ITI Articles

New Zealand Management Academies’ Auckland West Academy has scooped two of the top accolades during Adult Learners’ Week.

In a special ceremony at the Waitakere City Council on September 12, the Academy received the Innovative Provider Award for the most outstanding provider of Community and Adult Education in Waitakere City. The Academic Team was also nominated for Educator of the Year and received a Commendation. To top it off, NZMA contact centre graduate Heni Karauria was named Waitakere City’s Adult Learner of the Year!  It’s the second year in a row that a student from NZMA has taken out this title.

The awards ceremony marked the end of Adult Learners’ Week (run nationwide from September 8 – 12) and was attended by local MPs and Mayor Bob Harvey.  Adult Learners’ Week aims to celebrate the success of adults who have taken the plunge by returning to the classroom.  It also gives recognition to their trainers and service providers.

“This is such a thrill for our academy,” says Auckland West Academy Manager Gillian Askew.

“We have such a great team here and this award recognises – and celebrates – their professionalism, dedication and passion.  I am extremely proud of them.  We are all so proud of Heni too.  She has overcome a lot of obstacles to complete her course and she has inspired us all with her motivation and determination.”

Fifty-four-year-old Heni left school at 16 without any qualifications, had her first child at 18 and her last child nearly two decades later!  The mother of seven has spent the majority of her life looking after her family. 

She spent seven years caring for her sick husband, who tragically passed away in June last year.  After his death Heni knew she would have to make some big changes in order to start moving forward with her life again.  She moved from Gisbourne to Auckland and, for the first time ever, began thinking about a career.

“For the first time I actually had time for myself and could focus on what I wanted to achieve,” says Heni.  “I am a people’s person and the idea of working in a contact centre really appealed to me.” 

So in February this year Heni enrolled in NZMA’s National Certificate in Contact Centre and Employment Skills.  She says it’s one of the best decisions she’s ever made.

“I would recommend NZMA to anyone.  The tutors are awesome – they go well above and beyond the call of duty.  I am a slow learner and I am not good with paperwork but at NZMA you are never put down for that.  You are supported and encouraged.  Nothing is rammed into you in class – the delivery is excellent and the course content is also excellent.

“We have a wide range of ages and cultures at our academy which I love.  I had classmates who were Tongan, Chinese, Dutch, Maori, Tokelauan, Samoan and Pakeha.  I mixed in with them all even down to the youngest who was just 18!  It was awesome.”

Not only did Heni have lots of fun at NZMA, but she also learnt a great deal.  She recently graduated and is now utilising the skills of Red Fish, an employment service specifically set up to assist NZMA students and graduates into the workforce. 

Heni is finally one step closer to launching the career she has been dreaming about.