Student story

World class tutors, friends for life, personal growth, and a job in the outdoors – Mitch Barber says he couldn’t ask for more from his Outdoor Education training at Tai Poutini Polytechnic.

Mitch was trekking in Nepal when someone recommended the Greymouth-based programme. A month later he was on a plane and hasn’t looked back since.

“The programme is the best thing I’ve done for my career to date. It aligned with my passions and interests, and you learn in a location surrounded by endless opportunity to explore the outdoors.”

He says “world class” tutors meant a quality learning experience for a group of people who are now “friends for life”, but he advises anyone enrolling to be up for a challenge.

“The course was not a walk in the park! The programme is designed to physically and emotionally push students to see them come out as stronger people at the end. But I think that’s what makes it so great.”

Mitch’s work experience resulted in a commercial raft guide, which he’s balanced with further study toward a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences. “The goal is to merge the outdoor skills I have acquired since starting polytech with a medical degree to find work as a medic of some sort in remote places around the world.”