Media Release
August 2008
Education award recognises quest for excellence
Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec), has won an Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand (ITPNZ)
award for quality assurance processes that demonstrably improve student success. The award comes in recognition of the
quest by the School of Hospitality and Tourism at WelTec to become a Centre of Vocational Excellence.
Currently, New Zealand does not have processes in place to recognise providers for excellence in the delivery of
teaching and learning, as opposed to research. While the government has implemented teaching excellence awards to reward
distinction in teaching, these awards recognise the excellence of an individual, rather than the depth and breadth of
quality that is cultivated within a centre or area of expertise in a tertiary institution.
Faced with this void, WelTec has initiated and developed a set of eight criteria to establish a Centre of Vocational
Excellence. A panel of external industry, academic and business experts judged WelTec against this set of criteria which
included; leadership, relationships with industry, collaboration with other providers, teaching and scholarships,
student success, national and international standing, responsiveness to national and regional goals and planning and
resourcing.
“Achieving Centre for Excellence status was a fantastic experience because it acknowledges outstanding delivery in our
School of Hospitality and Tourism” says Acting Head of Centre, Karen McLeay. “We wanted to set a quality standard that
recognised excellence in teaching and learning. The award highlights an area where WelTec excels on a national and
international level. It also recognises our innovative nature and desire to constantly set the benchmark for others to
follow.”
It has been a successful year for WelTec’s School of Hospitality and Tourism. This year to date, the school has
successfully built on it’s international relationships, delivering teaching in the Cook Islands and continued
international exchanges with Les Sorbet in France. The award compliments student success too, with hospitality students
winning the top prizes in Cookery, Food and Beverage and Patisserie at the WorldSkills regional competitions and winning
22 medals in total at the Wellington Food Show. With the NZ Culinary Fare this coming weekend and the National
WorldSkills finals next month, more medals are expected.
ENDS