UCOL BLOG

Some great new facilities will be ready for UCOL Wairarapa students at the start of the new study year.

Construction programmes such as carpentry and joinery will have a brand new facility to work from. Students will be able to build houses in a purpose built area on the upper campus’ Chapel Street frontage, in real, on-the-job conditions. A big new construction building will have all the equipment needed for construction activities covered in UCOL’s National Certificate in Carpentry, which offers students skills equivalent to those learned in the first year of a building apprenticeship.

The joinery programme offers foundation skills that prepare students for work within the industry. There are some free fee places available for 16 and 17 year olds who want to leave school but also gain some qualifications, as part of the Youth Guarantee Scheme.  People interested in this, and other Youth Guarantee programmes such as automotive, hairdressing, cookery, early childhood education, health science or business administration and computing, should contact Sharon Jolliffe at UCOL on 946 2300 up until 21 December and then from 9 January 2012. Programmes start in February 2012.  Read More: “New Facilities at UCOL”…

UCOL student Marvin Chase used his thumb almost as much as his brain this year.

For four days every week, Marvin hitch hiked from his home in Dannevirke to UCOL’s Palmerston North campus, to study for his Certificate in Electrical and Related Trades.

The 43 year old’s dedication to his studies gained recognition from the Tararua REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) organisation which awarded him an Outstanding Learners Award during Adult Learners Week/He Tangata Mātauranga in November.

Read More: “Thumbs up for Marvin”…

UCOL Wairarapa Sports and Exercise students went back to school recently, to teach and learn.

The nine Certificate in Exercise and Sport Performance students spent four mornings at Fernridge Primary School, supervising sports activities for 50 energetic school pupils.

UCOL Sports and Exercise lecturer Jon Bailey says the activity is a valuable part of the Certificate’s Sport Coaching module. “The students get a real life impression of the planning, preparation and patience involved in coordinating sports activities for youngsters.”

Read More: “UCOL students are good sports”…

Forty seven Computer Graphic Design students will celebrate their graduation from the Whanganui School of Design on Friday 16 December.

The ceremony will have an international flavour. Half of the graduands are international students, representing Malaysia, India, China and Sri Lanka.

Of the total eligible to graduate, 34 have successfully completed the Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design, four the Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design (Honours), four the Postgraduate Diploma of Computer Graphic Design, four the Graduate Diploma in Animation and one Masterate in Computer Graphic Design.

Read More: “UCOL Graphic Design students celebrate graduation”…

UCOL Wairarapa is now able to increase the number of places on the Youth Guarantee programme which provides free study to 16 and 17 year olds who want to start vocational training.

Campus Manager Angela Hewlett says applications for the new places are open now.

This year UCOL Wairarapa filled four allotted places on the Government’s Youth Guarantee initiative which aims to make tertiary education available to students who may be struggling in school settings and want to focus on vocational qualifications. UCOL has now been allocated extra places for next year.

Read More: “Teenagers offered more free study places at Wairarapa UCOL”…

Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology (BICT) student Doug Winter and his classmates have had a taste of ICT in the real world.

Doug is one of 17 third year BICT students who, as part of their degree requirement, have recently completed an industry based project.

The students presented their projects at a function recently and Doug won the Dean’s Award for best poster depicting his Network Operations Centre and Redundancy Project for Datawest Limited. Read More: “IT reality for UCOL students”…