Internships

Employers are invited to participate in our media arts internship programme.

Students from the School of Media Arts are available to intern with employers who can benefit from their skills and talents. Areas of expertise include moving image, photography, graphic design, digital design, journalism, painting, sculpture, audio engineering, music, sound design, public relations and advertising.

What are internships?

Internships are 120 hour placements of Wintec students, offering a structured form of work experience that students receive course credit for.

How it works

Students keep a daily journal, build a portfolio and present a seminar and written report to their peers. The employer sets the student's tasks and projects, and completes an evaluation form on completion to provide feedback on the student's performance. Find out more about the details and employer benefits of internships in the FAQ section.

Further information

For further information contact the Internship director.

Register an opportunity

Projects

New Wave publication project

A book put together by Media Arts staff and students records the journeys of 18 migrants who now live in Hamilton, but were born outside New Zealand. The New Wave: Hamilton’s Migrant Community, looks at the growing diversity of Hamilton’s population. While 70 percent of Hamilton is broadly defined as European, and 20 percent as Māori and Pasifika, there are also citizens from 160 ethnic backgrounds. Journalism tutor Charles Riddle says it is this last 10 percent of the city's population that is fascinatingly diverse and makes for interesting reading. Around 15 students worked on the publication under the expert guidance of editor in residence Aimie Cronin. The project team also worked closely with the Hamilton Migrant Centre and the Hamilton City Council. The book is the first phase in a two-year project which will culminate with an exhibition in the Waikato Museum.

New Wave Launch books Photo by Geoff Ridder

River City Sound sessions

A moving image student produced a multi-camera production making live videos for local bands.

View on Vimeo

Matariki Interactive Waka project

The Matariki Interactive Waka Project is a multi-disciplinary project that aims to create an interactive waka sculpture that will sit beside the Waikato River at Hamilton’s Ferrybank Park and draw the people of the city back to the river.

It’s a community project lead by Media Arts tutor Joe Citizen with Wintec students in the areas of Trade, Engineering, Media Arts and Early Childhood acting as co-creators of the sculpture. We also have several Wintec staff members and independent researchers on board who are all working hard towards a final goal that benefits the people of Hamilton and visitors to this beautiful place. We are also working in partnership with Wintec’s Maori Achievement Office who are advising on tikanga, matauranga and whenua consultation.

Artist's impression of Tōia Mai, Hamilton’s new interactive waka sculpture to be gifted by Wintec.

Moving Image students profile Waikato Museum

One of Moving Image Production students assignments is a group client-based Documentary. This is the fourth year we have teamed up with Waikato Museum who has been our Client for two Museum staff profiles that share behind the scenes stories at the Waikato Museum. Over the last few years of this ongoing community project, Moving Image students have made an excellent range of videos highlighting a variety of Museum staff profiles: what they do, how they do it and why they like working at the Waikato Museum. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Waikato Museum again in the near future.

News

Exceptional adult learners honoured at Wintec awards ceremony

Friday, 19 September 2025

Wintec proudly celebrated the achievements of its most outstanding adult learners at the institute’s annual Adult Learner Awards, held at its City Campus as part of Adult Learners’ Week – He Tangata Mātauranga, running from 8–14 September.

The Adult Learner Awards recognise ākonga (students) aged 25 and over who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their studies while balancing the responsibilities of adult life. Whether retraining, returning to education after a long break, or studying while supporting whānau and communities, these learners embody the spirit of lifelong learning.

Group photo of Adult Learner Awards winners and nominees.

2025 Award winners

The 2025 award winners came from a wide range of disciplines, and were studying from foundation right though to Master’s level:

Cameron Jones (Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Mechanical)) – Adult Learner Award
Chelsea Gotty (Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts) – Adult Learner Award
Leonie Hemopo (Te Ara Pūtake, New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways) – Foundation Adult Learner Award
Gabrielle Rawhiti (Bachelor of Accounting) – Māori and Pacific Adult Learner Award
Taylor Erueti-Thompson (Bachelor of Design – Spatial Design) – Māori and Pacific Adult Learner Award
Devina Pai (Master’s in Applied Information Technology) – International Adult Learner Award

Each winner was selected from a pool of 25 finalists across diverse fields of study. They were recognised not only for their academic achievements, but also for their enthusiasm, resilience and support of fellow learners. Each recipient received a $1,000 award in recognition of their accomplishments.

The ceremony was opened in mihi karakia by Wintec Kaumātua Tame Pokaia.

Jo Thomas, Group Director, highlighted the significance of adult learners in the institution’s community.

“This year, 53 per cent of our ākonga here at Wintec are adult learners, many of whom juggle study with work, caregiving and other life commitments. These awards are a celebration of their courage, determination, and the joy they bring to learning. Their stories inspire us all.”

Jo Thomas with Adult Learner Award winner Chelsea Gotty

Toni Smith, 2019 Māori Adult Learner Award winner, who graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Information Technology from Wintec in 2020, was the guest speaker.

Toni works at Gallagher, currently in the role of Information Services Planning Manager. However, it was her internship with Gallagher, as part of her Wintec programme, that opened the door to a permanent role to her.

Toni, along with three tight friends, had completed a Diploma of IT at another institution. Their tutor at the time recommended they consider joining the Wintec Bachelor of Applied Information Technology programme and made an introduction to Wintec tutor Blaine Rakena. That introduction sealed the deal, with ‘Uncle Blaine’ going on to become the group’s rock, not just as a tutor, but for support, addressing concerns and giving pep talks, and the friends eventually becoming known as ‘The Whānau’.

In their three years on the programme The Whānau did everything together – they attended the same classes, studied and even commuted together. They also had some impressive achievements along the way, both individually - with Toni winning an Adult Learner Award and another of them winning a scholarship to study in China for a semester – as well as collectively. Together they created a platform game about Maui navigating te ao Māori (the Māori world) alongside the Māori gods, as well as creating a Waiata App for Wintec, that is still used by Wintec Kaimahi to this day, reinforcing the transformative power of education at any stage of life.

Toni Smith, Guest Speaker and 2019 Māori Adult Learner Award winner

About the Adult Learner Awards

The Adult Learner Awards are part of the Festival of Adult Learning – Ahurei Ākonga, a UNESCO initiative supported by the Tertiary Education Commission, adult and community education providers, and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. The festival also incorporates International Literacy Day, which is held each year on 8 September. The theme for International Literacy Day this year is Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.

To be nominated, learners must be over 25 years old, enrolled in a full or part-time programme at Wintec, and demonstrate enthusiasm, determination, and a commitment to supporting others in their learning journey.

Events

All Subjects Information Session
15 Oct 2025
Are you considering your study options for 2026 or in the future? Our All Subjects Information Session provides the perfect opportunity to find out how you can get started!
Career Choices Day 2025
29 Nov 2025
Ready to discover what’s possible? Join us for an action-packed day at our Hamilton City Campus where you’ll get a real taste of student life and explore the exciting pathways available to you in 2026!