Careers Department

Offering Pathways

Ongoing career counselling is available and events are organised throughout the year to encourage students to explore the many career pathways available to them. Our aim is to assist students in having access to career education that is both personalised and future-focused.

A career development programme has been designed to create awareness and equip students with relevant information to assist them in making informed decisions about careers, occupations and future life roles.

  • Year 10 students will explore different career pathways using an interactive career software programme and in the second term they attend a taster day which is hosted by the local tertiary providers. This ‘hands on’ programme includes a focus on the six Vocational Pathways. Finally, in the fourth term as part of their work exploration programme students will spend two days based at a workplace so they can gain first-hand experience of being in the workforce.
  • Year 11 students will have an opportunity to use the Career NZ software including Career Quest, Skill Matcher/ Builder, Subject matcher to match their interests and strengths with potential careers.
  • Year 12 students will take part in the Careers Day programme held in the third term. They will attend workshops led by invited speakers from tertiary providers and a range of occupational workers. There will also be an opportunity for students who have a focus on vocational and trade occupations to attend the regional bi-annual ‘Future Me’ careers event.
  • Year 13 students have many career events scheduled in their final year. They can attend a range of tertiary presentations held in lunchtime sessions as well as the Future Me conference. University liaison staff are on hand to provide guidance for tertiary applications at the Careers Day held in late August. The ‘Moving Out’ workshop has a focus on making the transition to tertiary education and the workforce so topics such as flatting, financial survival and completing student loan applications are covered.

In addition, the Transition programme incorporates the PITA and Gateway pathways as well as the benefit of STAR funded short courses providing senior students with important work opportunities in preparation for future employment.

School Leavers

School Leaver

http://schoolleaver.nz/ the website for every senior student.

University Preparation

YEAR 13: Preparation for University

TERM 1:

Providing information about the different universities and individual Career interviews.

  • Liaison staff from the different universities give a lunchtime presentation. These presentations are held in the Senior College Centre (SCC) at 12.55 till 1.25pm. Dates are posted on the Careers page (on the school website), on the Careers Office window and in the school notices.

University Liaison Visits:

  • Held in SCC
  • Start 12.50 – 1.25pm
  • (Bring your lunch tray)

Term 1:

Week 8            Victoria University                 Friday 24th March

Week 9            Massey University                  Wednesday 29th March

Week 10          Canterbury University            Monday 3rd April

Week 11           Otago University                   Monday 10th April

 

Term 2:

Week 1            Lincoln University                  Tuesday 2nd May

Auckland University               Wednesday 3rd May

Waikato University                 Thursday 4th May

In addition:

Ara (formerly CPIT and Broadcasting School) Thursday 6th April

NZ Defence Forces                                        Date tbc.

Police                                                              Date tbc

 

  • All Year 13s have an individual interview with the Career Advisor which takes place during their tutorial sessions. They can also book follow up visits if required.
  • Up to date course booklets/ prospectuses for all universities are available from the Careers Office (as available from the Universities).

 

TERM 2:

  • Ex-students give presentations about their experiences of university life, living in Halls of Residence, costs involved and applying for scholarships. Held in the SCC at lunchtime (in Term 1 & 2) depending on individual student’s availability.

 

Visiting the Universities and researching available scholarships.

  • Information about the day can be located and students can register on line. School vans are used to transport students who wish to attend the Massey (Manawatu) Open Day in Palmerston North.  Those attending the Open Day events at Victoria University and Massey (Wellington) Open Day take the train in to Wellington and use the shuttle buses provided by the universities. Parents are very welcome at the Open Days.

Links for University Open Days are available on the Careers web page.

  • ALL students can access both the scholarship database (GivMe / Generosity NZ) via the link on the Careers page under Scholarship Information and the information about study loansusing the ‘Getting Sussed’ programme to estimate university and living costs. This information is covered during tutorial lessons. Visit by the Careers Advisor.
  • Remaining Y.13 career interviews completed by mid-term.

