A skilled workforce is essential to sustaining Hawke’s Bay’s wine and tourism industries, supporting everything from vineyard operations and wine production to the visitor experiences that connect people within the region.
The Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) plays an important role in developing this workforce. With campuses in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti, Auckland and a number of Regional Learning Centres, EIT serves a regional population on the East Coast of about 230,000 people as well as international students. The region’s population is rich in diversity, with a high proportion of Māori, exceeding 50 percent in some areas. Ngāti Kahungunu is the principal iwi of Hawke’s Bay, and Ngāti Porou in Tairāwhiti. Supporting Māori, Pacific, and disabled learner success is a priority within EIT’s core values of Inspire Success, Nurture Whanaungatanga (relationships and kinship), and Act with Integrity.
Through its School of Viticulture and Wine Science, EIT provides practical certificates and degree programmes that prepare graduates for careers in vineyard management and winemaking.
Hands-on learning is central to the programme. Students work in the EIT vineyard on the Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale and make wine in their first year, complete vineyard work and a full commercial vintage in their second year and undertake an industry-related research project in their final year. Graduates can now be found working in vineyards and wineries throughout Hawke’s Bay and in wine regions internationally.
Industry placements are also a key component, with students gaining experience across vineyards, wineries, and cellar doors throughout the region. Many graduates move directly into employment, contributing to vineyard operations, wine production, and sustainability initiatives.
EIT also supports the wider wine tourism workforce through its Hospitality programmes. Students go on to work in cafés, restaurants, hotels, winery cellar doors, airport lounges and help to support local businesses. Graduates have gone on to roles at winery restaurants and hospitality venues across Hawke’s Bay, including Craggy Range, Mission Estate, Black Barn, and Crab Farm – places that ensure Hawke’s Bay loves up to it’s place as one of the Great Wine Capitals of the world.
Graduate Profile: Ngaun Siau
EIT graduate Ngaun Siau is currently completing a 2026 vintage placement at Craggy Range Winery.
Originally from an agricultural region in Taiwan, Ngaun grew up watching her family harvest crops, sparking an early curiosity about where food and produce ultimately end up. That interest, combined with a growing passion for sustainable agriculture, led her to Hawke’s Bay where she enrolled in EIT’s Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science in 2023.
Throughout her studies, Ngaun gained experience across vineyards and wineries, working multiple vintages and developing a strong interest in regenerative viticulture. She says exposure to different vineyard systems and production styles strengthened her understanding of terroir and grape quality.
Her focus on sustainability was further reinforced through a regenerative viticulture tour in 2024 and later informed her research project exploring undervine cover cropping and its role in improving soil health. Ngaun completed her studies at the end of 2025 and is set to graduate in April.
“These three years went very fast. But they were full of learning, challenges and moments I am very grateful for,” she says.
While her immediate focus remains in Hawke’s Bay, Ngaun hopes to continue developing her skills through future vintages, with longer-term plans to pursue further study overseas.
“My roots will always be in wine. There is always more to learn, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”
Image credit: EIT