Wintec Icon Retires
Posted On: Wednesday, 27 April 2011
After 30 years serving the Waikato, Wintec's mobile classroom – known as the artechmobile – is being retired.
The artechmobile has a colourful past. While predominantly used as a mobile classroom providing short courses in the community and at high schools, the artechmobile has doubled as a media centre at Rally NZ, an administration centre at air shows and horse shows, an internet cafe at scout jamborees and in the early nineties travelled the region educating people about a new phenomenon set to change the world – the internet.
It's an impressive resume for a concept thought up over lunch in the Wintec staffroom and built in a staff member's backyard.
Longstanding Wintec staff member Kevin Sweeney is the brains and brawn behind the artechmobile.
An electrical engineer, tutor and motorhoming enthusiast, Kevin started using his motorhome to teach electronics courses at high schools.
"It took too long to pack up all the electronic gear so having it set up permanently in the bus seemed like an obvious solution. The students also responded well to being in a different environment," Kevin explains.
Wintec Chief Executive at the time, Peter Johnson, supported the idea and so in 1990 Wintec purchased a bus which Kevin converted in his backyard over the summer break. The original mobile classroom was called the 'techmobile' and contained a mobile computer suite and desks for eight students.
The techmobile was used at careers evenings and trades shows, to teach computer classes in small towns, electronics at the paper mill and engineering drawing at high schools.
"I like to say it put the Waikato into Wintec," said Kevin. "It's given our wider community access to education, where they might not have been able to access or afford it."
It proved to be so popular that demand outstripped supply and a larger techmobile was soon needed.
It took one year for Kevin to design and build what is now known as the artechmobile. The new custom-built version was twice the size of the old one. It has movable walls that expand when the vehicle is in use as a classroom and these retract while it travels. There are desks for 16 students, a kitchen and an office area.
The artechmobile's first trip was to the Polytech Principals' Conference at Waiariki in November 1994.
From then until September last year, the artechmobile has been in constant use. The majority of its time was spent in the greater Waikato.
"I've toured the country from Whangarei to Christchurch with the artechmobile, moving it from one place to the next. It's been a wonderful life," said Kevin.
"Of course I'm disappointed the artechmobile is being retired, but I'm also realistic. As a computer lab, it's outdated and the reality is it needs a major overhaul to pass its warrant and modernise it."
Wintec chief executive Mark Flowers says: "The artechmobile (and techmobile before it) has been a great asset to Wintec and to our rural communities over the past 30 years. Sadly, it is no longer feasible for it to continue operating without a major upgrade. With greater access to broadband and other technologies in rural areas, the artechmobile has served its time."
I'd like to acknowledge Kevin Sweeney for his determination and hard work in creating, maintaining and operating the artechmobile, which would never have been possible without his vision. It holds a special place in Wintec's history."