News

Meet our team: Jo Sheffield

23 March 2023

Jo Sheffield is an education evaluator and researcher at Te Mahi Ako. Jo is all about making sure that education is really working for the people it serves. She has worked in business consulting, adult education and training needs analysis, and joined Te Mahi Ako in 2022.

Meet our team: Sue Gemmell

14 March 2023

Sue Gemmell is the Education Development manager at Te Mahi Ako. Teaching and learning has always been at the centre of Sue’s working life. She has been a ski instructor and patroller, a PE teacher and an outdoor instructor.

Tautoko for excellence in te ahumahi ā-rēhia: Te Mahi Ako 2022 scholarships

2 March 2023

Te Mahi Ako celebrated high achievers in te ahumahi ā-rēhia with its 2022 scholarships.

Tautoko for excellence in te ahumahi ā-rēhia: Te Mahi Ako 2022 Māori Sports scholarship

2 March 2023

Te Mahi Ako celebrated high achievers in te ahumahi ā-rēhia with its Māori Sports Scholarship for 2022.

Meet our team: Jim McKendry

27 February 2023

Jim McKendry is a programme manager at Te Mahi Ako. That means he comes up with a range of ways for people in the active recreation sectors to learn and absorb the information they need to do their jobs well.

Meet our team: Matt Stockton

15 February 2023

Matt Stockton is a regional learner advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Matt has worked as a pool lifeguard in the UK and New Zealand, and he’s tried his hand at every different aspect of the job.

Work-based learning graduates celebrate the achievements of 2022

1 February 2023

Whakamihi nui ki a koutou to all our work-based learners who completed their qualifications in te ahumahi ā-rēhia in 2022.

Get the lowdown on te ahumahi ā-rēhia jobs with Te Mahi Ako career maps

31 January 2023

Did you know that lift operators sometimes turn into bungy operators over the summer? Or that lifeguards often add swim teaching and aqua fitness to their repertoire? The updated Te Mahi Ako career pathway maps are spilling the secrets on all the rewarding careers to be had in te ahumahi ā-rēhia.

Meet our team: Donna Hooper

26 January 2023

Donna Hooper is a programme manager at Te Mahi Ako. She has been involved in aquatics and education for most of her life, and believes that being safe and confident in the water is central to life as a Kiwi kid.

Meet our team: Ryan Stark

18 January 2023

Ryan Stark is regional learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Ryan loves working outdoors or in the water, and these days he is helping others follow their passion for active roles, through his job as a regional advisor for Te Mahi Ako in Hawke’s Bay.

Te Mahi Ako appoints Dr Sian Clancy

18 January 2023

Dr Sian Clancy has joined Te Mahi Ako as general manager of Education.

Rauemi rangatahi to recognise young paddlers and trampers

18 January 2023

Te Mahi Ako has launched two new rauemi rangatahi (youth resources) for Kiwi kura – Tramping and Camping, and Waka Ama.

Meet our team: Emma Brown

13 January 2023

Emma Brown is a regional learner advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Based in Dunedin, Emma says nothing beats walking alongside learners on their journey. They find the right qualification, get excited, put in the work and get through the challenges, and everyone gets to celebrate when they graduate.

Meet our team: Ang Robinson

14 December 2022

Ang Robinson is a regional learner advisor at Te Mahi Ako. When a job came up in work-based learning in active recreation, it was a combination of all of Ang’s professional interests. Having worked in the employment sector in both Australia and New Zealand, Ang was also a long-time Les Mills group fitness instructor, who understood the gym industry inside and out.

Getting creative to help people find their groove in sport and exercise

14 December 2022

Max Hopf’s working life is about as busy as it gets, with early starts, late finishes, and working all over the Manawatū with people of all ages. Staying fit helps him find a balance, and he’s keen to share the benefits of physical activity through his wide-ranging mahi.

Meet our team: Amanda Gilmore

9 December 2022

Amanda Gilmore is a regional learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Before joining the organisation, Amanda worked in the aquatics sector where she super-charged her own career through work-based learning, and helped many others to do the same over her 10 years in the industry.

Te Mahi Ako staff stories told in new video series

6 December 2022

A new suite of videos is telling the story of the people of Te Mahi Ako, and how they tautoko work-based learning in te ahumahi ā-rēhia: the active recreation, leisure and entertainment sectors.

