Hunt on for past students

Hunt on for past students

WITT is desperately seeking students from the past – and not so long ago.

The hunt for students is two-fold.

Researcher Constanze Bauer is updating WITT records, so wants to hear from students who have graduated from the institute, particularly since 2008.

Journalism tutors Robin Martin and Virginia Winder are working on a publication to celebrate WITT’s 40-year birthday next year.

“We are looking for people whose lives have been changed by studying here,” Virginia says. “Many people will have been through here when it was the Taranaki Polytech, so yes, we want to hear from you too.”

Constanze says she also wants to hear from businesses that have employed WITT students. “We can go and visit them and ask them questions.”

The evaluation will help the institute find out valuable information, including:

• Are WITT graduates employable?
• Do employers like them?
• Are students happy with their experience at WITT?
• Has the qualification they gained made a difference in looking for a job?
• Is the qualification applicable to the job?
• Would they employ WITT graduates in the future?

There will also be other question about “soft skills”, like do graduates know how to communicate with people, did they learn time management and how do they get on with people of diverse cultures?

“We have to make sure the money spent by the students and the Government and taxpayers is worth it,” Constanze says.

Graduates and employers can contact her by emailing: c.bauer@witt.ac.nz

Students – and staff – with stories to share about the past 40 years of WITT can contact Virginia Winder on vwinder@xtra.co.nz