Whitireia and WelTec

What Whitireia and WelTec does

Whitireia and WelTec is a public tertiary education institution operating as a business division of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), headquartered across two main campuses in Petone (Te Awakairangi) and Porirua, plus the Wellington Regional School of Construction in Lower Hutt. The institution delivers vocational and applied education from Level 3 certificates through Level 9 master's degrees across seven core portfolios: Information Technology, Trades (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, automotive, plastering, painting, tiling), Health and Nursing (including culturally-specific Bachelor of Nursing Māori and Bachelor of Nursing Pacific), Business Studies, Creativity and Digital Media, Built Environment, and Hospitality, with postgraduate and short-course offerings layered on top. Delivery combines on-campus practical training in purpose-built facilities (drainlaying pits, workshops, simulated healthcare environments) with blended online learning via the Moodle LMS.

The business model is primarily B2C tuition, segmented across domestic students (government-subsidized via NZIST with StudyLink support, fees ranging NZ$5,096 to NZ$14,666 per programme), international full-fee students (NZ$27,000 to NZ$39,250 per year), and CPD/micro-credential learners (e.g., NZ$1,637 plastering, NZ$1,291 electrical service technician). Revenue is supplemented by employer partnerships (Southern Cross Health Trust, Kāinga Ora) and the Whitireia Foundation, which has awarded over NZ$1.6 million in scholarships since 2000. Distribution runs through direct enrolment via the website, secondary-school pathway programmes (Wellington Trades Academy), and community outreach (Try-a-Trade, Try-a-Tech, Waitangi Day presence, iwi-led engagement).

Commercial positioning is anchored in deep iwi relationships (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Āti Awa) and a wrap-around pastoral care model (Tamaiti Whāngai, Pacific Student Support) that supports Māori and Pacific learner outcomes in the Wellington region. The institution serves as the only Aotearoa NZ tertiary provider of the Southern Cross Nursing Scholarship across three nursing programmes, and maintains active international articulation (Tupou Tertiary Institute, Tonga) and workforce development partnerships (Wellington Regional Skills Leadership Group, TupuToa). Headcount of 251-500 staff supports multi-campus operations, but no financial figures are publicly disclosed, consistent with its status as a division of a government state entity rather than an investable enterprise.

Name

Whitireia and WelTec

Legal name

Whitireia and WelTec

Website

https://whitireiaweltec.ac.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Whitireia and WelTec is a public NZ tertiary education provider (NZIST division) operating campuses in Wellington, delivering vocational and applied programmes from certificates to master's degrees across trades, IT, nursing, business, creative arts, and built environment for domestic, international, and CPD learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Domestic Student Tuition: Government-funded domestic student enrolments with fees partially covered by the New Zealand government. Students may be eligible for StudyLink financial assistance.
2. International Student Tuition: Full-fee paying international students. Bachelor of Information Technology: $27,000 per year. Graduate Diploma in IT: $27,000 per year. Master of IT: $39,250 for 1.5 years.
3. Continuing Professional Development: Short courses and professional development offerings for industry upskilling and reskilling.
4. Micro-credentials: Short, focused programmes like Introduction to Plastering (12 weeks, one evening per week, $1,637)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whitireia and WelTec is a public tertiary education institution offering vocational and higher education programmes from Level 3 certificates through to Master's degrees across trades (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, automotive, plastering), information technology, nursing and health, business, creative arts, built environment, hospitality, and Te Wānanga Māori. Programmes are delivered through campus-based practical training at Petone and Porirua campuses combined with online learning via Moodle. The institution serves both domestic New Zealand students (government-funded) and full-fee international students, with community outreach through Try-a-Trade and Try-a-Tech workshops.

Product overview

Whitireia and WelTec is a unified tertiary education institution (a business division of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) offering vocational and higher education programmes across multiple disciplines. The institution operates as a multi-campus provider offering certificate, diploma, bachelor's, postgraduate, and master's level qualifications. Core offerings include IT programmes (from Level 4 certificate to Level 9 master's), trades programmes (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, automotive, plastering, painting, tiling), health and nursing programmes (including culturally-specific Bachelor of Nursing Māori and Bachelor of Nursing Pacific), business studies, creative arts, built environment, hospitality, Te Wānanga Māori, and postgraduate studies. The institution supplements its core educational products with short courses, continuing professional development, community outreach programmes (Try-a-Trade, Try-a-Tech), and publishes the Whitireia Journal of Nursing, Health and Social Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whitireia Journal of Nursing, Health and Social Services: Annual academic journal publishing research from staff, students, and graduates in nursing, health, and social services
• Pacific Student Support
• Tamaiti Whāngai
• Te Wānanga Māori

