The health and wellbeing sector needs more young people in the workforce to combat the existing workforce shortages. Careerforce are continually exploring ways on how to promote the variety of exciting career opportunities available across the sector to these younger audiences.
Orakei Marae recently played host to a pilot event called Whāia te iti: Kahurangi REAL Pathways to REAL Success. We invited young people from schools in the Auckland Region to a day of interactive learning on career opportunities in the health and wellbeing sector.
The event was informed by a tikanga Māori approach with the active promotion of te reo Māori and values such as Whanaungatanga – building connections, Manaakitanga – enhancing the mana of others and Kotahitanga – working as one group to ensure the success of all students attending.
Inspiring speakers talked about their own pathways to a successful career and employers took time to connect with these young people to gain an understanding of what motivates them.
In attendance were 38 students from six Auckland schools and 10 employer representatives from Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital, Auckland and Waitemata DHB, Pathways, Penina Health Trust, YMCA and Access Community Health.
One of the day’s speakers was Richelle Davies, a Careerforce Learning Engagement Advisor. Richelle’s workshop included some practical sessions on performing resuscitation. She also shared her career pathway story, “I started as a support worker in the aged care sector, moving into palliative care and disability services after completing a level 4 qualification in Health and Wellbeing. I volunteered with St John Ambulance throughout these studies and eventually went to study Paramedicine. Then I started practicing as a Paramedic and writing curriculum. I now work for Careerforce as a Learning Engagement Advisor and volunteer for Ambulance EMT as a Paramedic.”
According to Julie Purcell, a Vocational Pathways Advisor for Careerforce, “the energy throughout the event was high. It was great to see students engaged, excited and inspired”. A student’s feedback summed up the experience nicely saying, “It was amazing, and it opened my eyes to so many careers. That you don’t have to go straight into uni, there’s a lot of other pathways.”
Contact Careerforce if you want your students to learn more about career pathways in the health and wellbeing sectors.
careerforce.org.nz/high-schools/for-schools/
0800 277 486