Applications open for Tū i te ora Scholarships

Applications for Northland Regional Council’s Tū i te ora Scholarships have opened for 2024, with this year’s recipients set to receive financial assistance and paid work experience at council next summer.

Council is awarding six scholarships, each include $4000 to assist with study costs, plus paid full-time work experience with NRC from mid-November 2024 to mid-February 2025.

Council Chair Geoff Crawford says the work experience opportunity, which was added to the scholarship programme last year, has proven successful for both parties.

“The 2023 recipients are nearing the end of their placements with us, and our teams have appreciated the support and different perspectives they’ve brought to council. It’s been great to hear how much the scholarship recipients have enjoyed gaining hands-on experience and applying what they’ve learned during their studies to real life situations.”

“Council is pleased to be able to offer this opportunity again in 2024 to not only financially support students, but hopefully encourage them to return to council once they’ve completed their studies to enrich the region and its people with their knowledge and skills.”

This is the fifth year council is awarding the scholarships, which recognise, encourage and support students to undertake study that relates to council’s environmental and regulatory functions, whilst contributing to council’s vision ‘Our Northland – together we thrive’.

Council’s environmental and regulatory functions include these areas:

• Biodiversity
• Biosecurity
• Climate change
• Environmental planning and policy
• Environmental science and data analysis
• Flood and natural hazard engineering and management
• Geographic information system (GIS)
• Land management
• Water management.

The scholarships have a specific aim to build Māori capacity within Te Taitokerau, with three of the six scholarships earmarked for Māori who whakapapa to Te Taitokerau.

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who live in Northland (or have family that does) or whakapapa to Te Taitokerau.

They must also be enrolled (or have an intention to enrol) in a recognised tertiary course of study that relates to council’s environmental and regulatory functions and be studying at an undergraduate or higher qualification level. Applicants must be enrolled (or intend to enrol) for semester one of 2024.

Full eligibility criteria and application form are available from scholarships.nrc.govt.nz

All applications/supporting documentation must be submitted online by Sunday 25 February 2024.

Once the application period closes, a selection panel from the council’s People and Culture, Community Engagement, and Māori Engagement teams will review them. Shortlisted applicants will be subject to an interview.