 

TERM 3:

Applying for Halls of Residence, scholarships and course planning for tertiary programmes

  • Applications for the Halls of Residence can be submitted from August 1stuntil October 1st(school deadline is mid-September). See Year 13 Deans
  • Scholarship application deadlines
  • On Friday August 25th August the liaison officers from all the universities are available for course counselling in the School Library from 1.30 -3pm. Students who are planning to go in to the workforce or have a gap year will attend a session covering job interview skills organised by UCOL.
  • ‘Moving On’ Panorama morning programme held on Friday 1st This includes workshops on: Financial Survival, Cooking for flatting, Applying for a Study loan, My Personality (Myers-Briggs diagnostic assessment) CVs and Cover Letters etc.

 

TERM 4:

  • Applications for University courses and study loans completed.

University/Tertiary Open Day Information

Open Days are an opportunity to explore and see if the University is a good fit for you.

  • you can investigate your course options and seek specific advice about the programme from the academic staff
  • attend lectures
  • tour the campus and accommodation facilities

Make sure you plan ahead. See information about Massey University (P. Nth) and Victoria / Massey (Wellington) trips in the UNIVERSITY PREPARATION section. Remember, you will need to register for some of the Open Days. Follow the links and do this online.

By attending the lunchtime sessions and filling in the feedback forms you will be on the university’s database and should be receiving information from the universities about their open days and other events. For a number of the Open Days you will need to REGISTER. Posters advertising these events are on display in the Senior College Centre on the university noticeboards. See websites for details.

  • Waikato University will hold their Open day onFriday 19th May

             http://www.waikato.ac.nz/events/openday/

  • Canterbury Universitywill hold an Open Evening at Westpac Stadium, Wellington on Thursday 30th May and their Open Day on Thursday 13th July

             http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/future-students/campus-tours-and-future-student-events/uc-       open-day/

  • Massey Universitywill hold their Manawatu Open Day (at Palmerston North) on Wednesday 2nd August 

         http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/join-us/open-days/open-days_home.cfm 

  • UCOLOpen Day held in Palmerston North is on Wednesday 2nd August                                                                          
  • Victoria University and Massey University (Wellington campus) will be holding their Open Days on Friday 1st September. You will be expected to organise your programme and take a train in to Wellington. There will be free shuttle buses running from the train station up to the university campuses. Many of you will be familiar with Wellington so this is an opportunity for you to operate independently and attend with friends (though, of course, parents may find this day helpful as well). See Mrs McKeown for further details.   http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/join-us/open-days/open-days_home.cfm

             http://www.victoria.ac.nz/study/events-visits/study-at-victoria-day

 http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/Lincoln-Home/News-and-Events/Open-Day/

Scholarship Information

How to find out WHAT SCHOLARSHIPS are AVAILABLE!

Go to the university or polytechnic websites if you know where you are going to attend for your tertiary studies next year.
You can also look on the scholarship database (formerly called Breakout) now known as givME . Remember you can only access this site on the Rathkeale campus.
This link will take you to the page you need to go to: http://apps.generosity.org.nz/givME?sessionid=952517560
Click the statement:  I want a scholarship for my tertiary studies.
Read through the ‘Describe Yourself ‘ options and in most options you will need to click None of these choices apply to me.
When you come to the area/ region put in Wairarapa but if you are a boarder put in your home district.
In the ‘What do you want to do’ click undergraduate (first year only) because this is where the school leaver scholarships are accessed.
Choose the relevant subject area (this will be further refined in the next step) and now click on Search.
See Mrs McKeown for further assistance.

 

Engineering, Science and Technology

For  information on other scholarships available, please also refer to the Future in Tech website https://www.futureintech.org.nz/scholarships.cfm  

The Keystone Study Award is one of the most significant grants available to property and construction sector services, the award not only includes financial assistance per annum for a period of three years but also offers mentoring and networking opportunities. The Study awards are open to students intending to study a property related degree at any tertiary institution in New Zealand.

http://www.keystonetrust.org.nz/

 

Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering – Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship, click here.

