NorthTec is a tertiary education provider in northern New Zealand, with its main campus in Raumanga, Whangarei. NorthTec provides programmes ranging from foundation, certificate, diploma and degree levels. The degrees are nationally monitored and so can lead to postgraduate study at universities and other organisations. NorthTec works closely with local and national industries.
History
NorthTec was founded as Northland Community College. This opened with its own campus in Raumanga Valley, Whangarei, on 1 April 1978. As such, its mission was largely to offer trade and community education. The first Chief Executive Officer was Noel Harrison. The college grew rapidly and became instrumental in supplying Refining NZ at nearby Marsden Point, with skilled workers. By 1981, it offered more than 50 courses. In 1983, the college commenced the phased take-over of nurse training from Northland Base Hospital. In 1989, the Whangarei District Council set up the Northland University Foundation, with a view to founding a university in Northland. To date, this aspiration has been partially fulfilled. Six university-standard bachelor's degrees are offered. Many of the degree, diploma and certificate courses can count towards degrees at other institutions. By the mid 1980s, competing private bodies were offering trade and community courses in Northland. This was one factor which led the college to change its product offering to include higher and sometimes more academic tuition. As part of this process, it became a polytechnic in 1988 and took the name Northland Polytechnic for the next 17 years. Later in 1988, it was offering degrees and diplomas of a competitive standard. In 1990, negotiations were concluded with the University of Waikato, which enabled courses taught at Northland Polytechnic, as it was then known, to count towards degrees at the University. By 2006, similar arrangements had been concluded with other universities, most notably, Massey University and Auckland University of Technology. The university has staff with high academic qualifications, including several with masters’ and doctors’ degrees. NorthTec is governed by a Council, which supports the Chief Executive. The current Council Chair is Vern Dark. On 1 April 2020, NorthTec was subsumed into New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology alongside the 15 other Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics.
Locations
NorthTec has campuses and learning centres across Northland. The main campus is located in Whangarei. In addition, NorthTec has campuses and learning centres in Dargaville, Kaikohe, Kaitaia and the Rodney District.
Whangarei
NorthTec's main campus is located in Raumanga Valley Road, Whangarei. The Raumanga campus is set in park-like grounds and its facilities include:
Programmes are also taught at locations across Whangarei, including Future Trades, ASB Stadium.
Dargaville
NorthTec Dargaville has a focus on trades and land-based training. Areas of study include: Agriculture, Construction, Forestry, Horticulture and Hospitality.
Kaikohe
NorthTec Kaikohe opened on Monday, 19 September 2016. Areas of study include: Agriculture, Automotive Engineering, Business, Construction, Forestry, Horticulture, Social Services and Te Reo.
Kaitaia
NorthTec's northernmost campus is located on Oxford Street in Kaitaia. The Kaitaia Learning Centre offers courses ranging from horticulture to business and construction to social services. The campus comprises classrooms, an on-site administration building, a computer suite and two large workshops for the practical delivery of trades programmes.
NorthTec’s Bay of Islands campus closed in December 2017. The intention is to potentially re-commence a revisited range of programmes in 2019, subject to student demand and stakeholder support.
The Rawene Learning Centre closed in December 2017. The campus remains open to community groups and is located on Nimmo Street, in the small historic town of Rawene.
Programmes
NorthTec provides over 90 courses across a range of levels: Bachelor's degrees, Diplomas, Certificates and Graduate diplomas. Subject areas taught include:
NorthTec's students
During 2011, NorthTec provided education to 7,835 students. 46% of the student body claims indigenous Māori ancestry. Māori culture is thus an integral part of NorthTec’s activities. This is reflected in part by the presence of the Te Puna o Te Matauranga Marae complex on the Whangarei campus. International students from China, Japan, India, the USA, North Africa and other countries take advantage of the English language, hospitality, business, nursing and other quality courses on offer at NorthTec. As most of these students do not have English as a first language and are not used to the local culture, NorthTec has an active International Office to assist. This offers tuition in English and peer mentors who either are familiar with the cultures of East Asia or, where possible, senior students of similar cultural backgrounds. Some 40% of the student body attend classes at the main campus located in Whangarei, about 160 km north of Auckland. The remainder attend the regional campuses listed above.
