A reluctant two-day stay at a noho marae was the trigger Nicole Thoms needed to reignite her studies, reconnect with her Māori roots, and excel in her role.
Nicole is a diversional therapist at Christchurch’s Rosecourt rest home, supported by fully workplace-based training with Careerforce. “It’s an awesome role, I’m very fortunate,” says Nicole.
When her facility manager suggested she enrol in the Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy with Careerforce, Nicole jumped at the opportunity. The 22-month programme helps apprentices enhance the spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing of those they care for, along with their whānau.
Noho marae experience was utterly transformative
However, when life threw its challenges, Nicole found herself falling behind in her studies. Balancing an admin role during a colleague’s maternity leave with personal demands, she was tempted to quit. It took significant persuasion from her Careerforce advisor to convince her to attend a noho marae, one of the many face-to-face supports Careerforce provides.
“But the experience was utterly transformative,” says Nicole.
Rosecourt, part of the Alden Ultimate Care group, is a 75-bed facility offering independent living, rest home and hospital level care. Nicole has worked in almost every role at the facility over the past 10 years. “This is by far my favourite. I actually feel like I’m making a difference by helping the residents enjoy the last years of their life,” she says.
Nicole coordinates activities at the facility, from planning through to delivery. These include hosting musicians every Thursday afternoon, visits from a kapa haka group from nearby Cashmere High School, and other volunteers, among others.
Nicole admits that she gets just as much from her role as the residents do from her services. “They have so much to share, and I learn so much from them.”
Despite her passion for her work, Nicole was struggling with her learning.
Careerforce provides face-to-face Māori support through noho marae and wānanga mahi. Each Careerforce apprentice is also assigned an advisor who provides support and pastoral care. Nicole’s advisor, Lori Davis, urged her to attend a noho marae, which are an immersive overnight stay at a marae, and opportunity to progress learning, with dedicated support from Careerforce.
Nicole was hesitant at first. “I didn’t really want to go. As a single mum, finding someone to watch my two boys was challenging, and with my aunt visiting from Australia that weekend – my only chance to see her, it made the decision even harder,” she says.
Better understanding of colonisation and the Treaty of Waitangi
“But I grew up in a very Māori-oriented family, and I’m passionate about the Māori side of diversional therapy training. I knew it was important, especially around better understanding issues like colonisation and the Treaty of Waitangi.”
She attended the marae stay, and she described it as a game-changer. “It was probably one of the best weekends I’ve had in my adult life. It was so amazing. I loved the learning, how we were treated like whānau, and the stories shared by the facilitator, Taipari Mahanga. It also made me think differently about my role at Rosecourt.”
Nicole completed two apprenticeship modules during the noho marae and received resources to complete another two. “It put me back on track. I don’t need to stress about being behind anymore,” she says. “We were so motivated, and we had to be forced to turn off our computers and go outside for fresh air.”
Back at Rosecourt, Nicole realised she hadn’t planned anything for Waitangi Day. “My colleagues and I thought, ‘We really need to do something to honour Waitangi Day,’” she says.
Nicole decided to give a presentation on what she had learned at the marae. “The presentation was incredibly gratifying. About 20 residents and most of the staff attended, and since we’re a multicultural team, most of the caregivers are non-Kiwi. As I explained the Treaty of Waitangi, many people asked questions. The residents shared how they weren’t allowed to speak te reo at school. It was a really rewarding experience.”
The learning is applied directly to the job
Nicole says this was the first time she had taken information from a learning experience and applied it directly to her job. The newfound confidence inspired her to dive back into her studies. “After work, I go home now and spend an hour working on the other modules. Before the marae stay, I had stalled. Now, I’m motivated to get the modules done,” she says.
Nicole thanks Lori for pushing her to attend the noho marae and for her ongoing support. “She’s always accessible and helpful when I need assistance with my learning, I’d absolutely recommend the programme and the noho marae. A couple of other ladies had a similar concern. They didn’t want to go either, but at the end, we were all so grateful for the experience.”
For more information about the Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy, or the additional supports available for Māori learners, contact work-based learning provider, Careerforce. Employers may also qualify for Apprenticeship Boost funding.
Susan Tattersall