Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is the result of a merger between two high-performing polytechnics: the Waiariki Institute of Technology in
Rotorua, and the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic in
Tauranga. established their Technical Department in 1939. This focused on carpentry, electrical wiring, engineering, arts and crafts, home cookery, and secretarial work.
Rotorua Boys' High School's technical division merged with
Rotorua Girls' High School's Business college in 1972 to create the Senior Technical Division, which was placed under the Rotorua High School's Board of Governors in 1976. To accommodate this division, building on Mokoia Drive in Rotorua commenced, with the newly named Waiariki Community College being opened on 1 April 1978. An 'outpost' in
Tokoroa, previously established by the Senior Technical Division in 1973, became the first regional campus for Waiariki, with additional campuses being opened in
Whakatāne,
Taupō,
Tūrangi, and
Kawerau in the 1980s. During this time, further courses such as tourism, hospitality, nursing, journalism, Māori studies, and forestry were added to Waiariki's curriculum. In 1987, the college's name was changed to Waiariki Polytechnic. It was changed again to The Waiariki Institute of Technology in 1998.
Bay of Plenty Polytechnic The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, initially named Bay of Plenty Community College, was established on 1 September 1982 as a local
community college in
Tauranga. It offered a mix of courses in secretarial and office administration, carpentry, automotive engineering, agriculture, and horticulture. Over one third of student admissions focused on horticulture, which reflected Tauranga's needs at the time. The college was built on Poike Road in Tauranga, and is now known as Windermere Campus. Poike Road is land significant to the
Ngāti Ranginui hapū who inhabit it. "Poike" roughly translates to "arrive late at night" in
Māori, indicative of the late night meetings characteristic of the hapū. In 1988 the organisation's name was officially changed to The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. The same year saw the completion of the Rex Williams Student Amenities Centre and an atrium, part of a major horticulture complex within the Polytechnic. New training programmes were also developed in areas such as fashion, tourism, and hospitality. Three years later in 1991, the Polytechnic's second major campus, The Bongard Centre (named after Bill Bongard, the first community college council chairperson) was established in central Tauranga. This provided a space for office systems and various programmes. During the 1990s, Māori-centred programmes were added to acknowledge the Ngāti Ranginui hapū and local Māori communities, furthering the Polytechnic's relationship with local
Māori. In 1997, Windermere's horticulture complex was repurposed into a hospitality studies centre, and the Bongard Centre opened a video conference space to facilitate long distance learning. From 2000 to 2003, two new learning centres were built: Te Aongahoro — The Student Learning Centre, which featured a library, cafe, and lecture theatres; and Te Pare a Ruahine — The Aquatic Centre for Pacific Coast Applied Research. In 2008, a partnership with the
University of Waikato was formed to share facilities and resources to provide better pathways and enhance the skills of the region.
Merger into Toi Ohomai, 2016–2019 On 1 May 2016, these two institutions merged to become the
Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. This became Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology on 7 October 2016. The name was gifted to the organisation by local
iwi within the region, and means "to achieve great heights; to be awakened by learning". The name aims to inspire students to pursue excellence in their studies and focus their mindset on learning, while also acknowledging the
mana whenua and significance of the land where Toi Ohomai conducts their education. Toi Ohomai was created in order to serve the region's education and employment needs more efficiently,
Joining Te Pūkenga, 2019–present On 1 August 2019, then–
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins announced a proposal to reform vocational education in New Zealand. This led to the creation of
Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) on 1 April 2020 which joined all 16 of the ITPs into a single, national, unified network of regionally accessible vocational education and training. This included Toi Ohomai, which became a subsidiary of
Te Pūkenga on 1 April 2020. On 7 December 2023, the newly-elected
Sixth National Government, as a part of their 100-day plan, announced the disestablishment of Te Pukenga effective on 31 December 2026, moving away from a centralised model to establish a system of stand-alone polytechnics. The disestablishment of Te Pukenga has direct implications to Toi Ohomai, with the institute already facing a reduction of 21
full-time equivalent roles and 16 programmes ranging from youth work, health, forestry and hairdressing being discontinued as of 2025. In mid-July 2025, the Vocational Education Minister
Penny Simmonds announced that the Government would return Toi Ohomai and nine other polytechnics to regional governance by 1 January 2026. == Courses ==