Community helps high school students explore career options
Student reporter, Jana Cottle
Work experience is one of the many exciting and beneficial programmes that Golden Bay High School has to offer. Work experience is the perfect way to learn new skills, said student Casey Bennett, “so students can get to know what the real world is like”, and also to discover what career path they want to follow.
On Wednesday 5 August, the year 11 students had their first day of work experience. For some it would have been their only experience of proper work, and some were nervous. The students had many commitments they had to keep, such as turning up on time, ringing their bosses, dressing respectably and applying their skills, as they had three full days in their chosen workplace. Most students got to choose where they spent those days, but some didn’t get their first option.
The students settled into their workplaces and were given clear instructions on what they were supposed to be doing. Each, when interviewed, could identify a new skill they had learned: five students went to schools around the community and each said they had learned patience working with the children. Most enjoyed themselves and did their best to create a good impression.
The students also said that their mentors were understanding and willing to teach, an indication of the community’s willingness to support the work experience programme.
Work experience at Golden Bay High School has been around since the 1980s. Teacher Robin Slow can remember the first-ever work experience at Golden Bay High School, when the year 12s travelled to Wellington and did their work experience there, taking a big step into the real world. The programme has opened up doors for many students and helped them to achieve their goals.
Today’s students said they consider themselves very lucky to be given this opportunity as some schools in New Zealand cannot run this programme because of a lack of community support.
With 41 students out in the community for three days, 41 full-time workers gave up their time to help the work experience to happen. The students involved expressed their gratitude to the people that gave their time to help them experience the full truth of working, and for the teachers at Golden Bay High School who organise the programme and make work experience possible.
Jana Cottle (Year 11 student reporter)
Ed. Jana intends to study journalism when she leaves school.