 

As part of the Maintenance Engineering Society of New Zealand’s objective to encourage New Zealand students into tertiary education in the field of engineering technology, a MESNZ Engineering Scholarship worth up to $5,000 is being offered for the specific purpose of covering tuition fees in 2015. This scholarship is available to assist students commencing study towards an IPENZ accredited engineering degree, diploma or certificate from any year level through a New Zealand University, Polytechnic or Industry Training organization.  http://www.mesnz.org.nz/scholarship/

Ski & Snowboard Industry

The following scholarship opportunity is now open to school leavers with beginner through advanced ski and/or snowboard ability. EA offer Ski & Snowboard Instructor Internship Programs at top ski resorts around the world. Our programs are popular with school leavers because they provide an opportunity to obtain paid employment at a top resort, whilst completing an internationally recognised ski or snowboard instructing qualification. This is the fourth year EA Ski & Snowboard have offered a scholarship place. The winner will receive a free place on an EA program for the coming 2015-16 Northern Hemisphere winter season at one of our partner resorts around the globe… that could mean Canada, USA, Japan, or Switzerland! EA are also offering a number of substantially discounted runner up places. We would be grateful if you could let students in their final year of school know of this opportunity. We are looking for someone who would be a great ambassador for the snowsports industry, make a good instructor and who is passionate about skiing or snowboarding. Interested pupils can click here to visit our website for more information and to apply. Note: Scholarship applicants should have been skiing or snowboarding before and have financial support to pay for flights, gear & insurance (as are not included in the scholarship).

 

New University of Auckland scholarships and e-book

The link to the University’s e-book on scholarships for school-leavers and entry-level students. This is a great resource for both students and parents. It provides information on all the scholarships available to new students and gives them a step-by-step explanation on how to make an application.

Four new scholarships are:

The University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarships
–      value $20,000

The University of Auckland Māori Academic Excellence Scholarships
–      value $20,000

The University of Auckland Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarships
–      value $20,000

The University of Auckland Academic Potential Scholarships
–      value up to $20,000

 

Primary Industries Scholarships – click here

Student Loan Information

Helpful Information

Career Events

There are FOUR main Career events in 2016 and these include: 

‘Future me’ Careers Conference is held for senior students (Y.12/13) from Colleges in the Wairarapa. This event is organised by the Career advisers in the region with the assistance of Wairarapa REAP.  This day is of most benefit to students who are looking at going into the job market, or those who are unsure about their future career path and are not intending to pursue a university qualification.

Students who attend will hear guest speakers and attend workshops in the vocational pathways that align with their skills and interests.

Date: Friday 5th August          Venue: UCOL and Wairarapa REAP campuses

Rathkeale Careers Day involves the Year 12s students in a workshop programme in the morning. They attend three self selected workshops which cover pathways or vocational areas of interest. There is time set aside to work on setting up their CVs.  In the afternoon the Year 13s have an opportunity to spend time with the student liaison staff from the different universities in the Library and do some course planning for their prospective tertiary courses. For those students not intending to attend university they will be working on their job interview skills. After 4pm the subject selection session is held in the Auditorium for Year 9 – 12 students.

Date: Friday 25th August          Venue: Rathkeale College 

MVP (My Vocational Pathway) Year 10 Taster Day is organised jointly by UCOL and Taratahi. This gives students a “hands-on” opportunity to experience what each vocational pathway has to offer and ideally helps them to make more informed choices for their subject selection for Year 11.

Date: August TBC          Venue: Masterton UCOL and Taratahi campuses

Year 10 Work Exploration This two-day opportunity gives the boys a valuable insight into the world of work. 

Date: November (TBC)

Other Opportunities

Otago University is offering a GO2OU award for students interested in studying Humanities (History, Geography, English, Economics, Law, Music etc.) This award covers the airfare, meals and accommodation costs to visit the University campus for a couple of days in Term 3. We can only send ONE Year 13 applicant so see Mrs McKeown for more information.

If you are interested in Hospitality Management and Adventure Tourism management then look at the information on Queenstown Resort College’s links. There is an opportunity for Year 13 students to attend Career Week (dates to be finalised) and go to Queenstown for two nights to see the facilities and meet the staff. Go on to the links below and see Mrs McKeown for more detail.

http://www.queenstownresortcollege.com/diplomas/why-qrc-college/career-week/

http://www.queenstownresortcollege.com/courses/future-students/scholarships/

If you enjoy design and would like to develop some new skills then YOOBEE have a school holiday programme that offers courses at their Wellington campus which include: Digital graphic design; 3D animation using Maya and Photoshop and film production. Look for details on the link below and then see Mrs McKeown.

Yoobee School of Design: http://www.yoobee.ac.nz/study/school-holiday-programmes

Writing a CV

The Careers team consists of:

Mrs Sue McKeown

Mr Shay O’Gorman

Mrs Mary Fisher