He Māhuri Toa
March 18th, 2019
January 2019
He Māhuri Toa – Forestry Management Programme renamed
The Lake Taupō Charitable Trust (LTCT) is pleased to announce that the Forestry Management Programme has been renamed to ‘He Māhuri Toa’ – a welcome sign of growth and reflecting the positive feedback that has been received so far about the programme.
He Māhuri Toa is designed to produce ‘young trees of strength’ and help ensure our tamariki and rangatahi get to participate in the many exciting opportunities that will help them succeed in today’s world.
The programme has a number of strands involving several training providers and organisations so the teaching and support is tailored to our rangatahi. Providers include Mindlab, the specialist education provider that helps tamariki learn to work togeter on digital and robotic projects. (See Education Update in this issue). LTCT is currently leading an initiative to establish a Tuwharetoa Tech Centre by 2020 to host a range of these educational programmes.
LTCT is also establishing a secondary school support programme with Competenz to help rangatahi achieve their Level 2 and 3 qualifications. Following secondary school, there are a range of Trust education grants and scholarships which will help support them as they move into tertiary education at university or polytechnic.
Ngāti Tuwharetoa has large forestry interests and the Trustees of Lake Taupō and Lake Rotoaira forests are always keen to have their own people working in their forests. He Māhuri Toa will help ensure our rangatahi are well-placed to move into this area.
The three main routes to a forestry career are:
1. University: a four-year degree at the University of Canterbury can lead to management positions in forestry, including establishment and silviculture, harvesting, marketing, forest modelling, planning, GIS, and environmental management.
2. Polytechnic: Six-month, one-year and two-year courses. Particularly at Toi Ohomai in Rotorua, can lead to middle management levels such as operational planning, quality control, supply chain logistics, inventory work, work supervision and mapping.
3. Vocational training: starting as a labourer with silvicultural or harvesting gangs and working your way up through experience remains a valid and successful way of getting involved in the forest industry. Our contractors are often seeking new workers.