Congratulations to our two students, Daniel Curtis and Jason Laurie, for completing a 12 week Internship with Z Energy. 

This was a collaborative project between Hattrick Services, Workbridge, Riccarton High (Kohanga Ako) and Papanui High (Kimi Ora). 

It involved online learning with an NZ Certificate in Retail (Level 2) and time spent rotating around various jobs at Z Energy sites. 

Z Energy and the students are working together on where to next for their transition into employment.

The success of our young people has reinforced the benefit of this type of model in creating an employment pathway for students with learning disabilities. 

A comprehensive evaluation is being conducted and discussion with government agencies about how to roll it out to other sites around the country and to other employers. 

The students have gained a lot from their experiences and had this to say:

Daniel – The staff at Z are brilliant and supportive. It is a real team environment. You get to practice different scenarios each month and there is lots of variety. I learnt about working in a team and with other people which is exciting. You can rely on each other and everyone helps out with problems you might have. I got to clean the pumps, talk to customers, test for water in petrol tanks, put air in tyres, help with the car wash, wash windscreens, work the till and stock the shelves. The Z Factor values and Health and Safety are important. I proved to myself that I can, I pushed myself and tested myself. I feel more confident.

Jason – You learnt lots of things. I learnt how to stock the shelves with everything the right way round. I learnt how to use the till, give change and greet customers, how to keep a worksite clean and tidy including the toilets which get cleaned every hour. I felt excited and joyful about my experience at Z. My teachers and parents are happy and feel proud of me. You meet some really nice people and they even talk to you at break times.