The Gateway Department is gearing up for another busy year, 37 students have been accepted into the programme and are currently in the process of completing pre-Gateway courses

Gateway is a programme where selected senior students try out a career while continuing with their academic programme at school.  They attend a workplace for 1 day every week and have an individual learning plan designed just for them; they work on industry standards that count towards NCEA.  Students get to try out a potential career before making a long term decision, they gain credits towards an industry qualification which can often take time off an apprenticeship.

Our pre-Gateway phase is well underway with Comprehensive First Aid, Workplace Health & Safety courses and career research modules almost finished. Students have identified careers of interest and are ready to trial 3 “taster days” each to help them with choosing 1 career which then becomes their Gateway focus for the year.

Taster days are where students visit a range of workplaces experiencing what it is like in the real world of work; real workplaces, real tasks trying out real careers. Work experience starts anytime between 7am and 8am and finishes around 5pm depending on the workplace and what is happening on the day. Safety clothing and equipment is supplied by the college; safety boots, overalls and any personal protective equipment they need eg earmuffs, safety glasses, high vis, hard hats etc.

We have strong interest in the trades including construction, electrical, automotive, plumbing, joinery, engineering, painting & decorating along with farming, hospitality, retail, early childhood, hair & beauty, health and much more. We have 111 work experience taster days to cater for over the next few weeks (37 students x 3 taster days each). 

If you or anyone in our community can assist with work experience opportunities, we would love to hear from you, whether it is for a one-day taster or an ongoing day per week throughout the year. Thank you to employers who have already offered assistance; each year we have more employers wanting to be involved in the programme and already have some arranging trial days with students and interviewing to select the Gateway student that suits their business. 

We will be profiling students in the newsletter over the coming months, we hope you like reading about their experiences.

Gateway Manager: m.mehrtens@roncalli.school.nz  Phone: 027 739 8570