MIT Scholarship Programme Supporting Excellence And Equity

25 October 2018

Manukau Institute of Technology provides a balanced grants and assistance programme that supports the best outcomes for talented students and the community.

A recent report on scholarship recipients at universities by the Weekend Herald found that – from the data provided - those who attended ‘high decile schools received four times the number of entry-level scholarships as those in the low decile schools.’

“There are a number of reasons tertiary institutions and donors fund scholarships. Providing equity of access to educational opportunities is one. Because of MIT’s focus on teaching vocational skills and the South Auckland community we serve, this is a strong element of the assistance offered here,” says Head of External Engagement, Julie Prentice.

In 2018, 32 of the 73 students studying at the institute on scholarships previously attended schools with a decile ranking of 1-3.

Overall, 29 of the recipients were Māori and 28 were Pasifika.

The majority of allocations came through the School Partnership scheme which connects school leavers to tertiary study.

Because of MIT’s strength in IT and engineering, the institute and its partners are also supporting those seeking futures in these sectors that provide high value jobs and skills to the future economy.

Recently, the first DATACOM and MIT Digital Technologies scholarships were awarded for students of Māori and / or Pacific heritage.

There were also two new allocations made for the NZ Diploma of Engineering for students from priority learner groups.

Both aim to help increase the participation of Māori and Pasifika in these important fields.

The Māori ICT Report 2015 found only 2.5% of the total sector workforce was Māori and less than 1% of Māori in tertiary educationwere studying for qualifications in this area.

“These grants are small but important steps towards increasing the number of Māori and Pacific peoples in ICT and engineering. Often this involves supporting an outstanding individual to take on an entirely different career path to those that family members have opted for in the past. Long term this will help normalize such choices and deliver great benefit to individuals, aiga and community alike,” says Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Deputy Chief Executive –Pasifika.

A recent Ministry of Education analysis found MIT graduates had the highest employment rate and earned among the highest median incomes when compared to those from all NZ polytechnics and universities five years after graduation.

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