Meet our team: Nick Parke

2 December 2022

Nick Parke is a regional learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. An avid football fan and player all his life, these days Nick likes to kick a ball around with his young daughter.

Feilding lifeguard named 2022 Te Mahi Ako Apprentice of the Year

30 November 2022

Up-and-coming aquatics manager Nita Reihana has taken out this year’s top award for work-based learners in te ahumahi ā-rēhia – the active recreation sectors.

Exercise advocates recognised with Te Mahi Ako awards at the fitness industry’s big night

29 November 2022

Tony McMahon and Community Leisure Management Richmond were recognised for their efforts to champion skills and education in the fitness sector, with Te Mahi Ako exercise awards.

Meet our team: Matt Powell

16 November 2022

Matt Powell is a regional learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Both in his tertiary education role, and his ongoing work as a personal trainer, Matt’s big reward is seeing people develop and grow – whether they are in the gym, on the field or at work. 

Te Mahi Ako Apprentice of the Year competition: Real-life potential shines through

14 November 2022

Nita Reihana entered the aquatics sector as a rookie lifeguard with no experience or qualifications, but her managers soon spotted her talent and hard work, and quickly put her on a leadership track.

Te Mahi Ako Apprentice of the Year competition: An outdoor instruction career that’s going places

10 November 2022

Landing a great job in a stunning location AND furthering your education at the same time? This was a dream come true for outdoor instructor and apprenticeship graduate Alex Parsons.

Te Mahi Ako Apprentice of the Year competition: Supporting wellbeing through the performing arts

27 October 2022

Concerts, shows and other forms of live entertainment might seem like a “nice to have” to some people, but Tim McAneney knows better.

Meet our team: Steve Richens

26 October 2022

Steve Richens is a national learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Hailing from the UK, Steve has loved all forms of sport and coaching throughout his life.

Beyond full steam and still stepping up at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables

26 October 2022

After 14 years at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, what keeps Jim Hemingway coming back to work is a team where everybody gets stuck in, and where staff get to follow their passion.

Meet our team: Angie Gooch

17 October 2022

Angie Gooch is a regional learning advisor at Te Mahi Ako. Angie is someone who likes variety, and her interests have spanned a few of the sectors in te ahumahi ā-rēhia.

Meet our team: Caro Verhagen

12 October 2022

Caro Verhagen is the manager of the Regional Learner Engagement team at Te Mahi Ako. After doing her OE, Caro followed her passion and got qualified as an outdoor instructor and adult educator, where she was able to be part of people’s progression and growth, using the outdoors as a setting for learning.

Meet our team: Ant Cox

7 October 2022

Anthony Cox is the chief financial officer of Skills Active Aotearoa Ltd.  Ant is a numbers person. This year he has a goal to walk 3000km, which works out to 8.2km per day, and is currently on track to achieve this goal.

Meet our team: Emily Cooper

6 October 2022

Emily Cooper is the learner engagement process lead at Te Mahi Ako. Emily started as a pool lifeguard with Christchurch City Council in 2005. She assumed she would move on after she finished her degree, but she had awesome managers who gave her lots of different opportunities.

An independent work-based learning provider is launched: Te Mahi Ako gets underway

3 October 2022

Today Skills Active Aotearoa group officially launched its new tertiary education organisation, Te Mahi Ako, with a karakia in Wellington.

Meet our team: Todd Maddock

12 September 2022

Todd Maddock will be general manager of Operations at Skills Active Group. He’s very proud to be part of the back-office team supporting the educators and field staff at Skills Active Te Mahi Ako, who bring work-based learning to our industries.

Meet our team: Chauntelle Brown

9 September 2022

Chauntelle Brown will be Te Mahi Ako’s kaitohutohu tikanga rua (bicultural advisor). She spent seven years working in a regional sports trust, developing programmes and events for schools, and helping community organisations to access sport and recreation funding.

Celebrating the Lifeguard of the Year, and all lifeguards, at the WAVES conference

5 September 2022

Skills Active was thrilled to be part of this year’s WAVES conference for aquatics professionals, where the Lifeguard of the Year Joseph Whittaker was awarded a $1000 grant towards future study.

Meet our team: Maren Frerichs

2 September 2022

Maren is the chief operating officer of Skills Active, and the interim chief executive of Te Mahi Ako. She has spent the past two years guiding the organisation through the reform of vocational education, and steering the course to establish an independent work-based learning provider.

