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Photo by Anthea Hunt

Careers Department Term 3 Update

AGHS —

The changing alert levels of Covid-19 have meant we have all had to adjust, then readjust, then readjust again. This has been the case for the Careers Department at Avonside Girls’ High School and the events and visits that we organise and undertake throughout the year.

As a school, we had intended to have a large-scale onsite Whānau Course Selection Evening, where families, whānau and students could come along and have the opportunity of talking to subject teachers, training providers and tertiary institutions. This was organised to aid students with their course planning for 2021 and with their transition to life beyond school. However, this couldn’t take place as we were unable to host more than one hundred people under the Level 2 restrictions. We decided, therefore, to follow a similar format and hold this event in school hours for our Year 10, 11 and 12 students only. 

Several of our tertiary providers were unable to come due to their own restrictions. However, we were so fortunate to be able to host Waikato University, Lincoln University, National Trade Academy, New Zealand Institute of Sport, Vision College, New Zealand Tertiary College, Avon City Training Service and the New Zealand School of Tourism. They each gave students a short presentation about themselves and then our girls had the opportunity of talking to them and their subject teachers to make better informed choices for next year and beyond.

The feedback from our visitors, staff and students was overwhelmingly positive. The students took the opportunity of talking to the teachers and tertiary providers that were of interest to them and gaining the information that they specifically needed. Our visitors and staff were really impressed with how engaged the girls were and the excellent questions that they posed. In light of this, the Avonside Girls’ High School, in situ, mini expo is now firmly set in our school calendar and will hopefully go from strength to strength.

STAR:

STAR funding received from the MOE is provided to assist students with courses to assist with their current learning, or for learning new skills, whether it is for employment or tertiary.

We hit the ground running in Term 3! 17 students attended a Learner Licence course, held at school by Youthtown, 15 passed with 2 still to sit their test. A fantastic result and it was well deserved by the girls.

In the current environment with Covid 19 affecting employment in the hospitality and flight attending areas, two very popular employment areas at Avonside, we focused on courses which offered employment skills, personal skills and social skills for use in any employment. These were mainly in the area of customer service and communication. Art at Yoobee, First Aid at Red Cross and Music at MAINZ were among the other courses taken up this term. Credits were available on most of these courses.

Taster Days:

Taster Days at Ara came back on board in level 2 and have been popular for students. These are usually just for one day and once again, to assist with the chosen area of career, or to try different areas that they may be thinking of going into. These will resume again next year.