Background on Gateway

Gateway is a Government initiative funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). It has been running at Otahuhu College since 2000 and we were one of the first three schools to pilot the programme in the Manukau region, with 190 initial participants. This number has since increased and there are now 11 schools in the Manukau region taking part in Gateway.

Gateway at Otahuhu College

Gateway offers our students the opportunity to experience structured workplace learning in Year 12 and 13. The programme is designed to meet the learning needs of our students by providing them with both traditional and workplace learning.

This learning is assessed against unit and/or achievement standards on the National Qualifications Framework. Integrated with their regular curriculum of study, Gateway should be seen as an opportunity, not just work experience.

What have been the benefits for the students?

Involvement in Gateway gives students the opportunity to use the skills and knowledge they have obtained in study and life experience and apply them to a workplace context.

They have been able to gain insight into working life and learned skills in specific industries.

In many cases the initiatives have given the students a head start in their chosen careers and often lead to further training opportunities such as Modern Apprenticeships and industry training.

We have been exceptionally lucky to have had support from companies in the South Auckland area and students have been placed in the following areas:

* Catering

* Automotive Engineering

* Early Childhood

* Warehousing

* Primary Education

* Building

* Tourism

* Sports

* Aviation Engineering

* Hairdressing

* Fire Service

* Emergency Medicine

* Banking

* Media (TVNZ)

** Click HERE for Gateway Calendar and Events (UPDATED CALENDAR COMING SOON)

Online course now available: 

Health and Safety – Hazard and Risk Management. 

Unit Standards 30265 (8 Level 3 credits) and 497 (3 Level 1 credits).  

You will learn workplace health and safety requirements and legislation. Essential skills that can be used in a wide range of career pathways. 

 The learning and assessment will all be done online on a learning platform and can be done at your own pace. This includes quizzes and videos and does involve a bit of reading. 

 If you would like to sign up: 

–          Email me to let me know! mchamberlin@otahuhucollege.school.nz  

–          I will give your parents or guardians a call to gain their verbal permission. 

–          From there, I will sign you up and you will be sent a link to the online learning platform to start learning. 

–          You will have three weeks from when you are sent the link to work through the assessment. This is generous – if you want to you can work through it over two days with a few hours each day. 

–          I will be available if you have any questions – via email or phone, and I will check in with you regularly. 

–          Once this course is completed, you may be able to add on other Level 3 health and safety standards (if this applies to your career path). 

–          Last thing to note is that if you do sign up, but do not attempt the unit standard before it expires, you will be charged the cost of the course ($99 + GST). If you get through part of the three weeks and are worried about this, just talk to me about it and I will help you. 

 I am also working on a Level 2 unit standard worth 2 credits, and am hoping to have this available soon. 

What will Gateway look like for the rest of this year? 

As things are fluid and will change quickly with Covid 19 and government announcements, I have put together a small table to help give some clarity around what Gateway will look like at each alert level. This may change as we learn more, however it will hopefully give some clarity for what to expect. 

There are some things that will stay the same during the second term no matter the alert level: 

• Courses will be online only for Term 2. 

• There will be no work placements during class hours for Term 2. This will be reviewed and possibly extended for Term 3 or 4. Some exceptions may be made but this will be on a case by case basis. 

Alert Level 4	ELIMINATE – Stay at home.
	No placements or in person courses  Online courses  Working with students to create CV’s
Alert Level 3	RESTRICT – Non-essential businesses and public spaces closed; some schools may be open.
	No placements or in person courses, even with school open  Online courses  If school open for senior levels, CV workshops and learners licence workshops may be possible
Alert Level 2	REDUCE – Physical distancing continues; some businesses working from home.
	Some placements – on a case by case basis  Courses only held at school premises  CV workshops and learners licence workshops
Alert Level 1	PREPARE – Stay at home if sick.
	Placements running as usual  Courses held at school premises + other locations  CV workshops and learners licence workshops

 

Any parents who could assist the students with potential work experience in joinery, carpentry, concrete laying, glazing or cabinetmaking; please contact Ms Chamberlin