Career Conversations
The first exposure to a career for most young people is at home. Whether parents are aware of it or not, young people pick up on the comments they make about their work. This informal 'careers advice' begins at an early age (and can frequently include many of the problems experienced at work rather than the good things!).
The idea of a 'career for life' is well out of date and young men are likely to experience many different careers through their work-life, and will need to retrain and learn new skills many times. This means that the type of conversation we are having with young people need to change. The traditional "What do you want to do when you leave school?" is to a large extent obsolete.
Questions such as: What is important to you? What values are important to you? What interests you? Have you thought about how those interests can be turned into a career? might be a more engaging starting point.
No one person can have all the answers and all the information about career pathways. However, there are many good resources that young men and whānau can use to support and inform career decisions. The Careers NZ website (www.careers.govt.nz) contains a wealth of information that can assist from the young man with 'no idea' about careers, through to those who have a specific destination in mind but need a bit more information about what that career involves and the pathway to get there.
Regardless of your son's year level or the extent to which he has a career plan or pathway marked out, the upcoming school holidays might provide a great opportunity to spend some time on a career korero and explore some of the many career resources that are available.
During term three young men in years 9 - 12 will be asked to select their school subjects for 2022. Information about this process and the subjects available will be provided early in the term and we are holding a Subject Information Evening from 6.00pm - 7.30pm on Tuesday, August 24. Early next term you will receive information about Parent-Teacher Interviews (August 9 and 12). The Careers Advisors, Mr. Barwick and Mr. Adams are available at these times, or you can contact them at school to book an appointment (Mr. Dave Barwick barwickd@pnbhs.school.nz or Mr. John Adams adamsjg@pnbhs.school.nz).