From Industry to Education: Toi Drylie Among Students Accepted into the Go Rural: Isolated Placements Fund
After more than three decades in the automotive industry, Toi Drylie is now pursuing a new path in secondary education, one grounded in community, practical learning, and creating meaningful opportunities for future ākonga.
Currently studying the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) with New Zealand Tertiary College, Toi is among NZTC students recently accepted into the Go Rural: Isolated Placements Fund, an initiative supporting student teachers undertaking placements in rural and isolated communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The fund helps future kaiako expand their experience beyond traditional teaching environments, while also providing valuable support throughout their placement journey. For Toi, the opportunity represents growth not only professionally, but personally as well, allowing him to continue developing as an educator while balancing family life and deepening his connection to regional communities.
“This opportunity accelerates my personal and professional growth,” he shares. “It gives me the ability to expand my experience, observe different teaching styles, and continue developing as an educator while maintaining balance for my family life.”
Before entering education, Toi spent 35 years in the automotive industry, eventually becoming a multi-site training manager. His transition into teaching began after joining Te Paepae o Aotea as a Hard Materials Technician, a role that reignited his passion for mentoring and sharing knowledge: “Loving supporting kaiako and sharing knowledge with ākonga inspired my secondary education career,” he explains.
Today, Toi brings that same passion into his teaching journey, specialising in Hard Materials Technology and helping students build practical, lifelong skills.
“If students only learn to fix a hole in the wall or replace a broken window, they gain invaluable practical independence,” he says. “These simple repairs empower them while creating lifelong value.”
Toi chose NZTC after receiving a recommendation from his tumuaki, who encouraged him to explore the College’s school-based learning mode which blends the flexibility of online learning with workplace learning and practical experience in a school.'. Since beginning his studies, he says the experience has enabled him to successfully balance study alongside work and family commitments.
“Studying online through NZTC has been exceptional,” he says. “The lecturers are incredibly approachable, and the online environment makes balancing my studies and maintaining high engagement with the coursework straightforward and highly rewarding.”
Alongside his studies, Toi continues working at Te Paepae o Aotea in South Taranaki, where he says the support of fellow kaiako and staff has played a significant role throughout his journey.
Receiving the Go Rural: Isolated Placements Fund has also strengthened Toi’s passion for rural education and reinforced the importance of strong community connections within regional kura. Having grown up in a close-knit Manawatū community, he says he sees many of those same values reflected in South Taranaki today.
“This deep community connection is essential for raising strong, prosperous tamariki,” he explains. “Whānau inclusion and active involvement in school life are vital.”
For Toi, rural placements offer future educators the opportunity to expand their perspectives, strengthen relationships, and experience firsthand the impact community-centred learning environments can have on both students and teachers.
“Regional areas provide the ultimate environment for experiencing genuine grassroots teaching and deep community engagement,” he says. “These opportunities allow future kaiako to broaden their perspectives and build meaningful connections with communities.”
As he works towards completing his qualification, Toi hopes to continue teaching within his current kura, where he has already established strong relationships with both staff and ākonga.
For New Zealand Tertiary College, stories like Toi’s highlight the important role initiatives such as the Go Rural: Isolated Placements Fund play in supporting and empowering future educators while strengthening teaching pathways in regional communities across Aotearoa.