BACKIn week six of this term, the Careers Department were delighted to host their annual Pathways Evening, which is part of a wider programme designed to ensure students and their parents/caregivers have all of the information they need, to be able to make informed decisions about their subjects for next year and beyond.
Prior to the Pathways Evening, students engaged in very targeted activities and the Online Pathways EXPO, which ensured that they were actively thinking about the wider implications of the subjects they could choose to study, their impact on future career pathways, and the essential key skills developed through each subject, as part of their wider Skills Builder programme. Rangitoto College is the first and only school in New Zealand to be actively working to develop student essential skills through the Skills Builder Partnership.
As part of these activities, students reflected on aspects of their research that surprised them most, many referencing that expected salaries were lower than they expected, alongside the importance of studying an English Language Rich subject for progression to many tertiary courses, and the need to select a range of subjects to keep future options open.
Throughout the Pathways Evening, the school welcomed around 1,400 parents, caregivers, and students, where they had opportunities to speak with teachers of all subject areas, learn about the diverse range of subjects on offer, and view some fabulous examples of student work and activities, including a beautiful Whakairo (Māori carving), working motorbike, and more! The Year 11 Rangitoto Diploma presentations were extremely well attended, and the Deans, Learning Support, and the Careers Team were also on hand to give personalised information, advice, and guidance which was very well received.
The positive energy throughout the evening was fantastic with the importance of the event reinforced by just how many students and whānau attended. The evening was incredibly rewarding for all, with very enthusiastic teachers with a huge passion for their subjects driving fantastic conversations throughout the evening.
