School Transitions – Whakangungu Ākonga
Our tauira (students) are our future workforce. They hold the potential to help alleviate some of the skills shortage pressures being felt across many sectors in our region.
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For this potential to be unlocked, our tauira need to be supported to transition successfully from school into meaningful employment or further study. Genuine partnership between industry, students, and kura is the first step towards achieving this.
Our engagements with communities, businesses, kura, and training providers across our region gave us insight into the different approaches to School Transitions. Despite expected regional variances, many stakeholders highlighted their frustration towards a ‘piecemeal’ application of School Transitions between districts and kura.
A strong concern that emerged across our region was that the current system is failing tauira “in the middle”; attention and support is primarily given to those either transitioning into tertiary study or at risk of limited employment. There is a call for employers to become ‘Youth Ready’ for our tauira who do not neatly fit into either of these groups.
The provision of School Transitions related opportunities varies heavily depending on tauira interest, kura appetite, funding provision, roll size, and employer partnerships. Collaborating with local providers, such as Talent Central, AGC Training, 100% SWEET, and Tararua REAP allows schools to maximise their support for their tauira. However, while established providers are an important link, existing support is not available in all parts of our region.
