UCOL Wairarapa Enrolments Strong

UCOL Wairarapa Enrolments Strong

UCOL Wairarapa will launch the first semester of this year with many programmes full to bursting.

Campus Manager, Angela Hewitt, says there has been a strong community interest in tertiary study for 2009. More than 400 people came to an Open Day at the Chapel Street campus on Friday 30 January.

“Many of our programmes have attracted a large number of enrolments this year. All of our trades programmes have increased in enrolments and the nursing and mental health support work programmes are full, with waiting lists. Our new exercise and sports performance certificate, which started this week, has proved very popular.

“Not only is our Nursing programme full but we have added another five places to meet student demand and help with the shortage of nurses in the community,” she says.

Within trades, Angela says numbers are up to around 60 from 43 at the same time last year. Within that students taking Automotive are up to 34 from 24 last year, carpentry is up to 13 students from nine last year, and Hairdressing and Beauty programme numbers are also up from around 25 to 32.”

She says this is in line with figures just released by the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand showing increased enrolments across the country, particularly in trades and nursing.

Angela says so far nearly 300 students have enrolled at the Wairarapa campus, with enrolments still coming in each day. If places are still available, students can enrol up to two weeks into the start date of a programme, but the sooner a student is in class, the easier it is for them to catch up.

One of the new courses to run at UCOL Wairarapa is the Certificate in Exercise and Sport Performance, which has also been running successfully at UCOL in Palmerston North and Wanganui.

Programme Leader in Human Performance, Dean Rankin, says, “The sport and fitness industry in all three centres is crying out for qualified staff. A lot of gyms and other organisations are finding it hard to recruit the staff they need. This means there is a national demand for these graduates to help fill the shortage”.

The demand for qualified staff in the industry has led UCOL to bring the qualification to all three campuses and offer it simultaneously from a central location. Gyms in all three regions are supporting the certificate, and have opened their doors to the students, says Dean, allowing them to study in a real world setting as part of the programme.

Powhiri on Thursday

Students will be welcomed onto the campus with a powhiri at 10 am this Thursday 19 February. The ceremony will be led by local Rangitane o Wairarapa Kaumatua, Mike Kawana, and afterwards staff and students will celebrate the opening of the renovated common room, now the Student Hub.

“This is a fabulous new space for students to network, socialise and relax in. Mollie’s food will continue to be available from the new kitchen facilities within the Hub, much to the delight of students and staff” says Angela.

The opening will be celebrated with a hot brunch for students, supplied by the Association of Students @ UCOL.

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