Students from Papa Taiao Earthcare, Westland High School, Westland Districts Mayors Task Force for Jobs Youth Employability Programme and Tai Poutini Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, took part in “Rangatahi Day Out” where youth were exposed to a range of environmental science and conservation related skills and ideas, and some of the leading-edge technology being used by working professionals in the sector.
Tai Poutini Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, West Coast Regional Council’s Hydrology and Water Quality teams, Predator Free Te Kinga and NZ Landcare Trust facilitated interactive sessions where students took part in pods of educational experiential learning around the park.
Community leaders from the preservation and management of nature on the West Coast were invited to connect with students over lunch and have conversations about their career journeys and answer any questions they had about potential career paths.
Tai Poutini Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga provided information to students on training options available including the Certificate in Conservation (Operations) Level 4 that will be offered on the West Coast from 2024.
The event co-designed and led by Development West Coast (DWC), Tai Poutini Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, and Te Tai o Poutini West Coast Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG) was a protype event that will now be fine tuned and offered in other West Coast communities in 2024.
Zak Shaw, Project Lead ‑ Nature Economy at DWC said the event provided an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of the wide variety of environmental work that is being done on the West Coast while showcasing training options and the wide range of career opportunities available in our region.
“We are really happy with how the event went. It provided a chance for the community to connect and interact with the next generation of kaitiaki.”
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