Kaiārahi Newsletter - May 2022

Tena Koutou,

Term Two is in full swing and this month's newsletter is jam packed full of resources and information to help you make the most of it. An exciting new initiative we have just launched at CATE is our new ‘Lunchtime Bytes’ Webinars, with the first one kicking off this Friday, 27 May. Read below for more information on this. We also cover professional development opportunities, the value of volunteering in helping students explore and develop their careers, provide you with feedback on the recent Gateway washup survey, and look ahead to CATE Conference 2022.

Lunchtime Bytes Webinars

We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative at CATE: 'Lunchtime Bytes'. Following on from some great work done by CATE Auckland in presenting webinars to their members, we will be launching monthly 'bite-sized' webinars available to all CATE members on a Friday at lunchtime, 1.30pm - 2pm. Kicking off with our first webinar on Friday, 27 May, we will have the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) talk about the importance and value of volunteering in helping young people launch and develop their careers & their Student Volunteer Awards.. For more information on SVA, visit their website.  Here is a poster with more information as well.

We look forward to seeing you online!

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtd--spjIiGtCDJA7t4onP3BJDA0GlNlHq

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For future webinars, we would be keen on your feedback around the suitability of hosting the monthly webinars on Fridays at lunchtime. We would also like to hear from you if you have any ideas around future webinar topics you would like to see covered - kaiarahi@catenz.org

The Value of Volunteering

Volunteering has a wide range of benefits to help students explore and discover career options they may be interested in learning more about. It can also help them increase their confidence, learn about team work and help them gain valuable work experience for their CVs. Our first ‘Lunchtime bytes’ Webinar will cover this topic in more detail as the Student Volunteer Army talk about their Service Awards (See details above). More information on the value of volunteering for students can be found in this article published by Volunteering Hawkes Bay as well as this research project conducted by Hoskings, Leonard & Wilde (2020)

Kaiārahi Workshops Term Two and Three

This year's workshop focuses on the upcoming Ministry of Education and TEC initiatives. 

Topics include:

• The Career Education and Guidance guidelines that replace the 2009 edition.
• Progress on the TEC Careers system strategy, MOE Vocational education award and Tahatū (the new Careers NZ platform)
• Looking at the National Education Learning Priorities, breaking them down and looking what we need to do to implement Objective 4 - Future of Learning and Work
• Looking at how we can support subject teachers and integrate “Careers in Curriculum”
• Review of new resources and tools

Lock in the date for your region. Registration Links for Term 2 Workshops are included below:

Update on Gateway Washup and Survey 

Thank you to all CATE Members who completed the recent Gateway survey we sent out in partnership with CDANZ. Your input is highly valued. This information will now be used for advocating purposes in our discussions with the TEC. We will keep you updated as we go through this process. Below we share a summary of the results from this survey:

There is a feeling that TEC has underestimated the effect of COVID on schools and continues to do so. It has not just been about the lockdowns, ongoing illnesses and the new variants that continue to impact those working in the sector and the young people they are working with.

Many have no longer been able to rely on dependable, loyal employers as they have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Industries such as Early Childhood, Aged Care, Retail and Hospitality have been unable to commit to the Gateway programme.

Respondents felt there needs to be a greater value placed on the programme and the people working in this sector. It feels like it is marginalised despite it providing “success” for many students.

The findings of the survey recommend the following: 

1. Increase in funding for resources/staffing - Funding has not kept up with employment-focused costs, resources and learning units and this needs to be addressed. There is a call to either increase funding available to purchase units or lower credit requirements as costs have increased and funding has remained static.
2. Employment as a measure of outcome success. - In the current reporting system, there is no way to update the TEC on an individual student’s experience as to why they did not achieve the expected 20 credits and yet have obtained full-time employment. Some students battle to achieve all 20 credits and other students battle with the workbooks that are very language rich. There is a need for a more individually focused transition programme that would yield better outcomes where there is less of a focus on achieving credits and more of a focus on the individual student achieving successful outcomes. Some have suggested a more portfolio focused programme of work which is meaningful to employers.
3. Consideration for those schools in rural areas with limited access to work placements - Rural schools can face significant challenges, including funding, accessing work experience in the student’s area of interest, and arranging travel, accommodation and the like. 
4. Well-developed programmes of work from the industry training providers - these need to offer meaningful pre- apprentice learning. Ensuring units of work exposes students to a variety of different roles within the industry and assist them to develop the necessary skills to take on an apprenticeship or full-time role. Allowing students to use their work experience to gather evidence for assessment that signals employability skills that are valued in the workplace. BCITO and MITO are seen to have “fit for purpose” resources.
5. Driver licensing should be a compulsory part of the programme.
6. Regional databases developed - Support in finding suitable local employers, possible ideas included work brokers, and regional databases listing businesses interested in taking students on a work placement.
7. Better support and communication with the TEC - Communication needs to be better from TEC and, in instances such as COVID 19  earlier. Respondents need to know now what  impact this will have on funding for 2023 and beyond. It is unfair to ask for funds already spent in “good faith”. There needs to be greater empathy from TEC for those schools that are struggling, and there should be support for these schools. No other agency has been asking for money back during the pandemic, most are asking “how can we help?”. The “wash up” has put more stress on Gateway Teachers and Coordinators.

