Dr Nicholas (Nyk) Huntington – Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapahere, Rangahau, me te Mahinga – Director of Policy, Research & Performance
Nicholas and his team work across the Nursing Council to lead the policy, evidence, and information aspects of the organisation’s work. He has previously held research and policy roles in a range of agencies and organisations across the education and health sectors, including the National Health, Public Health, and Health Workforce Advisory Committees, Ako Aotearoa: The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, BCITO, and the Industry Training Federation.
He has been involved with current major reforms to the vocational education and training sector, including as a member of the TEC’s Design Reference Group for Workforce Development Councils. He also chaired the 2014-15 national review of foundation and bridging qualifications, and from 2011 to 2012 was a national committee member of the Association of Social Science Researchers Te Aka Rangahau Pūtaio Pāpori.
Nicholas has written and contributed to a wide range of publications, been a member of multiple research and policy project reference groups, and from 2010 to 2020 was contracted to manage data analysis for the Council’s workforce and cohort reports. As well as qualifications in history, political science, and social science research he has recently completed his PhD at Victoria University of Wellington, which explored how policy practitioners engage with evidence.