November 25, 2014
Diploma deepens grasp of Whanau Ora
One of the first five graduates of Te Whanau o Waipareira’s Whanau Ora Diploma says the two year qualification has given her a much greater appreciation of what it takes to work with whanau.
Nina Seakens is a practice leader for the trust’s Learning Post educational arm, looking after Te Kete Aronui after school programmes as well as doing adult literacy work.
She says the cross-disciplinary nature of the new qualification, as well as its grounding in the day to day work of Waipareira’s kaimahi, was an eye opener.
"The more I learned I realised the little I did know. So the learning has been amazing. Not just te reo and tikanga, we have completed units in health, we have done a basic law unit and we have done many units in social service. So I have been able to look into the different areas and how they work and also the appropriate ways to approaching whanau. You know, better ways then what I have always figured out for myself. So a huge learning curve and still learning as a result " says Nina Seakens
There are another 39 Waipareira kaimahi still going through the course, which now has NZ Qualifications Authority accreditation as a level five diploma.
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com