Develop workplace skills and competencies
Prepare students for the workplace by arranging work experience, developing independent work skills and accessing support services.
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Offer work experience
Offer work experience
Work experience can be work such as mowing lawns, helping on a marae or sports coaching, or work through a workplace.
The video shows how Shideen went on a work experience day and ended up with a forestry career.
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Explore work experience options
Explore work experience options
Work experience can improve the chances of getting a job by developing good work habits, skills and experience.
Work experience also helps ākonga to learn more about a job or industry to decide if they like it or not.
Tertiary learning and workplace experience at school
- Gateway for Years 11, 12 or 13 students allows students to work part-time and learn specific work knowledge and skills. The programme includes assessment of the knowledge and skills you’ve gained and study towards NCEA and tertiary credits.
- Workchoice Day for Year 12 students is a day at a workplace where students learn about different jobs.
Industry events and competitions
- Learn about an industry or get work experience with industry events.
- Hear from role models in different careers, for example, through Inspiring the Future Aotearoa.
- Take part in competitions, such as science fairs or the Young Enterprise Scheme, to do practical work while still at school.
Other ways to get work experience
- Paid or voluntary work for the kura or community, such as mowing lawns
- Internships for a fixed time at a workplace
- Voluntary work
- Job shadowing and secondments for short-term work experience
- Part-time jobs and holiday jobs.
Source: Adapted from Work experience options – Careers NZ (opens in a new tab/window)
Offer extended experiences
Offer extended experiences
Liaise with providers and local work places to offer extended time and opportunities so students can become comfortable in an unfamiliar workplace.
Hastings Boys' High School shares their example of partnering with an engineering firm to strengthen pathways for ākonga.
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Gain Vocational Pathways qualifications
Gain Vocational Pathways qualifications
Vocational Pathways help students see how their learning is valued in the real world by aligning standards that can be achieved through NCEA with six industries.
Document work placements
Document work placements
In their final two years of school, support students to take photos to add to their portfolios.
![10222 [Backing-at-risk-students-to-win-MoE-video.png]](https://inclusive-live-storagestack-assetstorages3bucket-3uty0hejzw6u.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/inclusive-education/example-images/Backing-at-risk-students-to-win-MoE-video__ScaleMaxWidthWzEwODZd.png)
Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Document volunteer experiences
Document volunteer experiences
Janaye from BCITO shows how students can get started on a career while at school and the importance of recording work and volunteer experiences.
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Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Prepare students with future-focused skills”:
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Current page Develop workplace skills and competencies
Return to the guide “Preparing students to leave school”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Preparing students to leave school
Understand:
Strategies for action:
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Develop effective whole-school practicesShow suggestions for Develop effective whole-school practices
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Help students build a vision for lifeShow suggestions for Help students build a vision for life
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Prepare students with future-focused skillsShow suggestions for Prepare students with future-focused skills
- Plan and build personalised pathways
- Support wellbeing and hauora
- Develop independent living skills
- Develop tertiary life and study skills
- Develop workplace skills and competencies
- Develop job hunting skills
