Wellington Institute of Technology

Wellington Institute of Technology

The Wellington Institute of Technology, also known as WelTec, is a New Zealand polytechnic among the oldest tertiary education institutions in New Zealand but has evolved with time to incorporate modern practices while maintaining its focus on teaching real skills, based in Petone, Lower Hutt, and was established in 1904, initially called the Petone Technical School, Wellington Institute of Technology got its current name in 2001. WelTec was formed in 2001 by an amalgamation between the Central Institute of Technology and the Hutt Valley Polytechnic. In 2020, WelTec, along with 15 other national polytechnics, became subsidiaries of the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology and delivers vocational education to about 8000 students every year.

WelTec offers over 130 courses in disciplines ranging from hospitality, business, information technology, visual arts, counselling, engineering, construction and creativity and on average has close to 6,100 students every year. It offers a range of industry-led qualifications from trades through to degrees and postgraduate programs. The programs are categorized into various fields including business, construction, creative, engineering, health and social services, hospitality, information technology, and Tourism. It welcomes students from across the globe with 1,416 Asian students, 596 students from European countries, 870 from the Pacific, 4946 from NZ European/Pakeha, and 1483 New Zealand Maori students. WeiTec has an academic staff of 229 members and an administrative staff of 35 members.

WelTec has campuses in Petone, Porirua, and Wellington. The institute’s main campus is located in Petone located on Kensington Ave in Lower Hutt and includes the main administration departments, a learning commons with the library, the Student Hub, and several blocks which serve different functions. The Wellington CBD campus is located on Dixon Street in the Wellington CBD. It is shared with Whitireia as part of their strategic partnership with the Wellington ICT Graduate School. The campus focuses on its business offerings. The campus was previously located on Church St in Wellington until 2017. The Wellington School of Construction campus is located on State Highway 2 next to the Petone railway station. The campus was opened in 2015 and focuses on carpentry, painting and applied decorating. The campus covers 9,614m2 and therefore gives space for students to work on up to six houses. The Wellington School of Hospitality campus is located on Cuba Street in the Wellington CBD. It was opened in 2015 and cost $11 million to build. The campus focuses on WelTec's hospitality offerings and has its own learning commons area, along with training restaurant Bistro 52 and training café Latte Lab, which are both open to the public. WelTec operated an Auckland campus, which was located on Queen Street in the Auckland CBD. It focused on social services including addictions and youth development,

WelTec offers cafes and restaurants on most campuses. A cafeteria is available on the Petone campus for staff and students, while training restaurant Bistro 52 and café Latte Lab are available to the public at the Cuba St campus. Other facilities provided at WeiTec include-  

• Childcare- WelTec offers an early childcare centre called Te Whare Ako and parents can utilize this service while studying at the campus.
• Free bus- In conjunction with Whitireia, WelTec runs a free bus service between Petone and the Whitireia campus located in Porirua. The bus runs during weekdays and is free for staff and students.
• Hair and beauty salons- WelTec offers professional salons where students can learn from public clients. These usually operate in the second trimester (June to October). Salons are available at both the Petone and Cuba St campuses.
• Prayer rooms- WelTec offers prayer rooms at two of their campuses: Petone and Cuba St. Students and staff can utilize these to pray in a safe and quiet environment.

Learning commons- WelTec has three learning commons spaces on the Auckland, Petone and Wellington Cuba Street campuses. Students can utilize these to complete assignments using provided IT services, get help from support staff and access other WelTec services and resources.