ITI Articles

New Zealand Management Academies (NZMA) recently added another feather to its cap, acquiring 75 percent of a well-respected and established language school, FERN English Academy.

Located near NZMA’s Auckland Central Academy it offers the perfect pathway for international students who need to improve their English before moving into NZMA’s hospitality and business courses. FERN also has connections with AUT and UNITEC and other degree providers, and can provide pathways for students all the way through to university.

FERN has also developed an association with Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design (another ITI member), creating two programme options designed to assist international students who wish to enrol at Whitecliffe. One option only includes English, while the other also involves the development of an art portfolio to meet Whitecliffe’s entry requirements. This relationship is a good example of how the close links between ITI members can develop into useful collaboration.

NZMA Managing Director Tim Cullinane is thrilled with the new purchase.

“It fills an important market need for us and presents great opportunities for the future. FERN is a quality English language school with a strong reputation and eight excellent staff members. It will provide an excellent foundation in English for non-native speakers looking to move into further study.”