WITT” she said. After completing some work experience and with encouragement from Dave Robinson (Te Atiawa, Ngāruahine) of Dreams Electrical, the decision to study Level 3 Electrical Engineering as her new career path at WITT was decided.

Tina was amazed by the opportunities and support services that were available at WITT to assist ākonga in so many areas of life.  From medical, counselling, learning support, even being issued a laptop for the year! “The Student Success teams are passionate about helping you succeed and I thank all kaimahi for the enthusiasm, challenges and values you shared to help me learn and grow as a person”. She has also become a student leader and is involved in voicing ideas and concerns that help create a better learning environment for ākonga at WITT.

“I wanted to improve my skill-set and grow my capabilities to future proof my whānau and show my two children that if you set goals and are willing to work hard to achieve them, you can achieve anything. I must admit though, although I’ve been a sports coach and represented Taranaki in women’s rugby and rugby league, deciding to study full time with two kids is a constant balancing act”, Tina explained. “Thankfully WITT’s local, as without the support from whānau and friends I would struggle to achieve what I have. Achieving this tohu will also acknowledge their commitment and manaakitanga to me”.

Tina’s brother, Dinnie Moeahu explained, “whānau is everything to us. She’s a mother of two who chose to go back to study to further grow and develop her capabilities. WITT has provided an amazing opportunity and support for Tina to build her skill set. I’m beyond proud of her because she is doing this to provide a better life for her children”.

Tina sends a special thank you to Vic Mudawarima (her tutor) and an acknowledgement to Te Kahui O Taranaki Iwi and PKW for the education grant to assist with her studies.

Tina’s message to the people of Taranaki is simple, “if you want to learn in an environment that supports and encourages students, WITT has an incredible curriculum of exciting programmes that can help you”.  Be the best you can be!