TARANAKI’S LEARNER ME & WHITECLIFFE COLLEGE CELEBRATE FIRST GRADUATES AND EXPANDS TO HĀWERA
After joining forces early this year to deliver information technology and digital design programmes in Taranaki, Learner Me and Whitecliffe College are delighted to announce the first 20 graduates from this collaboration.
This year, Learner Me has offered two Level 4 and one Level 5 certificate programmes in Information Technology and Digital Design. In 2023, Taranaki learners will have access to a further five programmes across Level 4 and 5 from Web Development and Design to IT Infrastructure.
“There were 10 of us in Digital Media and Design, it was so cool to have a programme of this quality here in Taranaki,” says graduate Jordan Hughes, who is now employed as an illustrator and animator with New Plymouth-based marketing agency Branding HQ. “We were all encouraged and guided to go beyond our comfort zones which led to doing work that we are massively proud of. I especially loved creating a sci-fi style self-portrait and coming up with the entire branding for a new energy drink.”
“We are proud to say that we have over 90% successful outcomes for our programmes. Our learners have done a wonderful job and we’re really proud of the way our graduates have applied themselves to their learning. They will make great IT professionals,” says the Taranaki-based tech academy’s CEO Simon Singh.
“Whitecliffe programmes are considered the best in the country and have great outcomes. It’s been a natural fit for bringing Whitecliffe programmes to Learner Me. The whole team at Whitecliffe worked collaboratively with us from the very first day. Whitecliffe CEO Mark Worsop was born and brought up in Taranaki and was eager to support us and Taranaki. ” says Simon.
For Whitecliffe (which has campuses in Auckland, Manukau, Wellington and Christchurch) the partnership provides a direct connection into the digital tech industry (through Learner Me’s Taranaki-based sister organisations Proformac Technologies, App HQ, Branding HQ and Opportuna CA) and enables learners in Taranaki to have more direct access to career pathways in technology.
The Chief Executive of Whitecliffe, Mark Worsop, says “At Whitecliffe we believe that creativity can be used to change the way people see and experience the world, and we are committed to providing opportunities for our staff, students and graduates to create meaningful change in their lives. To really enable this, we have been dedicated to developing a new programme portfolio and partnerships that not only ensure relevancy to industry needs in New Zealand and abroad, but that provide our students and graduates the opportunity to explore their creativity, develop critical thinking skills, and be supported to develop industry networks and find relevant employment.”
“The partnership with Learner Me certainly has personal meaning for me having grown up in Taranaki, but the driver for the partnership was based on what we saw as a gap in education provision in Taranaki for digital and information technology education. We hope that we see demand grow for higher education with students transitioning to a relevant Bachelors degree with Whitecliffe, and who knows, if the demand is good enough, we may bring these to Taranaki as well.”
Both organisations have taken the partnership even further as Learner Me has opened an additional campus in Hāwera at 74 Princes Street in partnership with Ngāti Ruanui. Whitecliffe and Learner Me will also be delivering the whole suite of programmes in Hāwera. This will be the first time any tertiary organisation has delivered technology pathways in South Taranaki.
“Mark and his team at Whitecliffe are experienced educators. As a new PTE, Learner Me has benefited from the mentorship and we really appreciate the support. We hope to strengthen our partnership in the future and bring more world-class Whitecliffe programmes to our rohe,” says Simon.
The programmes that are offered by Learner Me in this partnership include:
· New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology Essentials (Level 4)
· New Zealand Certificate in Digital Media + Design (Level 4)
· New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology (Level 5)
· New Zealand Diploma in Information Technology Technical Support (Level 5)
· New Zealand Diploma in Web Development and Design (Level 5)
The second cohort of Learner Me/Whitecliffe College learners will begin in February 2023 and applications are now open. The Learner Me team encourage anyone with an inkling that digital design or information technology could be a good career fit for them to come on in for a chat.
For more information and programme offerings, please visit learnerme.ac.nz
About Whitecliffe With five schools spanning Fine Arts, Fashion and Sustainability, Design Innovation, Technology and Creative Arts Therapy, Whitecliffe College is one of New Zealand’s leading private schools of creativity, innovation and research. We offer a wide range of programmes from Certificate through to Postgraduate level and have campuses in central Auckland, Manukau, Wellington, Taranaki and Christchurch.
www.whitecliffe.ac.nz
