Try Before You Buy Learning Programmes Proving a Hit

27 January 2015

Try Before You Buy Learning Programmes Proving a Hit

“Being treated like an adult…”
“Real-life learning”
“Making a real difference…”

These are just some of the reasons why senior school students are flocking to enrol at the Wellington Trades Academy, based this year at Petone, Wellington and Porirua.

This year will see a new qualification on offer at the Trades Academy, a Certificate in Community Participation offered at both the Petone and Wellington campuses of WelTec.

The programme is designed to appeal to young leaders and community-minded students who like working with their peers, advocating for others or who see themselves in careers with a different routine every day, such as the Police, Fire Service, and Civil Defence or working in the youth or recreation sectors.

“Students at school don’t always know upfront what career options might suit them so these programmes at the Wellington Trades Academy are a way for them to ‘try before they buy’. They give students exposure to the wide variety of roles and opportunities that are out in our community,” says MaryLou Sloane, Head of School of Health and Social Services at WelTec.

The social and community sector is a large employer in New Zealand with big demand for young people keen to work with others, empowering people to lead healthy and productive lives.

The Trades Academy students learn negotiation skills, survival techniques, how to respond to work place emergencies, and about project development and many other skills which besides their relevance to community work are useful in all sorts of careers.

Ruby Lilley a student last year at both Wellington High School and the Wellington Trades Academy achieved NCEA levels 1, 2, and 3 as well as a vocational qualification agrees, “At the Wellington Trades Academy, you can do any course and branch out of that and do different things that are related to that, or are completely different and you might not have thought of previously. Tutors help with skills to find jobs. It makes it so much easier to go and start getting placements and jobs.”

To find out about enrolling in the Wellington Trades Academy call 8300164. Don’t delay programmes start 9 February.

Background
In 2015 the Wellington Trades Academy has received a major increase in funding allowing 240 students to study in a tertiary environment either full-time or part-time whilst still enrolled at secondary school. Along with programmes in construction and engineering the options for study are varied and include Early Childhood Studies (Porirua), Hospitality (Petone and Porirua), Hairdressing (Petone), Health Care (Porirua), Introductory Animal Care (Petone), and Fitness (Petone).

The Wellington Trades Academy is offered at Petone (WelTec), Wellington (WelTec) and Porirua (Whitireia) and has a strong focus on Vocational Pathways which provides secondary school students with seamless teaching and learning between their home secondary school and the Academy. Part-time students study 3 days at their secondary school and 2 days at the Wellington Trades Academy. See www.weltec.ac.nz/tradesacademy for more information.

ENDS

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