From the chief executive: Toi Ohomai's Leon Fourie answers key questions about business and our economic future

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology chief executive Leon Fourie. Photo / Andrew Warner

The economic effects of Covid-19 and New Zealand's subsequent nationwide lockdown have been felt far and wide by our business community. Journalist Stephanie Arthur-Worsop asks Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology chief executive Leon Fourie to reflect on his own company's survival and what he thinks needs to be done to help the local economy bounce back.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your company?

Toi Ohomai was required to close all campuses under alert levels 3 and 4.

The institute successfully mobilised to deliver courses via remote learning options, including online delivery. It also pivoted nearly 1000 staff to a working-from-home environment.

While the majority of staff were able to work from home, there were a few exceptions where support staff were unable to carry out their normal duties. In these cases, we supported the redeployment of staff members into volunteer roles within the community – for example our Te Whare Hauora Health Centre nursing staff, who worked on the frontline helping our communities.

What are you doing to ensure the company survives the pandemic and/or thrives after it?

A recent report by the Ministry of Education forecasts an increase of up to 32 per cent in domestic full-time-equivalent students for New Zealand's 16 polytechnics next year.

Toi Ohomai is poised to retain and grow its student numbers and is working alongside local industry identifying key areas where opportunities to support upskilling exist.

We recently surveyed staff to try to capture some of the positive aspects of the different way we worked during lockdown and we will be looking at how we might maintain some of these as part of a "new normal".

What are the benefits and challenges of running a business in the Bay of Plenty?

The Bay of Plenty has strong industry and community connections and is driven by innovation and the will to rebuild even stronger than before.

Key businesses in the Bay are already working together and the positive employment outlook in some of the region's key sectors including horticulture, healthcare, building and construction, and technology is set to brighten further.

While some sectors are set to strengthen, job losses are expected - particularly in areas such as hospitality, tourism, retail, travel and entertainment.

Education policy and funding models are cumbersome at a time when we need greater flexibility to respond to help these sectors. Our diverse region does not benefit from a one-size-fits-all approach.

What do you believe should happen in order to revitalise and rebuild the local/regional economy?

Rebuild cannot happen if we work in isolation. It is through partnerships that we can ensure that we rebuild stronger than ever.

We need to deliver the right skills, through the right delivery models, at the right time and in the right places.

Additionally, international education is a $5 billion industry - opening our borders by the end of 2020 to allow international students to travel to New Zealand under strict quarantine arrangements is key to support industry and our economy.