| 25 Creating the the most prosperous region in NZ SWIFT is involved in two significant projects for the region. Waikato: South Waikato Investment Fund REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T Karen Phelps Making South Waikato the most prosperous region in Aotearoa is a bold ambition. But that’s exactly what South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) is setting out to achieve. A community-owned economic development fund dedicated to making South Waikato thrive, SWIFT has recently implemented some key changes, which chief executive Amanda Hema believes will really catapult the region forward. “We have reset the organisation for greatest impact. We needed to be bolder and more focused to create the most meaningful outcomes for the community,” she says. In order to be the best development catalyst for South Waikato, supporting a resilient economy and enhancing community well-being, SWIFT has a relatively new team, with two positions created – Operations Manager and Community Liaison Coordinator. Amanda also formally came on board in April as the Chief Executive and she says the three will work together collaboratively to further the trust’s goals of growing local businesses, people and the district’s workforce while enhancing South Waikato’s competitive and productive industries. A major vehicle to achieve this is a business fund that is offered to assist local businesses in a growth phase to continue their trajectory and for businesses looking to move to South Waikato. The aim is economic opportunity and job creation with many other positive spin off benefits for the community. To date $1.3m of business loans has been granted through the fund, supporting the addition of over 75 new business start-ups resulting in the creation of 566 jobs over the past five years. In addition SWIFT has been partnering with the government’s Regional Business Partners Programme, subsidising business support for small to medium enterprises in South Waikato. Amanda says the focus is firmly on up-skilling the business rather than a handout. Large scale community grants for not for profits, particularly those with a focus on training and development, are another piece of the overarching strategy. “We recognise it’s one thing to grow job opportunities but you also need the people to fill them. So we want to support our rangitahi to get the right training and we have had 185 training placements through SWIFT initiatives already,” says Amanda. SWIFT is also involved in two significant projects for the region. The $14m South Waikato Trades Training Centre will offer a combined 3500m2 of learning, workshop and staff space with a commercial kitchen, café and barbershop. It has been made possible thanks to substantial investment from Kanoa (Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment) and Trust Waikato. Toi Ohomai is a key partner and has a long history and commitment to providing trades training in the South Waikato to align with local industry including logistics, engineering, mechanical and construction. Scholarships will also be offered for the first 3 years once the Trade Training Centre is operating to enable students to pursue their dreams. The construction of the South Waikato Trade Training Centre will generate or support an estimated 200 direct jobs and 30 indirect jobs. Approximately 35-40 long-term operational jobs are expected to be created by the development of the facility. The Training Centre is also of course expected to place skilled workers into new jobs. The project has also led to a spinoff project on the same site, a new office building. The space will be leased to Manulife (formerly Hancock Forest Management NZ). Learn by doing 0800 86 46 46 · toiohomai.ac.nz Apply now Get the skills for the job you really want! Don’t wait till next year - take advantage of the mid-year intake. Now’s the time to start a new adventure and get skills for the job you really want. Many sectors need work-ready candidates, so launch your career today with Toi Ohomai. Get a head start. Be in demand. Te Pūkenga has welcomed its irst 24,000 ākonga (learners) and an additional 1700 kaimahi (sta ), with Toi Ohomai and Wintec moving into the national provider. Te Pūkenga Chief Executive Stephen Town says the transition highlights the strengths of the two Institutes of Technology, their people, learners and communities as they move into Te Pūkenga. Te Pūkenga, which has been set up as part of the Government’s Reform of Vocational Learning, is creating a network of online, on-campus and on-job learning to give learners more lexibility in what, where and how they learn. "For the irst time, Te Pūkenga has ākonga. We’re committed to providing these ākonga, and those who follow in their footsteps, with a learning experience that sets them up to thrive and enables them to succeed - whatever success looks like for them,” says Mr Town. Toi Ohomai and Wintec had previously been identi ied as potential early movers into Te Pūkenga and this move, supported by the respective boards, highlighted the change readiness of the two institutes and the strengths of the collective teams. Wintec Toi Ohomai Transitional Executive Lead Dr Leon Fourie says this change will not a ect existing relationships. “Nothing will change in terms of any partnerships and o erings – learners will have contact with the same sta and tutors at our organisations. The team at Transition on track Toi Ohomai is committed to continuing to provide quality education around our rohe, and there will be no changes to the day-to-day teaching and learning activities of sta and learners.” Meanwhile, work is continuing on the new South Waikato Trades Training Centre in Tokoroa. The Trades Training Centre and an adjacent o ice building are being funded through the South Waikato Investment Fund (SWIFT), a community-owned economic development fund dedicated to South Waikato’s prosperity, with grants from the Provincial Growth Fund, Trust Waikato and SWIFT. Dr Fourie said SWIFT and Toi Ohomai had worked closely on the plans since early 2018, as the institute will be the training provider at the centre. "The three current Toi Ohomai training sites in Tokoroa are in di erent locations, some are rundown and it wasn't working bussing trainees from Tokoroa to our campuses in Rotorua, Hamilton or Taupō." The centre will cater for up to 500 students a year and will be a combined 3,500m2 of learning, four workshops and sta space with a commercial kitchen, café and barber shop. It will also have a space allocated for a digital and entrepreneurial hub to help address the digital divide and assist young people into their own businesses. The centre is planned to be open in time for the start of semester one in 2023. PHONE. 07 885 1022 EMAIL. info@grahambrown.co.nz WEBSITE. www.grahambrown.co.nz Your business. Is our business. Proud to support SWIFT and economic growth within the South Waikato.
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