Queen Charlotte students building new pathways

WILLIAM WOODWORTH

Queen Charlotte College students are set to get an insight into some of Marlborough’s booming businesses.

The college’s Head of Careers James Bruce wants to show students there are other options out there for those not keen to follow the usual career pathways. And to highlight the unexpected options out there, the college is holding its first ever career’s week.

“There’s such a range of roles in local businesses that these kids wouldn’t know about, and it opens ideas for kids that may already know what they want to do, and those who still aren’t sure,” James says.

“With all the upcoming infrastructure projects in Marlborough alongside the existing opportunities out there, there’s a real job boom and we’re rich for choice with the breadth of roles.

“The region is humming, and these kids want to be a part of it.”

James says discovering more about career choices has evolved past handing out printed information.

Former QCC students have been doing short podcast questionnaires to help capture students’ imaginations.

“Careers in schools has evolved since the days of pamphlets – these kids are clued up and want insights from experienced people they can relate to,” James says.

Year 13 Jasmine Thompson is hoping to do a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance.

“I’ve always been looking at skills in demand and with family in finance, I was always leaning that way,” she says.

“Learning more about cadetships, where businesses fund your study and have roles ready once you graduate, is something that many people overlook to apply for scholarships instead.”

Fellow student Tom Clerke is still indecisive about his next move –but says his schooling experiences have seen interesting options pop up.

“I’ve always had a bit of a ‘tunnel vision’ on going to university, but through opportunities like the Spirit of Adventure and the Sir

Peter Blake Trust, I’ve gained an interest in environmental science from the two programmes that was an entirely new option for me”.

“Students should experience as much as possible in their schooling because it widens their scope of interest, and the careers week means you can just attend which seminars you could be interested in”.

Fellow year 12 Mana Collins has had his ideas around after school develop recently and is currently looking into options for teaching college.

“I wasn’t keen on heading to university for a while, but the more I’ve investigated teaching the more it seems to line up with my skillset.”