At the moment it feels like Upskills is growing fast. We’ve recently welcomed three talented new staff members to the Auckland office and our national team of tutors is expanding rapidly. We’ll be adding lots of new profiles to Our Team page shortly!
Here’s a quick intro to our new staff.
Marielle Harmenil – Programme Administrator
Brand new to the Upskills team this month is Marielle, who brings a range of customer experience and accounts management to the role. When we asked her what she enjoys most about working at Upskills, her response after her first week was: “I feel like I belong to a beloved and charming family.”
Marielle likes working in education because she sees it as the foundation of society. “Being part of Upskills is a great opportunity to help and support communities. Also, it is a fantastic way for me to learn new skills.”
Marielle is from Martinique, a French Caribbean island with a mix of both French and Caribbean vibes. Welcome to the team, Marielle!
ReeAngell – Programme Coordinator
Ree began her role at Upskills in May and also loves the people aspect. “It’s like having an extended whānau!”
Ree (Ngāpuhi) has an extensive background in adult education, coupled with management roles across various industries. Her biggest career highlight to date was taking the non-clinical team of cleaners and orderlies through their Level 3 qualification. “The oldest learners were in their seventies – and had left school at 12 or 13 to support their whānau. Many of them had not studied or sat formal exams in their life. For them to be recognised for their hard (and mostly thankless) mahi was so rewarding,” says Ree.
She’s always up for learning something new, having picked up leisure marching as a hobby a year ago. She now gets to travel the country for fun, fitness and friendship through her marching.
For Ree, working in education fills her kete. “It’s good for the wairua! It is so rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of learners, to help them achieve their goals and in some cases believe in themselves.”
Tena koutou katoa
Ko Rakaumangamanga te maunga
Ko Taumarere te awa
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua te waka
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi
Ko Ngati Kuta te hapu
Ko Te Rawhiti te marae
Ko William Francis Angell toku papa
Ko Kararaina Isabel Stephenson toku mama
Ko Anne-Maree Kiri Angell toku ingoa
Ko Ree ahau
No reira
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa
Tafā Iakopo – Project Ikuna Programme Manager
She might have only started last month, but Tafā feels like she’s been at Upskills for ages. And in her own words, she laughs, “that’s a good thing!”
“I absolutely love the work culture and the people,” adds Tafā.
Tafā fell into training after her OE, working in a call centre environment, she has been a trainer/facilitator ever since. “I love what I do – it’s so rewarding.”
Born in Wellington to amazing entrepreneur parents, who despite education and language barriers managed to buy their own home and raise four children. Tafā says family is so important, “We were raised to respect our elders and everybody and to always be there for our family.”
And it’s those values that motivate Tafā in the education space. She says her motivation for the mahi is in the pursuit of excellence and making a difference.
