In 2018 the Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust implemented its Skills & Training Scholarships Programme. The programme provides NZCTU-affiliated union members, or their spouses/children, with funding towards course costs, course resources or university halls of residence accommodation costs. The Trust Board welcomes applications from people who aspire to gain qualifications in the various trades or through university studies, including people who have reasons to retrain.
For 2023, the Trust Board has awarded ten scholarships to recipients studying for a diverse range of qualifications. All are enthusiastic about what is ahead in their chosen vocations; seeking not only to influence and make improvements in the professions but also to use their training and knowledge to contribute within their communities.
Congratulations to recipients.
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Ko Kūki Āirani me Raukawa ahau
Ko Rosemary Anderson tōku ingoa
I am a Registered Social Worker.
I have been blessed with an amazing husband and 5 beautiful tamariki.
I’m in a Social Services Kaiako role with Northtec—Te Pūkenga in Kaitaia. I enjoy making connections with akōnga (students), walking alongside, supporting, and building them up to reach their full potential. I am grateful to mahi with a supportive team backing me to complete my studies.
I will pursue my first year of a Masters in Māori and Indigenous Leadership with the University of Canterbury. I hope for my research to contribute towards building mental wellness, healing, protection, and self-sustainability for our people to discover their tino rangatiratanga.
Ngā mihi nui, mo to awhi, me manaakitanga Northern Drivers Charitable Trust. Much appreciated.
As a Ngapuhi woman nearing 50 years old, I am looking forward to completing this final year of my Bachelor of Nursing degree. Working within government most of my adult life, I have always been motivated to facilitate and encourage positive change. I am very passionate about personal and community health and improved health outcomes. This degree and nursing registration will provide me with the foundation I require to deliver education within a clinical context whilst utilising my life experience and maturity to demonstrate support and awhi to whanau within our community.
I want to thank the Northern Drivers' Charitable Trust for this scholarship. There are many sacrifices made to complete this path of study and the associated costs can often be challenging to manage when studying as a mature student. This scholarship will contribute towards a portion of this semester’s fees. Once again, thank you.
Tēnā koutou
I am about to commence my third and final year of the Bachelor of Nursing this year. I chose nursing for a career as I enjoy assisting and caring for others as well as learning about health science. Having previously completed 17 years as a volunteer ambulance officer, I felt the desire to enter a career that would make use of my skills and experience as an E.M.T. I am interested in several nursing pathways including surgical nursing, district nursing and practice nursing.
I am extremely grateful to the Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust for choosing to sponsor me by assisting with my third year course fees. This will greatly reduce my financial burden.
I am in my first year of 3D animation at The Media Design School, Auckland. I am working towards gaining my Bachelors in Art and Design (3D Animation and VFX). I am passionate about all things media & art and I hope to be working at companies such as WETA, or even Pixar Studios.
I am extremely grateful to Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust for their support. The scholarship I have received will help me immensely to achieve my academic goals
I am a fourth year Law and Commerce Student from the University of Auckland. My family and I have been involved in the Union movement through First Union. I am a delegate at the Countdown Penrose e-Store and involved in the recent Countdown Bargaining.
I chose to study towards a Bachelors of Law and Commerce as I saw the value and power in the Law to be used for good. I am hoping to get admitted as Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand and lend a hand to the union movement here in New Zealand. I am ever grateful to the Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust’s trustees for selecting me as a scholarship recipient.
Solidarity Forever!
I am in my second year as an engineering student, specialising in engineering science. I chose this due to my interest in problem solving as well as mathematics and technology.
Alongside my studies, I am an avid basketball referee and player which I find to be a great escape from my studies.
I look forward to where my degree will bring me and thank the Northern Drivers' Charitable Trust for helping me be able to achieve my goals.
Over the last 2 years I completed the SFX Makeup Special Effects diploma with Cut Above Academy where I fell in love with working with makeup and transforming people for special events like weddings, balls or parties. During that time I also found out I was good at hair styling which led me to studying hairdressing at Serville Academy in Auckland. My main reason for venturing into hairdressing, as well as makeup, is that I would love to get into movie special effect makeup, or market myself as an event specialist in both hair and makeup.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust for their generosity in supporting me to make this happen. This will certainly help me with the next steps of my career.
I am in my second year as a Bachelor of Nursing student at North Tec, Whangārei. I chose to study nursing as I enjoy caring for others and one day hope to make a difference in other people's lives.
My passion to become a nurse came after being a community support worker for 2 years and realising I have greater potential to make a positive impact to help others. After seeing first-hand the need for better healthcare in Northland, my goal once I register is to work out in the community in Northland as a registered nurse, giving back to the community in which I was born and raised.
I am very grateful to be a scholarship recipient in 2023, and thank the Northern Drivers' Charitable Trust for the financial assistance with this year. It is challenging undertaking tertiary education in Northland as there are limited options. Being based in Kerikeri and commuting to Whangārei means extra financial pressures. The Trust’s support is helping me towards getting a degree and becoming a nurse.
People say,”you are never too old to learn." I am proof of this. I am an adult student whose first and foremost duties as a solo mum are to provide for my family.
After 30 years in the workforce, I am now able to follow my own dreams. Speaking with a friend, who owns her own business and is also a registered nurse, gave me the inspiration to look further into education and believe in myself to follow the path she had walked. The biggest barrier to me achieving my goal was myself. Self-sabotage is real. I thought I was too old, I’ve been out of school too long, how can I compete with these knowledgeable young people? But I felt the fear, embraced it, and proceeded with the bridging course in Health Services at Wintec.
In this learning environment I pulled on all the experiences and knowledge gained on my walk of life and to my delight passed the 3-month course with an 80% average in most subjects. So, I have decided to tackle the degree in nursing.
I am grateful to the Northern Drivers' Charitable Trust who understands the financial strain on people wanting to study to achieve their goals and better themselves. I am thankful to be a recipient of this scholarship.
I look forward to the long-term goal of helping my whanau and community as a registered nurse. For people who feel they are too old to follow their dreams remember “you are never too old."
Ko Maungatautari te Maunga
Ko Waikato te Awa
Ko Tainui te Waka me te Iwi
Ko Ngaati Korokii Kahukura me Ngaati Hauaa toku hapu
Ko Darlene Wheki toku Mama me Te Kati Kara toku Papa
Ko Reef taku Tuakana
Ko Jahvaya toku ingoa
This year I am doing a one-year diploma called Te Tohu Paetahi—a full immersion Māori program at the University of Waikato. I feel really nervous to study my mother tongue and to learn more about my own culture. There is a lot of pain and trauma associated with being a colonised people. Throughout the years, however, I feel my journey has been preparing me for this moment. I've learned my pepeha and feel more confident saying simple Māori phrases out in public. I feel ready to learn more about my whakapapa, the untaught history, and my own identity. I feel so grateful to receive this scholarship in order to pursue one of my life's callings.
My dream is to eventually work for my Iwi, Waikato Tainui, and help others reconnect not only to their culture but also to themselves and others. I'm so excited and ready to embrace the unknown.
Thank you, Northern Drivers’ Charitable Trust for being a part of this journey with me.
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