Brooke Nelson, General Manager – Staffing, Randstad New Zealand and Randstad Education Award winner and graduate Nicole Hall at the Te Rito Maioha Hastings | Kaiārahi Matauranga ā Rohe Graduation.
Photo ‘Russell Taylor / Russell Taylor Photography’.
A series of events led Nicole Hall to believe that tertiary education was out of reach for her. Then in 2020 she was convinced to enrol with Te Rito Maioha. Graduating with a Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) in 2024 Nicole was supported not only by her own whānau but also the whānau at Te Rito Maioha.
At 15, Nicole Hall thought her high school education had ended. Depression had set in motion a series of events that led to home schooling and a belief that tertiary education was out of reach.
Nicole had been a very promising primary student, often regarded as academic but the black dog had limited Nicole’s self-belief. Then in 2020 she was convinced to enrol with Te Rito Maioha, an education provider that is not only bicultural, but also works online, with practicums while some courses have in-person block courses.
“It was a real shock getting up to speed, ensuring I could use PowerPoint, learning how to structure my sentences properly and generally getting into a tertiary academic space. But once I learnt these basic things I soon found I was quite good.”
“At primary school I was academically inclined but at secondary school I suffered from depression and when I was ready to return, I was told I was out of zone and that was the end of my secondary school experience. From then on I was home schooled and that was my last experience until starting with Te Rito Maioha.”
“You can imagine I was concerned whether I could handle the step-up, but the staff were so welcoming and provided so much support both academically and even personally, they’d be there for you and let you know you’re not alone, so I never felt like I was doing the mahi by myself. That belief in my abilities gave me the confidence to grow from the anxious adult student that didn’t think I belonged, to graduating with a Bachelor of Teaching in ECE.”
Not only did Nicole graduate, but she was awarded the Randstad Education Award by Brooke Nelson, General Manager - Staffing from Randstad New Zealand. The award recognises an individual that has demonstrated exemplary practice and commitment to the teaching profession.
“Every day I get to place great people in jobs. I’m a mum, so without the ECE sector, I wouldn’t be able to go to work knowing that my child is being cared for and educated by amazing teachers in ECE,” says Brooke.
“Being able to place people in meaningful work is why I love my job and recognising someone that is excelling in such an important profession is why this award was so meaningful for me.”
Randstad offers permanent and temporary recruitment as well as HR consulting services.
“I’ve been with Randstad for 19 years, and the reason that I love it is there is nothing more meaningful than finding mahi for people. We have worked with Te Rito Maioha for many years, and we love our partnership, we also think that it is important to contribute to the wider community within ECE. We see this award as a way to recognise young graduates that will make a significant difference to our tamariki,” says Brooke.
“Receiving the Scholarship was very humbling,” says Nicole. To go from not knowing whether I could handle the workload to being recognised in this way is very special. But I couldn’t have taken that leap without the support from my whole family.”
“Mum provided in-home childcare, so I grew up around children my whole life. People would say to her that she must be so patient, but I just thought it was cool to be around kids all day! As an adult I began to understand the pressures, and given how my schooling ended, being a working mum and adding study on top of that, I was nervous about what I was getting myself into. But it was the right decision and made possible by the support from my family and the staff at Te Rito Maioha.”
“Watching me graduate was my eldest son, Gran, mum, and my husband and of course the staff and tauira. It’s weird but they’re all part of the family now. Te Rito Maioha welcomed us into the whānau, provided so much support and helped to grow my confidence. That experience has been so rewarding that I’m considering undertaking my Masters, as I aspire to become a lecturer one day for Te Rito Maioha.”
“I think it’s worth emphasising that the support provided to me was also made to all the students, not just me. They taught us the best way to study, not looking at an assignment as one big thing that can become overwhelming, but rather, tackling small amounts regularly, and by being made to feel seen and heard I could see my confidence, and that of my classmates growing.”
“Because many of us had to juggle commitments, in my case three children and working, it was a massive achievement to complete that first year. But once I got the hang of things it was much smoother sailing. I couldn’t have done this without Te Rito Maioha’s online ‘student guide to study’ and that ongoing support from staff. The staff would be there and let you know you’re not alone. They really accommodated you, so you never felt like you were doing the mahi by yourself.”
“One of the main reasons why I actually chose Te Rito Maioha, was because they’re a bicultural organisation. I wanted to extend myself and become more inclusive in my teaching practices. As pākehā, I wanted to understand and appreciate Aotearoa’s indigenous culture and their bicultural way of thinking was intertwined throughout the courses. Each regional office | takiwā have Pouako who are recognised for their cultural expertise, knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their leadership role in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga at the teaching bases. The whole team were so knowledgeable and simply inspiring.”
“For me, the noho marae was the first time I’d been on a marae since I was a child. I wanted to learn more, be respectful, especially in my pākehā world… so going to the noho marae, I was super nervous, but it was such a moving and beautiful experience. I’d never felt that much awhi and aroha before.”
“Being able to interact with other people, becoming more welcoming, understanding concepts such as tapu and being confident in a pōwhiri, building this world view into my teaching and then winning an award is an amazing bookmark on this chapter of my education.”
“Graduating has opened up a lot of teaching opportunities, not only does it help with increased pay, but it supports my knowledge and has informed what I can do in my teaching practices, and I’ve been teaching the other staff about bicultural practices. With the degree I’m now the visiting teacher for a home-based company, so it’s really opened heaps of different opportunities.”
“If you’re thinking of studying with Te Rito Maioha, just go for it. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
