Student Profiles

It’s hard to believe Aimee was a self-confessed shy girl, majorly lacking in confidence and finding it hard to do things without the assistance of her Mum. Now she bustles energetically around Bay of Plenty Polytechnic campus in her role as Administration Support with a smile of self-assuredness and purpose.

Aimee believes doing the Certificate in Work Skills had a huge hand in giving her confidence and lots of new opportunities.

"The course helped me gain confidence in myself in a huge way. It also gave me the opportunity to do what I wanted to do. I’ve always loved helping people and especially doing office work. I’m really glad my Mum encouraged me to do it."

This friendly young woman has since gained a part-time role in the Polytechnic as Administration Support. She keeps herself busy with daily tasks such as sorting the vast amount of Polytechnic mail, photocopying, filing, typing and other office duties.

Impressively, she has also since completed the International Computer Drivers Licence Level 2 and has ambitions to undertake the Certificate in Business Administration Level 2 – no mean feat for a girl who, in the past, didn’t believe in her own capabilities.

"I have had a lot of support from lots of different people around the Polytechnic who believed in me. Before I sat the ICDL tests, I was often nervous but then I thought ‘no I can do this!’ When I passed it felt really good. I was over the moon!"

Enrolling in the Certificate in Work Skills programme has not only opened doors of employment but has had other unforeseeable benefits. Aimee has also moved into a flat with another of the Work Skills graduates and is enjoying her new found independence. It’s onward and upward for this keen graduate!

Alastair Boyes loves getting creative but he hates art. He has a passion for music and funny stuff, cutting shapes on the dance floor, and coming home from a hard day at work where he was giving away free stuff. He also appreciates finding clean socks in the bottom of his draw five minutes before walking out the door to a sales appointment. That’s why he believes  there’s no other life for him other than radio.

“Being in radio isn’t a job. Maths, science and engineering - they’re jobs. Radio is something fun to do, that you happen to get paid for. I get to go to free concerts and promotions where I get to cruise with people prettier than me. I meet famous people, hang out in cool places, get free stuff and do amazing things. There’s seriously no other job like it!”

It’s hard to imagine Alastair in any other life but in earlier years he was the self-confessed “quintessential, disaffected suburban youth, minus the eyeliner and circulation-cutting tight jeans.”

That was until mum and dad gave him the grand ultimatum to “get his act together or hit the road Jack!” This cheeky and lively young man credits his parents for kick-starting him into a career he never would have considered (and for putting up with him while he lived at home during study!) The day after his folks gave him the grill, Alastair spotted an advertisement for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s Radio programme.

He thought it looked like a whole lot of fun and something he could do, so he took the plunge and applied for it. Little did he know at the time it would lead to a full on career in an endlessly exciting industry.

“The tutors were so enthusiastic and eager to help us fall in love with the media – which I did. The more I got stuck in to the programme the more I learned. The tutors brought in industry
professionals to share their experiences and knowledge, which continually inspired me to go further in radio.

Because of the dynamic nature of the industry you need to get a very broad range of skills which the staff at the Polytechnic definitely imparted to us. Their energy, humour and desire to see us succeed in the industry were some of the best things about the programme.”

Since graduating, twenty year old Alastair can’t get enough of the radio industry, working in a variety of roles for MediaWorks with radio. Graduates of the Polytechnic’s radio programme
are guaranteed an interview for CPIT’s Bachelor of Broadcasting, and Alastair was one of 30 people accepted from around the country.

“Not wanting to sound like I’m regurgitating all the same old jazz, but I honestly don’t believe I’d be here if I hadn’t studied at BoPP”, says Alastair. “The place rocks!”

From Brugg, Switzerland

I’m just here for a year, with the whole family. As a family project we wanted to go abroad for a year to an English speaking country where we all learn English. I've been teaching for a while and I'd like to do something else, then get a new job when I get home, so I am studying computing and IT at BOPP.

My wife is studying as well. She's a chef in Switzerland.

When we chose to come to Bay of Plenty Polytechnic we looked for somewhere where our kids could go to school, where I could study computing and that had nice weather. We love outdoor activities, so Tauranga was where we ended up.

We love the location, the ocean and the beach. It’s great. The course at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is good. I like it.

I like the infrastructure and the reception by the locals was very nice.

Becoming a social worker has been a twenty year dream for Alison Ririnui. A busy mother of seven children, it took one of her daughters studying at university to convince her that it was now her time to shine and turn this dream into a reality.

In 2009 Alison took the first step by enrolling in Te Timatanga – Certificate in Tertiary Study Level 2. She knew that this would give her the foundation for continuing on with higher level study.

“It had been thirty years since I was last at school, so I knew I’d have to start with the basics. Learning how to use a computer and write an essay were top priorities for me. The course really made us think about our personal aspirations and how to set life and career goals. It was amazing to see how we’d all grown in confidence over the programme.”   

After graduating from Te Timatanga, Alison went on to complete Kahikatea - Certificate in Social Service Studies.

“This is where I started to get an understanding of the different areas of working within the social services sector. I really enjoyed learning about New Zealand history, the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand social policy.”  

“The tutors were amazing. They spoke to us as equals and were very supportive. If we had any questions, the answers were always explained really well,” says Alison.

Alison’s life-long goal of becoming a social worker is well on the way to being achieved. She is now completing the University of Waikato’s Bachelor of Social Work degree taught at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

“Kahikatea really helped me to get into university as well as giving me a great foundation for succeeding with my studies,” says Alison.

Alison is passionate about making a difference to people’s lives and looks forward to working within the community to make a positive impact on both personal and social well-being.