CEO of the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT), Clive Somerville, says the organisation is saddened to hear Toi Ohomai is evaluating education delivery in Tokoroa.
“Based in Pūkenga Rau, Toi Ohomai is an active member and service provider in the South Waikato community. It was unfortunate to learn that it is evaluating its current position in Tokoroa, with the option being proposed of ceasing its education delivery from the end of 2025.
“Our thoughts are with the staff who are currently going through a consultation period in relation to Toi Ohomai’s proposal,” he says.
SWIFT owns the Pūkenga Rau building where Toi Ohomai is a tenant and it manages all tenancies.
Opened in 2023, Pūkenga Rau was funded jointly with grants from the Provincial Growth Fund, Trust Waikato and SWIFT. The goal of the community facility is to support the South Waikato District by equipping young people and older residents with valuable skills that support workforce development.
“SWIFT’s relationship, and our wider community’s relationship, with Toi Ohomai is pivotal in delivering on our outcomes,” says Somerville.
Somerville confirmed that if Toi Ohomai’s proposal for closure goes through and it pulls out of the South Waikato community, SWIFT will not run education courses itself.
“Education delivery is not a core purpose of SWIFT. However, we have seen the positive impact of delivering skills education locally. Therefore, our desire is to have a provider – whether that be Toi Ohomai or other - supporting our community with this vital service.
“While SWIFT is emphatic that we want to see local skills education delivery continue, however, exactly how this will unfold is too early to say just now,” says Somerville.
As Pūkenga Rau owner and landlord, SWIFT’s next steps are to work closely with the Crown, as leaseholder for Toi Ohomai, to understand its intentions for the South Waikato.
“SWIFT will keep the community updated as we know more about the future of Pūkenga Rau and skills education delivery in South Waikato,” says Somerville.
