APM’s scholarship programme to support Māori and Pasifika allied health students
APM is proud to foster a thriving and flourishing Māori and Pasifika allied health workforce, and we recognise the importance of providing a supportive, nurturing, and culturally enriching experience for all our team members.
This year, we’re excited to have launched a scholarship programme that will support Māori and Pasifika students on their journey into the workforce.
We’ve awarded four scholarships to Occupational Therapy/Whakaora Ngangahau and Physiotherapy/Haumanu Korikori students in the final two years of their degree, who have demonstrated a commitment to improving Māori and Pasifika health outcomes.
The successful recipients are awarded $1,000 in each remaining year of their degree (to a total of $2,000) and placements at APM during their degree, along with regular access to APM’s Māori and Pasifika employee network and mentoring from APM’s Cultural Clinical Advisor. With the offer of a paid summer internship and a guaranteed consideration for employment after finishing their degree, they also receive subsidised Ngā Pou Mana membership and are connected to the Pasifika Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand (PAHANZ) Leadership Group.
Ihaia Kendrew, a third-year Physiotherapy/Haumanu Korikori student at the University of Otago, received a scholarship and is excited to have become a part of APM, learning from experienced physios and healthcare workers to gain a greater understanding of the different areas and sectors where a physio can work, such as vocational rehabilitation.
"APM's purpose of enabling better lives aligns with my future career goals as I want to be able to help all people in whichever area I may work in the future.” Ihaia Kendrew
Fellow third-year Physiotherapy/Haumanu Korikori student at Wintec Te Pukenga in Hamilton, Amiria Koopu, also received an APM scholarship. Amiria is keen to apply her academic learning to the workplace and get to network with other allied health professionals.
She is also passionate about bridging the inequity gap between Māori and non-Māori, ensuring that Māori are afforded the same rights and privileges as their non-Māori counterparts as a step in the right direction to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“As an emerging Māori health leader, my aspirations and future career goals align with the purpose of APM Aotearoa as I too want to enable better lives and create positive change for communities and individuals. The scholarship is a reflection of the value that APM places on Māori and Pasifika students and the unique sets of skills and values that we each have.” – Amiria Koopu
Tyler Rini is studying her second year of Occupational Therapy/Whakaora Ngangahau at Auckland University of Technology and a recipient of the APM scholarship. Through her chosen career, she hopes to educate Māori and Pasifika communities using culturally informed approaches and advocate for, and help break down the barriers they currently experience when accessing healthcare.
“The presence of a qualified Māori/ Pasifika OT helps to build trust and empathy with Māori and Pasifika communities, and as a future OT, I aim to have a holistic approach, and work alongside clients and their whānau to help them participate in occupations that will enable them to achieve their goals.
APM’s purpose of ‘enabling better lives’ corresponds directly with my future career goals, as the core principle of occupational therapy rests within enabling clients to engage in meaningful occupations and activities to enrich their lives.” - Tyler Rini
We congratulate all our scholarship recipients and look forward to being part of their career journey.
If you’d like to kickstart your career at APM, follow us on LinkedIn APM NZ and be among the first to know when next year’s programme is launched. You can learn more about our commitment to an equitable future in Aotearoa here.
- allied health
- career growth
- culture