Meet our team: Kuruho Wereta

22 August 2022

Kuruho Wereta was the kaitohutohu tikanga rua (bicultural advisor) at Skills Active Aotearoa and recently handed this role over to Chauntelle Brown. Although he has fulfilled his time at Skills Active, we wanted to acknowledge the big role he played in helping us to build the foundations of Te Mahi Ako.

Meet our team: Ben Corcoran

17 August 2022

Ben Corcoran will be general manager of Engagement at Skills Active Te Mahi Ako. He had a long career in the outdoors before joining Skills Active, doing everything from outdoor education and ski patrolling, through to facilitating leadership courses for the army.

Meet our team: Alan Reynolds

15 August 2022

Alan Reynolds will manage a team of national learning advisors at Te Mahi Ako. Alan worked in senior roles in the UK chemical sector for many years, but industrial chemicals weren’t his dream.

Meet our team: Denise Clarke

8 August 2022

Denise Clarke will be the Learner Support manager at Te Mahi Ako. Denise has taught adult learners in a whole range of settings, but one thing she particularly remembers is teaching Level 2 hospitality to prison inmates.

Outdoor instructor helping rangatahi to smash through the comfort zone

4 August 2022

Rachel Crago considers herself very lucky to have been immersed in the outdoors from a young age. Now, as a full-time outdoor instructor, she is helping others to discover the life changes that come with getting out of the comfort zone and into the green zone.

Bay Venues staff upskilling on the job

1 August 2022

Bay Venues in Tauranga is supporting its staff with work-based learning to help them step up and grow their skills within the business.

Meet our team: Aimee Froud

28 July 2022

As Skills Active general manager of People and Culture, Aimee Froud is helping to build the new team structure at Skills Active Te Mahi Ako. With a theatre degree, and a love of helping people, fixing problems and organising things, Aimee has done all sorts of jobs.

Nga taonga tākaro practitioners gather for Skills Active assessor wānanga

25 July 2022

Skills Active was thrilled to bring together our Ngā Taonga Tākaro trainee assessors and tauira (learners) from around the motu, for a wānanga held at Kokiri Marae in Wellington.

Skills Active Te Mahi Ako secures NZQA registration

18 July 2022

Skills Active's new, independent work-based learning provider, Te Mahi Ako, has been granted NZQA registration.

Putting in the work during a year of change

18 July 2022

Skills Active’s 2021 annual report looks back on an exciting year in which the team was busy planting the seeds for transformative changes which are now well underway, says board chair Sam Napia.

Newly established Skills Active Te Mahi Ako to take over work-based learning

1 June 2022

The TEC Board has agreed in principle to Skills Active Aotearoa's plan to transition to its work-based learning services to Skills Active Te Mahi Ako.

Te ahumahi ā-rēhia apprentices get another boost in their learning

16 May 2022

The government’s extension of the Apprenticeship Boost programme is a win-win-win for apprentices, employers and participants in sport, recreation and performing arts, says Skills Active Aotearoa chief operating officer Maren Frerichs.

Sharing the love: A yoga teacher and fitness all-rounder reflects on helping others succeed

28 March 2022

Yoga teacher and business owner Zuri Brudenell has always looked at life as a journey of development – setting goals, reaching them, and setting new ones.

Skills Active scholarship winners growing the skill base

10 February 2022

Skills Active is thrilled to celebrate Eric Schusser at Snow Farm, and Flyers Swim School of Stratford, through its 2021 Volunteer and Small Business scholarships.

Skills Active celebrates all the graduates of 2021

8 February 2022

We would like to extend our hearty congratulations to all those Skills Active certificate and apprenticeship graduates who completed their qualifications in 2021.

Meet our team: Lizzie Parker

Lizzie Parker is the assessor and facilitator liaison lead at Te Mahi Ako. Her career in teaching, learning and assessment started off with a role as a travel and tourism tutor at a private training establishment, followed by working as a lecturer, a programme manager, an assessment writer and a moderator.

Meet our team: Lorna Gillespie

Lorna Gillespie is an academic consultant to Te Mahi Ako. Lorna is a lifelong educator, and physical activity and recreation has always been central to her career. She started as a PE teacher, then a teacher educator and a university lecturer, before coming to Skills Active. In amongst all this she has always been actively involved in sport and recreation as an athlete, a coach and a parent.