NZ Army soldiers join engineering classes at Ara

Ara Institute of Canterbury has welcomed a new partnership with the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) which has seen soldiers from the New Zealand Army undertake their engineering studies at the City campus for the first time.

Electronics Technicians in the New Zealand Army are responsible for maintaining and repairing a wide range of specialist electronic and optical systems. The NZ Army provides them with internal and external training, enabling them to become subject matter experts who support operational units and activities, including deployments overseas.

In an exciting new approach to their trade training, Electronics Technicians joined Ara’s first intake of the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering Level 6 (Electronics Engineering) in Semester One 2025.

“The cohort starting will study full time to complete the diploma in two years, with future cohorts undertaking study part time (one semester per year) to complete the diploma over four years, alongside their established military training programme,” said Frank Washko, Manager of Engineering at Ara.

“The programme provides fundamental engineering content, with a specialisation in circuits, electronics, testing and programming which is relevant to the work of Electronics Technicians to program and troubleshoot NZ Army systems," he said.

“After a visit to our campus last year to look at our electronics programme, the Army decided the diploma would be an excellent fit for the trade and we hope this is the start of a long-term collaboration that will see future cohorts enrolling at Ara.”

“Ara is the only institute that offers this electronics specialisation at this level,” said Jan Connelly, Manager of Sales Marketing and Engagement at Ara. “We’re delighted to have worked with the NZDF to make this opportunity available for them in tandem with their responsibilities to the Army.”

The ākonga (students) are already well into their study programme, and, while they might be distinctive in their uniform, Connelly said they were experiencing the regular warm Ara welcome.

“While new for Ara, it’s not uncommon to find uniformed members of the NZDF studying at campuses around the motu. We’re delighted to be supporting them in their studies,” she said.