Waikato school-employer partnerships lead NZ

Waikato employers and educators are leading New Zealand in a bid to better connect secondary school students with “real world” learning.

More than 800 students from five schools are taking part in Smart Waikato’s Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEP), where business representatives from priority sectors visit the classroom. Students also visit workplaces to see how subjects apply to jobs.

READ MORE

Waikato District employers inspired to hire youth

Huntly and Ngaruawahia employers turned out in droves recently to an event developed to inspire and equip them to offer more work and training opportunities to young people.

More than 100 people, about half of them employers, attended the launch of Smart Waikato Trust’s FutureForce® Action Network (FAN) at Huntly Power Station’s Seminar
Rooms on September 14.

Business owners and managers signed up to the 1000-strong network to gain free access to an on-line suite of best practice HR tools designed to help them offer more work-based
opportunities to youth.

READ MORE

Bold leadership summit

Business, education and iwi leaders have heralded a Waikato-wide initiative to connect secondary schools and industry as ‘the way forward’ for our region.

About 160 key leaders attended the Smart Waikato Leadership Summit and launch of Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEPs) in Hamilton recently, with the majority calling the initiative a winner.

READ MORE.

 2015 Smart Waikato Leadership Summit. (Photo courtesy Smart Waikato Trust.)

Pilot a "game changer"

Secondary schools selected for the pilot of a Waikato-wide approach to better connecting with students and educators with industry have been announced.

Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEP) will be piloted at Fairfield College, Hamilton Boys' High School, Hauraki Plains College, Morrinsville College and Thames High School.

READ MORE.

Cadetships fast-track leaders

Waikato businesses are being urged to follow in the footsteps of a construction company training young people for future leadership roles in a bid to combat skills shortages and offer better work opportunities to youth.

Foster Construction has launched a new cadetship programme to build long-term business capability by developing bright young people for management roles at the business.

READ MORE.

SSEP "beacon" for NZ

A Waikato-wide tactical approach to connect secondary schools and industry is being heralded as “the way forward” for the region by business, education and iwi leaders.

About 160 key leaders attended the Smart Waikato Leadership Summit and launch of Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEPs) in Hamilton recently, with the majority
behind the initiative.

READ MORE.

Leaders step up for youth

Waikato secondary schools principals, their board of trustee chairs, business leaders and Mayors will turn out in force in Hamilton this month to spearhead a region-wide tactical approach to resolving youth unemployment.

About 160 VIP guests are expected at the inaugural Smart Waikato Leadership Summit at the ANZ Centre on Grantham St on August 27, where they will be called to take the lead on a new initiative developed to better channel young people into work.

READ MORE.

YES students come up trumps

Waikato secondary school students were rewarded for their enterprising efforts at the 2015 National Awards for The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme in Wellington last night.

HPC Records, of Hauraki Plains College, took home the national Enterprising Music Award while sole trader James van der Klip, Hillcrest High School, received a national Commitment Award for his business Quartz Web Services.

READ MORE.

HPC Records, of Hauraki Plains College, at nationals. (Photo courtesy The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Trust.)