Products and services

• Information Technology Programmes
• Trades Programmes
• Health and Nursing Programmes
• Business Studies Programmes
• Creativity and Digital Media Programmes
• Built Environment Programmes
• Te Wānanga Māori Programmes
• Hospitality Programmes
• Postgraduate Programmes
• Short Courses and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Southern Cross Nursing Scholarship Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 900 students supported through Whitireia Foundation scholarships since 2000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Southern Cross Health TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Nursing Scholarship Programme offering nine scholarships for 2026 academic year across three nursing programmes. Covers up to $500/week during clinical placements, $5,000/year towards fees, $500/year for wellbeing. Also covers Nursing Council exam and provides priority clinical placements in Southern Cross hospitals with nurse mentorship.
• Ngāti Toa RangatiracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Long-standing relationship since Whitireia's beginning. Ngāti Toa Rangatira officiates at pōwhiri for new students and welcomes new staff at Takapūwāhia Marae. Strong advocates for programme development including Bachelor of Nursing Māori. Central to introducing manuhiri to Whitireia.
• Te Āti AwacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Long-standing relationship with memorandum of understanding signed in 2008, renewed every two years. Tamaiti Whāngai team model based on Te Āti Awa's support design. Agreement with Waiwhetu Marae for Māori student orientation.
• Ministry of Social DevelopmentsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner with Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa to reach jobseekers and those not in employment, education or training for Try-a-Trade and Try-a-Tech programmes.
• Te Puni KōkirisupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner with Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa to promote Try-a-Trade and Try-a-Tech programmes to Māori communities.
• Tupou Tertiary InstitutesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStudents in Tonga can start IT programmes locally and complete their final year in New Zealand at Whitireia and WelTec.
• Wellington Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-chair Glenn Barclay attended graduation events. Group focuses on workforce development aligned with Wellington regional workforce plan growth sectors.
• Kāinga OrasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment housing agency. Students worked on Kāinga Ora houses during carpentry training, providing real-world construction experience on homes that became family residences.
• New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhitireia and WelTec operates as a business division of NZIST, New Zealand's national institute of skills and technology.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UCOL (Universal College of Learning): Manawatū-Whanganui-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division offering trades, health, IT, and creative programmes. Comparable as a regional multi-campus polytechnic serving a similar vocational learner base.
• Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT): Hawke's Bay-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division offering trades, nursing, viticulture, business, and creative programmes. Comparable regional polytechnic with a similar vocational-and-degree mix.
• Open Polytechnic: NZ's specialist distance-learning tertiary provider and NZIST business division offering certificate, diploma, and degree programmes. Comparable as a public NZ tertiary institution, though delivery is online rather than campus-based.
• Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology): Hamilton-based NZ polytechnic and fellow NZIST business division offering comparable vocational and degree programmes across trades, IT, nursing, business, and creative arts. Directly comparable as a multi-campus NZ vocational institute serving a similar student profile.
• Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology: Bay of Plenty-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division delivering vocational programmes across trades, nursing, business, and creative arts. Comparable in scope and structure to Whitireia and WelTec.
• Otago Polytechnic: Dunedin-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division delivering vocational and degree-level programmes across trades, health, IT, and design. Directly comparable in programme mix and institutional structure.
• Southern Institute of Technology (SIT): Invercargill-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division known for its zero-fees scheme and broad vocational portfolio including trades, nursing, and IT. Directly comparable in programme scope and public funding model.
• Ara Institute of Canterbury: Christchurch-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division offering trades, nursing, business, IT, and creative programmes. Directly comparable as a multi-campus vocational and degree provider within the same NZIST network.
• Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT): Auckland-based NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division with strong Pacific and trades learner base. Comparable in mission around serving diverse communities through vocational and degree programmes.
• Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT): Top-of-the-South-Island NZ polytechnic and NZIST business division with programmes across trades, nursing, aquaculture, and business. Comparable regional vocational polytechnic with similar student demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WhitireiaandWelTec
• Facebookfacebook.com/whitireiaandweltec
• Instagraminstagram.com/whitireiaandweltec
• TikToktiktok.com/@whitireiaandweltec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whitireia-and-weltec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whitireia and WelTec