|
Tēnā koutou
I want to share a significant milestone as we move towards the official start date of the new national institute for vocational education and training – with the working title New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) – on 1 April 2020.
Under the NZIST structure, Unitec becomes a separate subsidiary company, governed by a board of directors.
Today’s announcement outlines that Unitec New Zealand Ltd (the name of our new limited liability company, effective 1 April 2020) will be jointly governed by a Board of Subsidiary Directors who will also govern the Manukau Institute of Technology New Zealand Ltd (MIT), and be chaired by Peter Winder. In short, both the Unitec and MIT subsidiary companies will be governed by the same board members.
Peter is the current chair of the MIT Council and also serves on our Unitec Advisory Committee, which will remain in effect until the changeover to the new governance structure on 1 April 2020. Steven Renata, another of the new Subsidiary Directors, is also well known to the Unitec whānau and has been a very supportive member of our Rūnanga for the past two years.
We welcome the new Subsidiary Directors and look forward to the unique skillset and valuable experience they will bring. You can read the full list of board appointees here.
As I spoke about at Aronui-Focus 2020 last month – He ngākau takitahi, e kore e nuku – together we’re stronger. We are committed to achieve success for the students who choose Unitec as their place of study. A shared governance structure is part of transitioning to NZIST and will enhance the impact we can have. This is a defining year for Unitec, and we’ll continue to lead by example, guided by our values of Te Noho Kotahitanga.
A shared governance structure enables a whole of Auckland approach, which will allow both institutions to stand alone but also to be stronger and better equipped for the many growth and partnership opportunities that we have identified, and will continue to maximise.
We have worked together with MIT on a number of initiatives and issues over the years, and look forward to exploring further opportunities for closer co-operation. One example of this is the bid we are partnering with MIT around the Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Construction, along with a host of other partners as well.
As we said in our submissions to Government last year, we believe the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE) represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a fit for purpose seamless system with the value and relevance for learners, employers, communities and the Treaty of Waitangi at its core. I remain confident that this is a positive change that will strengthen our ability to deliver high quality education, and improve the experience and accessibility of education choices for all our students.
Many of you will have questions about what this means for you, and for Unitec. We’ve adopted a business as usual approach and will continue to keep moving forward positively as an institution, with a focus on continuous improvement as we head into EER.
From a legal perspective, it’s also business as usual. Business operations, partnership agreements, employment contracts, terms and conditions will be ‘lifted and shifted’ across to the new subsidiary company. There will be a transition period from 1 April 2020 through until the end of 2022 to set up the new organisation, and we expect further details on the change plan to be confirmed over the course of the year, with input from the sector and other stakeholders. However, we believe that our day-to-day operations are unlikely to change to any great extent this year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Commissioner Murray Strong who has been a huge source of support and wise counsel to us all since his appointment in July 2018, along with our Advisory Committee members who have been unwavering in their support of our vision. Murray and our Advisory Committee will step down from their roles on 1 April 2020, but there will be a period of transition as they hand over to our new Board of Directors in early April.
Most importantly, I would like to thank you all for your ongoing commitment, dedication and mahi as we enter the next phase of our rich Unitec history – strengthened, empowered and justifiably proud of all we’ve achieved.
Any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the ELT. I look forward to sharing further information as it becomes available.
Ngā mihi
Merran Davis
Interim Chief Executive
|
