Gateway

Gateway- Te Tomokanga builds the links between school and business and allows schools to offer workplace learning opportunities for their students. The programme will develop students’ vocational skills while still at school. They will be able to get first-hand experience of what it is like in the workforce, and also to begin the qualifications needed in today’s job market.

Students involved in NCEA Levels 2 and 3 will have the opportunity to pursue these qualifications whilst beginning a trade/career specific qualification. They may be registered with the appropriate Industry Training Organisation (ITO) to begin their workplace training. The school receives funds through its contract with the Tertiary Education Commission to pay for workplace assessment of students and to support them towards achieving unit standards which go onto the National Qualifications Framework.

Students are in a training situation and are not paid while on a Gateway placement. Students chosen for the programme need to show commitment for the duration of the programme. They will become full members of an organisation’s workforce and will be treated much the same as any other employee, being expected to also follow the school rules as applicable to students outside the classroom. It will involve 1 day out of the classroom each week for 20 weeks. 

Examples of placements are Early Childhood, Primary Teaching, Tourism, Building, Joinery, Hairdressing, Hospitality/Customer service, Vet Nursing, Care of the Elderly. It depends upon interests and availability of placements.

The expectation is that the students achieve 20 credits which are engineered to suit whatever they are doing. These are made up from units standards ordered from outside providers and the students work on these in their Gateway periods. Gateway is open to anyone who feels they may benefit from this transitional programme. It will include the completion of a CV and workplace health and safety.

An application must be completed for course acceptance and students must demonstrate a level of maturity that indicates they will manage a work/school balance. 

For further information and an application form, see Miss Bresanello