UCOL

Last Friday, our Manawatū campus hosted a ShadowTech26 event in partnership with TechStep 🤝
We welcomed secondary school wāhine in Years 9-11 for a day of inspiration, discovery, and hands-on learning, designed to spark interest in the exciting world of technology. Through interactive activities and conversations with women thriving in a diverse range of tech careers across the Manawatū, rangatahi explored future pathways, gained valuable real-world insights, and discovered where a career in tech could take them 🌏💻✨

Happy World Photography Day 🌏📸
To celebrate, we’re sharing some incredible photography mahi captured by our talented Intro and Intermediate Photography and Bachelor of Creative Media ākonga 👏
Feeling inspired? Develop your photography skills through our creative programmes: https://www.ucol.ac.nz/programmes/creative

Another standout year at the NZ Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Iris Awards 📸🏆
Congratulations to our photography ākonga (students) and kaimahi (staff), who brought home an impressive 53 awards. A special shout-out goes to Racheal Young, who was named NZ Student Photographer of the Year for the third consecutive year! 👏

kinda chic to study at UCOL 📖✨

Cohort Swap! ⚡✂️
Our Whanganui Electrical Pre-Trade students swapped the workshop for the salon, spending the morning alongside our Hairdressing students. The experience gave both groups the opportunity to connect with people they might not usually cross paths with and gain a firsthand insight into life in another programme. It didn’t take long for the Electrical students to realise that Hairdressing demands just as much skill, precision, and focus as any trade 💇
We are looking forward to the Hairdressing students’ visit to the workshop for the next cohort swap. We can’t wait to see how they get on 👏

Recently, our Level 3 Skincare and Cosmetics ākonga celebrated Matariki with a Hair and Makeup Competition 💄✨
Each ākonga created a look inspired by one of the Matariki stars, bringing together creativity, technical skill, and cultural understanding. To accompany their designs, they also presented mood boards that shared the story behind their work.

Congratulations to our winners:
🥇 Madison Taylor - 1st Place
🥈 Amy Foote-Lynch - 2nd Place
🥉 Trilby Parson - 3rd Place
⭐ Rose O’Neill - Student Choice Award

What an incredible turnout at our Manawatū Open Day yesterday! 🏫🎉 Attendees had the chance to explore our learning spaces, connect with programme experts, discover the wide range of study options available, and enjoy some fun extras along the way, including goodie bags on arrival, a photo booth, free kai, and more 🍿 Ngā mihi maioha to everyone who came along and helped make the day such a success. We can’t wait to welcome many of you back in the future 🤝✨

Yesterday, our Whanganui campus came alive as we celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 🌏

The event honoured a handful of rich cultures, traditions, knowledge, and connections that shape communities around the world. Highlights included a pōwhiri, waiata, karakia, and a special kapa haka performance by Whanganui’s Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tūpoho.
Attendees also enjoyed and participated in a vibrant traditional dress parade representing countries from across the globe, alongside cultural stalls showcasing clothing, tools and keepsakes, as well as a delicious spread of kai from many different cultures 👘🥘💜

We are proud to be creating further opportunities for international ākonga (students) to choose Aotearoa NZ and study at our Palmerston North and Whanganui campuses 🌏🧑‍🎓

UCOL’s international engagement continues to gain momentum, with recent visits to Japan and China reinforcing NZ’s commitment to international education and strengthening relationships with our partners. Closer to home, we also welcomed international agents, industry representatives, and key stakeholders to our Manawatū campus this week, showcasing our newest programme offerings and the practical, industry-connected learning experiences that make UCOL unique.

“The new programme offerings are in direct response to the conversations we’ve been having over the last few months with our agents about what international students are interested in moving to New Zealand to study. It’s wonderful to be able to bring these options to life, and I look forward to welcoming our 2027 international ākonga here to UCOL.” - Jasmine Groves, UCOL Chief Executive
Read more: https://bit.ly/4yVdEsY