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Photo by Rebecca Anderson

COYEP - 2023

Jenna Faulkner —

The Central Otago Youth Employment Program (COYEP) for 2023 has started the year with huge success.

COYEP is a Year 11 work-based program, that allows pupils to gain work experience in an industry they may see a future career path in. Alongside this, pupils also complete NCEA Level 1 Otago Polytechnic COYEP work packages. The work packages are a 48-credit programthat incorporates their numeracy and literacy. Pupils also study their chosen school subjects. The COYEP program is only available to 10 pupils. The COYEP pupils for 2023 are in industries such as Building, Engineering, Mechanics, Farming, Hospitality and Health andFitness.


COYEP had incredible results at the end of 2022. All 10 pupils in the COYEP program achieved their NCEA Level 1. 60% went onto apprenticeships and 40% returned to school to complete Level 2. 2023 is already shaping up to be another incredible year.Due to the success of COYEP, the Withiel Charitable Trust which is based in Auckland heard about the program and wanted to show support in this alternative program. The Withiel Charitable Trust could see the incredible opportunities that the COYEP program provided forour pupils in school. Due to their funding, we are now running a Year 10Junior COYEP Program. The Year 10 Junior COYEP Program allows pupils to have a variety of different tasters of industries over the course of the year by completing one set day a week of work experience. This streamlines well into the full-time Year 11 COYEP program.


I would like to thank the local Cromwell community and all the employers that give their time and knowledge to educate the COYEP pupils at the workplace. The success of the program stems from the awesome partnership between the school and the businesses inCromwell works together to educate the young generation coming through.Pictures below are of the Year 10/11 COYEP pupils at work in a variety of industries.