           8. Support for Training/Induction programmes for new Gateway                            Coordinators and specific Gateway professional development.
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Gateway Online Conference
An online Gateway conference is scheduled for Thursday, 28 July. This will take place from 9am to 3pm. More information to follow.

CATE Conference 2022 

Keynote Speaker: Nigel Latta

We are delighted to have Nigel Latta as a Keynote Speaker this year.

Nigel trained as a Clinical Psychologist and worked for over two decades in the areas of forensic psychology and family therapy. In 2010, as a result of his passion for science and science education, Nigel was invited to become an associate of the world leading Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study at the University of Otago. In 2012 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to psychology. He’s written eight books which have now been published in 19 countries and 10 languages.

 Call for Abstracts

The CATE Conference Committee are delighted to open the call for abstracts for this year's conference. Abstracts must be submitted by 30 September 2022. For more information or to submit an abstract, click here.

To register to attend CATE Conference 2022, click here

Hiwa Scholarship Opportunity

Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington has an awesome scholarship opportunity called HIWA coming up that they would love for you to share with eligible students and encourage them to apply.  Applications are open now. The programme takes place from Tuesday 23rd August to Saturday 27th August. Applications close at 5pm, Friday 1 July.  HIWA is a week-long scholarship programme providing Māori students outside of the Wellington Region with the opportunity to experience student life at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington first-hand, and explore the capital city. They will cover the costs of travel to and around Wellington and back home, accommodation, and kai. Their mahi involves helping Māori into the tertiary sector, and demystifying the place we call university. If students then choose to come study at Te Herenga Waka, that’s an awesome bonus, but they want to encourage Māori to think critically about their future and give them all the means possible to help them make decisions about what they might want to do/study after high school.

Criteria:

Be of Māori descent.

Be in your final year of study at a NZ secondary school or wharekura (outside Wellington Region)

Be available to travel to and stay in Wellington on the given dates (23rd-27th August) for the entire programme.

Application Process:

Fill out this form & Email pou.templeton@vuw.ac.nz a copy of your academic transcript (NZQA transcript of your most recent grades - can be a screenshot) and a character reference (a teacher, employer etc.).Here is a poster if you would like to print some copies for your students as well. Any pātai or issues please email either pou.templeton@vuw.ac.nz or temapihi.tutuanathan@vuw.ac.nz

Career Advisor – Macleans College Auckland

 Full time, Permanent role

We are seeking a forward-thinking careers advisor to join our welcoming, student-centered careers team. In this role, you will support students to develop their career management competencies in one-to-one interviews and in career education classes. You will be part of a team that supports teachers to integrate careers information. The successful applicant will have strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and be highly collaborative. 

Applicants will be fully registered teachers with a strong background in the secondary education sector. Applications close 3 June 2022.

Please send your covering letter, CV and the names of three referees to: Linda.Roberts@macleans.school.nz. For a full job description contact Linda via email or on 09 535 2620.

Instant Online Learning Platform

Instant Online provides an online learning platform, initially for New Zealand Secondary School students, giving the opportunity for credit achievement towards NCEA levels 1-3 through an engaging online environment.

NZQA Unit Standards We provide comprehensive learning content and quality assured assessments for unit standards at levels 1-3.

Carefully Crafted Every Instant Online Course is carefully crafted by experienced resource developers to provide students with the best chance of success.

Moderation Guarantee All assessments are moderated to ensure validity against the appropriate NZQA standard (conditions apply)

New Zealand Owned & Operated New Zealand based customer service provided within regular business hours. Speak to a real human!

Don't miss out on the future of Education www.instantonline.nz ; Email: info@instantonline.nz; Phone: 0800 864 863

Get close-up with the Electrical Industry at a WorldSkills NZ Electrical Industry Showcase near you  

North Island: Hawke’s Bay/Waikato   

South Island: Timaru/Christchurch/Dunedin/Invercargill   

Over the coming month of June, WorldSkills New Zealand will be running a series of Interschool Electrical Competitions for secondary schools in Hamilton, Napier, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill.   

An Electrical Industry Showcase will run alongside each WorldSkills NZ Interschool Electrical Competition. This is a free event and open from 9am-3pm for students, teachers, career advisors, whānau, kura, school, and community groups.   

The Showcase is a brilliant opportunity to ask questions and learn about a dynamic industry in New Zealand, meet people from the electrical industry, people who employ and train staff and students, and have a go at a variety of fun and educational electrical-related activities.  

South Island events combine with the Master Electricians Apprentice Challenge – providing a rare chance for ākonga to talk directly with young apprentices about their projects and experiences.   

 Interested? Register online today. For any questions or more information, please contact Sally Gray on 021 382 802 or sally.gray@worldskillsnz.org.nz.  

Please see date and venue information below.