6 <strong>Diversity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Action</strong> | Autumn.11 <strong>Diversity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Action</strong> | Autumn.11 7Gett<strong>in</strong>g set to goMak<strong>in</strong>g the move from school to work canchallenge even the best-prepared teenager.The Gateway programme offers employersthe first shot at work-ready young people.Gateway is about “effectivetransition, not just workexperience for the sake of it”.Esther Calley, Senior Manager, Tertiary Education CommissionCheck<strong>in</strong>g out the pipel<strong>in</strong>eEmployers have a chance tohelp grow the next generationof workers – and funnel talent<strong>in</strong>to their companies – througha range of other schemesbesides Gateway.Thomas Devereaux, 18, hasnever had a full-time job – buthe’s already helped out as a juniorfilm editor on Spartacus, the newsword-and-sandals series starr<strong>in</strong>gLucy Lawless.Krist<strong>in</strong>a Jordan, 17, hasn’tever held a full-time job either,but she knows what it takes tosuccessfully manage events forteenagers. And both of themare absolutely clear about theattitudes and behaviour expectedof them <strong>in</strong> the workplace, thanksto the Gateway programme run byWaitakere College, Auckland.Gateway is a nationalprogramme aimed at year 11 to 13students which prepares them forThomas Devereaux,18, has never hada full-time job – buthe’s already helpedout as a junior filmeditor on Spartacus,the new sword-andsandalsseriesstarr<strong>in</strong>g LucyLawless.the work<strong>in</strong>g world by blend<strong>in</strong>gemployment-related learn<strong>in</strong>g atschool with structured on-the-jobexperience.Placements with local companiesgive employers a chance tocheck out potential: Thomas, longkeen on film and television, did hisSpartacus work at post-productionhouse Digipost last year and wasgiven paid work over the holidays.This year, he’ll be do<strong>in</strong>g more workexperience at Digipost as he startsa computer science degree at theUniversity of Auckland.Last year, Krist<strong>in</strong>a worked withHenderson youth centre Zeal, andthe experience taught her that“work isn’t like school ... you haveto pick up your game”. Now <strong>in</strong> herf<strong>in</strong>al year of school, she’s decidedto set her sights on hospitalitymanagement and this year willstart work at an <strong>in</strong>ner-city hotel.Karen Carter, WaitakereCollege’s Gateway coord<strong>in</strong>ator, hasseen students’ skills and self-beliefbloom: “Their confidence hasgrown so much.”Overall, Gateway is available <strong>in</strong>about 83 per cent of the country’sstate and <strong>in</strong>tegrated secondaryschools. Students are mostcommonly explor<strong>in</strong>g careers <strong>in</strong>education, hospitality, the motor<strong>in</strong>dustries, retail, and sport andrecreation. Around one <strong>in</strong> five ofTrades Academies is a newmodel for year 11 to 13 studentswhich comb<strong>in</strong>es secondaryand tertiary study and workexperience. The first academyoff the blocks is at SouthAuckland’s Southern CrossCampus, with n<strong>in</strong>e othersto start <strong>in</strong> 2011.www.t<strong>in</strong>y.cc/q9wzcThe Youth Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gProgramme covers a widerange of regional and localschemes to prepare under-18school-leavers for work.Wage subsidies are availableif employers take on youngpeople for work experience.Community Max provides asix-month wage subsidy foryoung people to help completecommunity-based projects,and Job Ops gives employersa $5,000 subsidy to provide asix-month work experience oremployment opportunity to ayoung person aged between16 and 24 with low or no skills.www.t<strong>in</strong>y.cc/42du6pictured :Karen Carter, Waitakere College’s Gatewaycoord<strong>in</strong>ator, with students Krist<strong>in</strong>a Jordanand Thomas Devereaux.