Big turnout for first Toi Ohomai Open Day

Nearly a thousand high school students streamed onto Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s Windermere Campus on Friday, to get an inside look at what their futures might hold. 

The Open Day event, designed to inform students about possible study and career paths, offered over 40 information sessions, as well as campus tours, drop-in events and a chance to hear graduates speak about their career journey.

Anais Levis, a Year 12 student from Otumoetai College said attending the event had made her study options clearer.

“It’s good to see what different people offer. I was thinking about going to Dunedin to study but now I think I want to stay in Tauranga. I definitely want to do the student for a day and find out even more information about the programmes I’m interested in.”

Nikki Hansen, Event Coordinator, said the day was Toi Ohomai’s first Open Day since Bay of Plenty Polytechnic merged with Waiariki Institute of Technology last year.

“This year’s Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for prospective students to experience what we offer at Toi Ohomai. All information sessions were well attended but some of the most popular were hospitality, business, automotive, nursing, marine and environmental studies, sport, and creative industries, where students made screen prints with visual art tutors. “

The event was attended by local high schools, as well as schools from the greater Bay of Plenty region like Tarawera High School and Edgecumbe High School who sent 22 of their students in a bus provided for by Toi Ohomai as an offer of support after the recent devastating floods.

The day finished with a King of the Court volleyball tournament, where schools from around the region made up mixed teams, and free burgers.

“The activities between information sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by students,” said Nikki. 

“They really loved the amazing travelling photo booth and the live graffiti display. We wanted to show them how much fun we have here on campus, as well as the scope and choice of study options that we now offer as the Bay of Plenty’s largest tertiary provider.”