FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 September 2013

Emergency management training for secondary students pilots in Wellington

A new emergency management training programme for senior secondary students is being piloted in the Wellington Region from 30 September to 4 October.  Students from Heretaunga and Newlands Colleges have been invited to participate in a week-long training programme which will include safety awareness, risk management and emergency response skills.

“The programme will provide an opportunity for students between 16 and 18 years of age to achieve a range of credits in risk awareness and emergency response at levels 1 to 3 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.   One of the core objectives is to provide students with a set of transferable skills which will stand them in good stead whatever vocation they choose,” said Bill Robertson, Chief Executive of EMQUAL (the emergency management industry training organisation).

The first programme will run for five days during the school holidays next week at Trentham Raceway Gardens. The second pilot will take place during term two next year.  The pilots will provide an opportunity to identify what works best and develop sustainable funding strategies with government and other agencies.

“Emergency management training for young people is a future-focussed solution for the emergency response sector,” said George Verry, Chief Executive of the United Fire Brigades Association (UFBA).  “Given that volunteers make up over eighty per cent of the fire and rescue workforce, it makes sense to work with the next generation to identify a training pathway into the volunteer emergency response workforce,” he said.

The programme also aims to contribute toward a reduction in preventable accidents involving young people by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to make safe decisions.  Programme participants will be better prepared to prevent accidents and respond when they happen. Graduates of the programme will become an asset to their schools and their community.

This programme is the initiative of EMQUAL and the UFBA working with Fire and Emergency Training Solutions (FETS), which is a registered PTE with extensive experience in delivering emergency management training to a wide range of industry organisations including the NZ Fire Service.

ENDS

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