Wintec To Celebrate 100 Years Of Vocational Education In The Waikato

This year marks 100 years of vocational education at Wintec’s inner-city campus in Kirikiriroa, which began its official educational journey as the home of Hamilton Technical College in 1924, providing technical and trades training to the Waikato region.

To celebrate its rich history and bright future, Wintec is holding a number of special events with kaimahi (staff), ākonga (students), mana whenua, and stakeholders this Friday, 1 November.

To launch the celebrations, Wintec is holding a dawn ceremony with mana whenua to unveil and bless a historical taonga being permanently mounted at the student heart of Wintec, the Gallagher Hub.

The taonga was originally a whakairo (carving) from Te Kākano a Te Kaahu, the first whare rūnanga of Wintec, which opened in 1992. The whare was part of the previous cafeteria and student services complex, which was replaced by the Gallagher Hub in 2007.

The unveiling and blessing will be followed by a breakfast event bringing together more than 100 key stakeholders, industry partners, mana whenua, iwi, alumni, and community leaders to celebrate this significant milestone for Wintec and the Waikato community. Following the event stakeholders are invited to participate in an interactive session to collaborate with Wintec on our strategic direction and engage with senior leaders from across the business.

Wintec’s Executive Director Strategy, Performance and Enterprise, TeUrikore Biddle, says strong strategic partnerships and collaboration will be key for Wintec as it plays a significant role in contributing to the future prosperity of the region.

“After a period of significant change, we are excited to be focused on restrengthening our existing partnerships and building new partnerships to take us into the future.”

Later the same day, kaimahi and ākonga will have the chance to come together to connect and celebrate over shared kai at a relaxed lunchtime event. Huia Haeata, Tumu Whenua a-Rohe 2 | Executive Director Region 2, joined Wintec in 2023 and said although her time as part of the Wintec whānau has been brief, the institution’s long history of delivering excellent, relevant vocational education and training programmes in Hamilton and across the wider region had been obvious in her interactions with ākonga, kaimahi, Tiriti partners and stakeholders alike.

“In this regard, I would like to acknowledge those leaders and kaimahi who have guided Wintec over the last 100 years – your vision and dedication to creating opportunities for local people to acquire the skills and knowledge needed by industries and businesses has cemented Wintec’s role as a key contributor to the economic prosperity of the Waikato region, as well as nationally.

“Vocational education is a critical part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s education system. While we await final decisions from the Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills on the future direction of the vocational education system, Wintec’s goal remains the same - to respond with excellence to the education and training needs and aspirations of our ākonga and the hapū, iwi, communities, and industries we serve, reflecting the changing needs of employers and the workplace. We look forward to working effectively with partners and stakeholders as we set our new strategic direction for 2025 – 2030.”

At its heart is its people

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata. Through all this rich history, Wintec has had numerous kaimahi who have helped shape the organisation into what it is today. As it moves into the next stage of its journey, Wintec’s kaimahi will remain at its heart of creating a flourishing future.

Two long-serving Wintec kaimahi, Josh and Amy, share why they know they are still in the right place.

Josh Kanara-Bailey, Team Manager for Hospitality has been working at the institute for over 12 years now and said it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of people’s education.

“Seeing students have a blast, having fun, smiling, people gaining qualifications and work ready skills to get into a career of their dreams, that’s my buzz,” he said.

Amy Opperman, Team Manager for Plumbing is going on 14 years at Wintec and said she loves her job and the work she is able to do.

“The thing I enjoy most about my current role with Wintec is being able to grow and develop my teaching team and see their progression,” Amy said.

Wintec’s 100-year history in the Waikato region

The Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) proudly traces its roots back to 1924 when it was formally established as Hamilton Technical College, becoming an official technical high school governed by its own board of managers.

However, the seeds of learning were sown even earlier—1916 saw the start of evening classes organised by the Technical Advisory Committee at Hamilton West School and other venues throughout the city.

These early courses covered a diverse range of subjects, including English, arithmetic, ticket writing, engineering, plumbing, bookkeeping, woodwork and dressmaking.

In 1920, Hamilton Technical College expanded its role, introducing full-time day classes for high school students.

By 1949, the college also began daytime training for apprentices in motor engineering, plumbing and other trades.

The mid-1950s saw the introduction of technician training programmes in engineering and draughting, laying the foundation for future technical education in the region.

A pivotal moment came in 1968, when the college became the fifth technical high school in New Zealand to split into two separate institutions: Waikato Technical Institute (now Wintec) and Fraser High School.

Both institutions initially operated on the same site—today’s Wintec Hamilton City Campus—with a concrete wall marking their division.

Fraser High School later relocated to Ellicott Road, Nawton, in 1970, where it remains today. The school was named after Whampoa Fraser, who served as Principal of Hamilton Technical College from 1925 to 1949, guiding its growth during its formative years.

As the demand for technical education grew, Waikato Technical Institute expanded its offerings, providing programmes in engineering, science, horticulture, accountancy, business management, and building trades.

In 1987, the institute aligned with other tertiary institutions across New Zealand, adopting the name The Waikato Polytechnic to reflect its evolving identity.

Following Government tertiary reforms in the 1990s, the institute became a body corporate with a Chief Executive and Council.

A range of degrees in nursing, midwifery, business, sport and exercise science, information technology and media arts were developed in response to changing employment needs.

The same decade saw satellite campuses open in Te Kūiti and Thames, the institute’s first degree offered (Bachelor of Business), and land purchased on Avalon Drive to establish a campus with ample space for trades, sports, and hospitality training – the campus now known as Wintec Rotokauri.

In 2000, the first postgraduate qualification was offered (Post Graduate Diploma Nursing).

A year after, in 2001 its name changed to the more familiar Waikato Institute of Technology and two years later, the modern Wintec brand was adopted.

More recently in 2019 Wintec launched New Zealand’s first new physiotherapy school in 45 years and was the first institute of technology and polytechnic in New Zealand to offer a graduate entry level Master of Nursing Science programme. Wintec received the Innovation Award at the YWCA Equal Pay Awards.

In 2022, Wintec officially became part of the Te Pūkenga network, showing its leadership as one of a select group of ‘early movers’. Looking forward to 2025 Wintec is set to become its own entity once again.

A deep connection to the land

The Wintec City Campus is situated on land of profound cultural significance to Ngāti Wairere, the local hapū (sub-tribe), and holds deep connections to the mana whenua of Kirikiriroa. Known in pre-European times as Te Kōpū Mania o Kirikiriroa, the hill upon which the campus stands gave its name to Wintec’s marae. Renowned for its fertile soils, this land supported extensive cultivations of kūmara and rauruhe (fern root) that would sustain the people of Waikato.

The lower slopes of the hill, once swampy, were ideal for cultivating taro, and numerous springs (puna) emerged from these areas, sustaining life and growth. Beyond agriculture, the hill served as an important astronomical observation point, where early Māori observed stars and constellations to mark the seasons and determine the optimal times for planting and harvesting crops.

About Wintec:

Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology) is an institute of technology based in New Zealand's Waikato region. Wintec offers a wide range of degrees, diplomas and certificates. With a focus on practical, hands-on learning, Wintec is dedicated to equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen careers.

Wintec is currently part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, located in region 2 of the national network.

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