Te Pae Tata - opening doors for local community

​Nearly two years ago Te Pae Tata, a community learning and tech hub was set up in Ohakune, right next to Ruapehu College. 

Te Pae Tata provided two of the 23 solutions identified in Ngati Rangi's Ruapehu Whanau Transformation Plan. The Plan sets out how Ngati Rangi will, as a collective, enable positive transformation for whanau in their rohe.

Te Pae Tata is an impressive sight, and well worth the visit. The modern building includes conference facilities and meeting rooms, computer suites, a classroom and 

Shared work space at Te Pae Tata

hot desks. What’s more the staff are engaging, informative and passionate. They believe in the service they are offering their community, and are working hard to ensure it's well utilised.

​Growth is steady with businesses, Ruapehu College, Kura Kaupapa and community groups all spending time at the hub. Staff are continually looking at suitable education programmes to provide the needs of the community and these will continue to evolve over time.
 
Manager Rachel Hoskin believes the hub brings opportunities to those who might not normally be able to access them in a remote region such as Ruapehu.
 
“It’s a space for kids to come in and experience our technologies and learn from our staff, it’s also a place for businesses to use as an office with a beautiful mountain view.”
 
One of the new education courses Te Pae Tata offers is a Marketing and Advertising work incubator. It is aimed at a small group of rangatahi who are currently on a benefit. They come in for nine months to learn to work in the advertising industry. The course, which is funded by the Ministry for Social Development and Te Pae Tata, has been of interest to those who would like to get into marketing, but are unable to travel to bigger centres to take up education opportunities.
 
“The first 12 weeks of the programme will involve intensive training and project work, and then for the last six months they will be paid employees of Te Pae Tata supplemented by MSD in their flexi-wage programme,” says Rachel.
 
“They will work on commercial jobs, just as they would in the industry.”
 
At the end of the nine months, the students can continue on as an agency based at Te Pae Tata or they can become individual freelancers or work for a company/agency. 
 
“It’s an exciting initiative, which will open the door to new career opportunities for the students.”
 
As for Rachel, she recently moved to the Ruapehu district after 17 years at UCOL in Palmerston North.
 
“Moving up here was a no-brainer, I saw a chance to help people and I saw flexibility in the way I could achieve that,”
 
“I saw an iwi who was progressive and future – focused and of course everything about the role fitted with what I was wanting to do.”
 
Rachel had already purchased land and built a tiny house in Raetihi before the opportunity came up.
 
“It’s quiet, the people are super friendly and it was everything we wanted in a holiday home … we just happen to now live in our holiday home. How cool is that!”