Last year the students of Tereora College were fortunate to have experts from the local community and abroad come in to the school, once a week during the second term, and present motivational talks in the lead up to the Careers Expo.  The speakers came from diverse career areas in the public and private sectors, such as the Cook Islands Financial Services Development Authority, the Cook Islands Police Department, CITC, Telecom Cook Islands, Cook Islands Tourism, Bishop's Cruises, Te Wananga o Aotearoa, etc.  Titikaveka College and Papaaroa Adventist School students and staff were also fortunate to have one of these motivational speakers, Nicholas Tuitasi, share his experiences at a special assembly.  The Mid-week Motivational presentations will continue this year and be expanded to include other schools that indicate an interest in having the programme run in their schools.  The purpose of these motivational talks is to inspire our children to aspire to greatness and to provide them with local role models who are wiliing to act as mentors and be part of their support network.  Therefore, I am humbly asking that parents and teachers of our students encourage them to attend these motivational presentations;  attending even only one of the presentations may be instrumental in helping our children to realise their career dreams and goals.  By June Hosea, Itinerant Careers Counsellor.

As part of my professional development programme I will be travelling to New Zealand during February for a work attachment with Careers New Zealand and Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate.  I am looking foward to the experience as I know it will help to improve the quality of the services the Ministry of Education provides in the areas of Career Guidance and Student Support.  Regular reviewing and improvements to any programme is essential if it is to be of benefit to any community.  Kia Manuia.  By June Hosea, Itinerant Careers Counsellor.

Tips for parents/care-givers and students will be appearing in the Cook Islands News in a couple of weeks in an effort to increase awareness of the importance getting subjects aligned with future career choices.  I will also be going on Radio Cook Islands to host a talk-back show on Careers in the lead up to the new school year.  Keep tuned for more!  By June Hosea, Itinerant Career Counsellor.

Careers

Making well informed subject choices, career pathway and tertiary study or training plans can be daunting. The Ministry of Education is able to assist students by providing:

• Career Advice. One-on-one sessions are available for all students, and parents are most welcome to participate in these sessions. This can help students explore their thoughts and aspirations, start thinking about their future, consider obstacles, alternative pathways and provide encouragement as they seek to make manageable and realistic plans.
• Resources. A Careers Office is situated in Runanga Tauturu at Tereora College. Hard copy resources – brochures, DVDs, and directories are available for students to use in their spare time at school. Current information about trades and employment is always available.
• Careers Expo. An annual Careers Expo is held. Information about Careers Expo 2012 will be made available on the home page as it comes to hand.
• Workshops and Presentations: Workshops and Presentations occur throughout the year. These are opportunities for students to hear about specific career pathways, how to prepare for work, curriculum vitae preparation and scholarship applications, etc.
  • Workshops for parents, care-givers and the general public will be held. These will be advertised in the media and in newsletters to schools.
• Career Newsletters are provided to senior students throughout the year. Click the link below to see newsletters.
• CV preparation and Interviews Skills: Help with CV preparation and preparation for job interviews is available. Help with completion of tertiary study applications and scholarship applications is also available.
• Year 7 and 8 students.  Short career programmes have been trialled during 2011 and will be made available to all students in 2012.  These introduce the concepts of
  • The Unique Person That You Are
  • The World of Work
• Year 9 and Year 10 students. Short career programmes operate at Year 9 and Year 10 level. These look at:
  • Knowing Yourself
  • The World of Work
  • Making a plan for yourself in the workforce
• Year 11 students.  This short course is based on the Careers New Zealand resource Career Malaga.  It is a career-planning resource for Pasifika students.  It looks at the importance of having dreams, especially a Career dream, goal setting and time management and highlights the achievements of Pasifika young people and the career paths they took to fulfill their dreams.  It also acknowledges the role played by parents, teachers and other community leaders in supporting our youth as they journey into the wide world of work.