Term four is a busy few weeks for senior students especially those in Year 13 who are finalising their plans for when they leave school.

At the start of this term many Year 13 students found out if they had been successful with their scholarship applications and we are delighted that many did receive scholarships – these will be advised at a later date. 

Multi Ethnic/Former Refugee Careers Trip
On Tuesday the 17 October, 16 students and four staff members visited local businesses and tertiary institutions as part of the Former Refugees Careers Programme. The day started with a visit to the Christchurch City Council where students found out about what it takes to run the city. We then had two guest speakers, one from the Parks Department and the second from Christchurch SMART. Both speakers spoke about their own career journey and what careers were possible in their departments. 

Our next stop was to Ara | Te Pukenga where we were given a campus tour and then a more detailed presentation about what Ara | Te Pukenga has to offer students. Back onto the bus and we headed out to Lincoln University where we started with a presentation about what courses Lincoln has on offer. We then had a campus tour that took in the newly refurbished gym and brand-new science building. 

Our final visit was to Hamilton Jet where students listened to a presentation about the origins of Hamilton Jet and what careers are available there. We then had a tour of their factory and saw first-hand the different components needed to make the “jets”. 

The purpose of this trip was to showcase different opportunities available to students in both workplaces and tertiary organisations. We are very grateful to the four organisations for giving up their time to host us.

Student360 Internships
During the September holidays, two Riccarton High School students Sione Apolosi and Josh Collins-Polata were fortunate enough to undertake internships at two local businesses as part of the Student360 programme. Student360 offers students a taste of the world of work before they finish secondary school. The aim of the programme is to help students understand their strengths and skills as they explore a future career pathway. Sione secured a placement with a Tech powerhouse firm - Seequent, based in the Christchurch CBD and Josh’s work placement was with PwC. Both companies were very impressed with Sione and Josh and it was an excellent way for both students to experience what it is like to work for large international companies.

Employment Opportunities
Employers contact the career department on a regular basis looking for school leavers – this is especially prevalent as the school year comes to an end and employers are looking for students to fill summer job vacancies. Please check https://riccarton.careerwise.school/ for more information or pop into the Career Department