About Us
We are a diverse team with different strengths, skills, passions and experience, working towards the same goal. We are police vetted and gone through the Whau ACE wringer.
We are multicultural in upbringing, values, skills, experience and languages -Indian, Chinese, Samoan, Māori & European, Arabic, Fijian, Farsi, Tongan, Mandarin & Korean.
We help people self-evaluate their current situation and career pathways. We help them find an appropriate balance between stability and change, to transition quickly and smoothly as possible from unemployment to employment.
We collaborate with many organisations to increase connection opportunities for job seekers. We don’t assume anything, and we will try almost anything.
History of Whau ACE
The beginnings of Whau ACE started in 2009 when West Auckland Adult Community Educators identified a gap in the community for adult community education, after Government funding cuts took place.
The gap identified was in the area known today as the Whau Ward (Kelston, New Lynn, Avondale, Blockhouse Bay and parts of Green Bay and Glen Eden). On 9thDecember 2010, by constitution fifteen people led by Dorothy McGray registered Whau ACE Adult & Community Education Centre Incorporated with the Society Office.
Gayle Marshall - QSM (Chairperson) and Leanne Appleby (Treasurer) are founding members that have stayed with Whau ACE since its inception.
Our mission since beginning has been to provide a service that reflects the cultural diversity of the community; to promote life-long learning opportunities that services are inclusive of youth, new migrants and older people; to advocate to overcome barriers to learning and provide access and support to underrepresented groups and to provide high quality services, support and access to learning opportunities for tutors, staff, other providers and the community.
Whau ACE is an independent provider of Adult and Community Education (ACE) based in West Auckland and also responding to equivalent needs in wider Auckland through libraries, to support people to find jobs and prepare for employment. Since funding was cut to this sector in 2009, the New Lynn, Avondale, Kelston and Green Bay areas no longer had access to quality community-based adult education opportunities. Whau ACE has successfully stepped in to bridge the gap and provide courses requested by their community. We have seen the Whau ACE community facility grow as it fosters links, identifies needs in the community, an urgent one being getting into work, and gets into the hard work of getting people they help they need. This mahi of promoting education amongst adults in our community promotes social cohesion, linking adults to further education, or vocational training, into jobs or being ready to work as a valuable employee. As an ACE neighbour of Whau House in New Lynn, we fully support their valuable work in the community.
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Whau ACE Supporters
Whau ACE would not be able to serve our community if it were not for the help of individuals and organisations. We acknowledge the following for their support of our programs, staff and our purpose;
