Mr Larsen’s employment journey began when he enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, completing a 20-year contract with them. A specialist machinist by trade, Mr Larsen holds a Trade Certificate, Advanced Trade Certificate, and New Zealand Certificate in Engineering. Additionally, he had owned his own motorcycle business, worked as a specialist machinist and even tried his hand at real estate for a short time.
Mr Larsen’s journey as an educator began more than 40 years ago, in 1980 while still serving in the Air Force where he was a Technical Instructor during his time at Hobsonville Air Base. He completed a course in Instruction in which particular emphasis has been placed upon the development of basic principles, methods, and techniques of effective instruction. (italicised text is the citation directly from his course completion certificate).
“I think teaching is something that obviously suits me; I never bothered to look for anything else,” he says, adding there was some teaching pedigree in his family – an aunt was principal of Whangarei Girls’ High School, and an uncle was principal of Dannevirke High School. Taumarunui-born and proud of his Scandinavian heritage, Mr Larsen is a first-generation New Zealander; his father was born in Norway.
After taking on a part-time teaching role at MIT (Manukau Institute of Technology) in 1985, Mr Larsen was offered a full-time role there after four years, however, he and his Blenheim-born-and-raised wife, Gaye, found the South Island beckoning them and had in mind to move there at some stage. A job advertisement for SIT came up at the just right time.
“I spent a lot of time in the South Island while in the Air Force - Wigram (Christchurch) and Woodbourne Air Base (Blenheim)… the South Island is still a little bit like the way New Zealand used to be and that appeals to me.”
Mr Larsen joined SIT in 1989 initially on a three-year contract that soon grew to full-time work. During his time at SIT, he has taught engineering pre-trade, engineering apprentices and advanced trade training. For the last 15 years or so, Mr Larsen has solely taught students on the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering programme.
“A big attraction of SIT were the students and the staff, they were like a large extended family,” he says, admitting he's still in touch with some of the students he first taught. “I've even had some become work colleagues,” such as SIT’s Engineering Technician who has just turned 60 and is a former student.
He acknowledges one of the pleasures of staying at SIT for 37 years has been the continuity of long-term friendships that “has very much been enjoyable”. Mr Larsen has connected with and enjoyed the company of numerous SIT staff, some of whom have worked more than 25 years with the institute. “There's something about the atmosphere here,” he says.
Now he’s retired and confesses to being “comfortably into my 80s”, Mr Larsen says he has too many projects on the go to slow down. “Once an engineer always an engineer,” he quips and reveals there’s a live steam model locomotive started a few years ago that he wants to complete.
A keen motorcyclist for many years as well, he still has a couple of motorcycles. ”…there's one in particular I'll keep even if I can't ride it anymore.”
”My head thinks I'm a bit younger, but my body tells me something different when I start rushing around.”
Mr Larsen was farewelled by his colleagues at SIT last Wednesday (10th June) at a staff morning tea.