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Ara Subsidiary Board of Directors appointed

17 March, 2020

The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology Establishment Board (the Establishment Board) is today announcing directors for the boards of subsidiary Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), effective from 1 April 2020.

The following people have agreed to serve as directors on the board of Ara from 1 April 2020:

Thérèse Arseneau – Chair

Melanie Taite-Pitama (Ngāi Tahu, Tauranga Moana) – Deputy Chair

Jane Cartwright

Nettles Lamont

Andrea Leslie

Bryn Thompson

“The appointment of this Board of Directors is a significant step forward in the journey towards a cohesive, sustainable vocational education system,” says the Establishment Board Chair Barry Jordan.

“In making these appointments we have balanced the need to ensure continuity of operation with sound local and regional relationships. We are delighted with the diversity of thought within each board, alongside the complementary skills and experience that will drive positive outcomes for their respective communities.”

The Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Act requires that the initial board for each subsidiary ITP comprise at least four and no more than eight directors, of which at least half must reside within the region that the subsidiary primarily serves.

Ara Board Chair Thérèse Arseneau says, “the new institute offers a great opportunity to deliver multi-generational benefit by clearly linking and coordinating the needs of industry and the ambitions of our learners, iwi and communities, in Canterbury and across New Zealand.”

“Ara supports this vision, which if well executed will deliver huge benefit to our region and country.”

To further drive the shift from competition to operating as one regionally accessible network of provision, the Establishment Board has decided that one NZIST Council member will be a director on each subsidiary ITP board. Each board may also receive a ‘cross-Board appointee’. These names will be confirmed in April.

The IST Establishment Board based its approach to the appointment of directors on the Treasury framework used to appoint directors to the boards of Crown companies. More than 370 expressions of interest were received over the Christmas and New Year period.

All appointments to subsidiary boards are subject to ratification and approval by the NZIST Council on 1 April 2020. Members of this Council will be confirmed by the Minister of Education before the end of March.