Stories of Impact

Before I started the Level 2 Construction and Civil Infrastructure courses, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do or even if school was for me. But learning hands-on skills like framing, concreting, and site prep gave me a real sense of purpose. I realised I’m good at practical mahi — building something solid that people can actually see and use. Matua Andre pushed us to work hard, show up on time, and take pride in our work, and that attitude has carried over into everything I do. These courses made me want to come to kura every day, not just for the credits, but because I could see a future for myself in the trades.

I had the best time and learned so much!! The tutor was incredibly knowledgeable and I came away from this year with a lot more practical skills and knowledge that are invaluable to me. I would definitely recommend this course to any student interested in the Agricultural world.

“Completing my scuba diving course at Dive Zone Tauranga was an awesome experience. I worked towards my Rescue Diver qualification and learned valuable skills like teamwork, confidence, and staying calm under pressure. Fiona was an amazing instructor, and Liz and Tony did a great job running the programme. I really enjoyed every part of it and would definitely recommend the course to anyone interested in diving. It’s inspired me to keep developing my diving skills in the future.”

“My time at Toi Ohomai was a really good experience. I got lots of hands-on practice and learned heaps of useful trade skills. Working with the tutors and other students helped me understand how to use my technical knowledge safely and get jobs done properly. I’ve built a lot of confidence using tools, following workplace standards, and working in a team to finish projects. I especially liked the mix of practical learning and problem-solving, which made me even more interested in a career in the trades. Overall, Toi Ohomai gave me the skills and motivation to keep building my trade career.” 

Level 2 Hair, Retail, and Beauty at Toi Ohomai has been an amazing experience for me. I got to do lots of hands-on learning in an area I’m really interested in for my future career. It was also exciting to experience what studying Hair and Beauty on a new campus would be like, while meeting new people along the way. I made friends from other schools who share the same interests, and I really enjoyed learning from my tutor.

For the past school year I have been attending Toi Ohomai for the Hair retail and Beauty course. I have had an amazing time learning in the polytech environment as well as alongside girls from other schools who have similar interests as I do. Learning under the guidance of our tutor was so helpful. She has a wide knowledge of hair, makeup, and beauty therapy. She always made sure we understood our topics and were able to fully complete our assessments without any stress. Doing trades this year has definitely given me some well needed perspective on future pathways and life at Toi Ohomai. This course has given me insight into careers I would definitely be interested in pursuing in the future.

What I have gained from Trades Academy is a lot more knowledge of different car systems, and how to service and maintain a vehicle. I feel that I have grown a lot in confidence, and that my course has confirmed my interest in training as a mechanic. I have gained valuable motor industry connections through my tutor and fellow students. My course has added real value to my CV and I now feel able to approach prospective automotive employers to discuss apprenticeship opportunities.

“My time at Trades was valuable, as I learnt skills that I can take with me to university. I took the fashion course, and I further developed my sewing skills and created things I didn’t think I was capable of creating. From making wearable art just from my imagination to carefully adapting a pattern to make my new favourite skirt, I have gained skills that wouldn’t have been offered to me in my normal sewing class at school. Although it was hard missing a day of school, so I had to balance studying as well to keep up, I don’t regret my choice in taking this course, as this is what I’ll hopefully do as a career.”

I have been attending the Level 3 Skincare and Make-up Course at Toi Ohomai since the beginning of Term 1. I attended the course on Mondays and Thursdays. The course has allowed me to achieve 60 Level 3 credits. The makeup course was such a fun learning experience. For the assessments I created five different looks – bridal, soft glam, full glam, ball and creative. I started out not knowing anything about makeup but with practice I grew more confident and creative in my work. By the end I felt proud of how much my skills had improved and I’m now a qualified makeup artist. The Bay of Plenty Futures Academy is such a great opportunity to try out the learning environment of tertiary study and to gain the skills needed for a range of careers. I would recommend it to other students as they prepare for their future after high school.

“Participating in this course has reinforced my intention to pursue a career in the automotive industry.  I have learnt many skills including how to change a tyre​ and do an oil change – this will be extremely useful for life.  The class competition to see who could change a trye quickest was really fun. My tutor was extremely encouraging and had a great sense of humour.  He made the course enjoyable and created an interesting and relational classroom environment.  The tutor gave us a wide variety of learning experiences. Thank you”