New Zealand Tertiary College Celebrates 35 Years

23 March 2017

New Zealand Tertiary College Celebrates 35 Years

The largest early childhood teacher education provider in New Zealand is marking a significant milestone in 2017. New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) is celebrating its 35 year anniversary as a leader in the early childhood education sector and diversifying beyond ECE for the first time in the college’s history.

NZTC was founded in 1982 after Glennie Oborn and Allan Wendelborn identified a need for high quality teacher education programs to support the teachers working in Kindercare Learning Centres. The college’s inaugural qualification, the Kindercare Early Childhood Teachers Certificate, was undertaken by 12 students. The first program was a blend of both theoretical and practical learning components and this remains a special characteristic of NZTC today.

The college became the first and only private training establishment (PTE) prior to 1995, to gain approval for an early childhood program in 1984, and in 1995 it became the first PTE to obtain approval for the delivery of a three-year Diploma of Teaching (ECE).

NZTC has paved the way for early childhood teacher education over the years. A further first was achieved in gaining approval to offer a specialist early childhood degree in 2007 – the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE). A Bachelor of Education (ECE) followed in 2010, enabling students to complete a degree with the option to transition into a teaching qualification if they wished to gain teacher registration.

A vision for advanced qualifications for early childhood professionals in leadership positions led NZTC to develop postgraduate qualification options. A Master of Education (ECE) incorporating a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE) launched in 2011 with ten students partaking in the first cohort.

College initiatives such as ecelearn (a uniquely developed online learning environment) have reached beyond the early childhood education sector over the years to serve the wider global education sector, enabling ‘high touch, low tech’ users to study online with confidence and success.

One of the college’s most recent highlights was the in-house production and launch of a Māori language learning resource to support students and the early childhood sector. Over 5000 copies of Te Reo Māori: He taonga mō ā tātou mokopuna have been gifted, with the college committed to continuing its gifting of the resource to all NZTC students in 2017.

This year the college has moved beyond ECE for the first time in its history, delivering health and wellbeing qualifications to support healthcare assistants serving New Zealand and global communities. NZQA approved level 3 and 4 programs have begun with a level 5 to follow later in 2017.

“NZTC is an integral part of the history and fabric of our early childhood professional community and has played a crucial role in supporting qualified, thinking, heartfelt teachers and professionals for children and families for three and a half decades,” said NZTC Chief Executive Selena Fox.

“I am immeasurably proud of what NZTC has achieved. With over 5000 graduates throughout New Zealand, we have enabled goals, overcome challenges and emerged with new thought, new strategic opportunities and special characteristics that serve our national and international communities in unique ways, committing to the very best possible quality,” said Fox.

To find out more about New Zealand Tertiary College, visit www.nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

ENDS

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