Dawn Ceremony Held for New South Waikato Trades Training Centre

The $14 million South Waikato Trades Training Centre in Tokoroa was blessed by Raukawa kaumatua in a dawn ceremony last Saturday.

This purpose-built facility in the centre of Tokoroa, will be the new campus for Toi Ohomai and aims to provide growth and investment within the South Waikato.

The building will soon be operational, with kaimahi and ākonga able to utilise the facility in semester two.  

Both Tumu Whenua ā-Rohe 2 | Executive Director for Region 2, Kieran Hewitson and Huia Haeata were at the blessing, alongside other dignitaries. 

The project has been led by the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) and Chief Executive Amanda Hema says the Centre showcased the South Waikato community’s dedication to education and training.

Ms Hema said the genesis of the Centre was in 2007 when local engineers gathered to consider a collective response to staff shortages. Toi Ohomai legacy institute, Waiariki, tailored a qualification and programme with equipment donated by businesses and the Council and local high schools providing students.

Construction, carpentry and automotive industries followed suit, establishing pre-trade courses as local qualifications in 2008. Impressed by these initiatives, the Ministry of Youth Development gave South Waikato District Council a national award for commitment to youth training and education in 2008.

“Clearly those industry leaders recognised the power of collaboration and the potential of our local rangatahi. The large workshops in the new Centre reflect those sectors that partnered so early on with trade training in our district,” Ms Hema says. 

“Moving to today, this wonderful facility will also cater beyond the trades. SWIFT is delighted that under the watch of Toi Ohomai, opportunities for more training and broader educational offerings will be made available to our community.”

Ms Hema said Raukawa Charitable Trust and the Council had been powerful advocates for the facility and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit – Kanoa invested about $11 million in the development. Trust Waikato also partnered to fund the Centre.

While Toi Ohomai is the major tenant, Ms Hema said SWIFT will also be housed in the new building with expressions of interest being taken from other businesses. 

Toi Ohomai Faculty Dean Bart Vosse says it is fantastic to see this building come to fruition. He acknowledged the collaborative work to get to this point and says it is exciting that ākonga and kaimahi who have been based across three Tokoroa locations, will now be able to come together under one roof. 

“It is a wonderful asset for the Tokoroa community and we are pleased we can continue to provide quality education opportunities in a first-class facility.”   

Although the building will be used from Semester two, the official opening will be held at a later date.