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CAREER PATHWAYS

Our dedicated career guidance team supports our students in making decisions about their future study and employment pathways including coordinating work experience placements for students.

Book a meeting with a careers counsellor

Students can book a meeting with a careers counsellor here.

Contact our Career Guidance team

Parents, caregivers and students can contact our Career Guidance team at: careers@mtaspiring.school.nz or 03 443 0499 (ext 250). The team’s office is located inside the library, just past the librarian’s desk. 

Visit the MAC CareerWise website

Visit our CareerWise website to find information about future study including visits, events and application timelines as well as employment pathways and opportunities. 

Career pathways at MAC

At MAC, students are encouraged to explore new interests and uncover new passions through the wide range of pathways we offer. In this video, our senior students reflect on their future aspirations and the paths they’ve chosen to prepare for their next steps. 

Work experience

Work experience can include spending a half-day or full day with an employer in an industry of interest to a student. It can offer many benefits, including:

  • improving a student’s chances of finding a job as employers prefer to hire people who have experience in the workplace.
  • increasing a student’s chances of securing ongoing employment.
  • helping a student decide whether or not a job or industry is right for them.
  • providing useful information about other types of jobs a student may not have considered.
  • enabling students to study for NCEA and tertiary credits if they do work experience programmes such as Gateway.
Who to talk to about doing work experience 

Students who are interested in doing work experience should contact our work experience coordinator at: careers@mtaspiring.school.nz

Employers wanting to offer work experience

If you are a local employer and would like to host a MAC student for work experience, please contact our Career Guidance team at careers@mtaspiring.school.nz or 034430499 (ext 250).

Job opportunities

There is a range of places where we recommend students look to find out about local job opportunities, including:

* MAC school newsletter
* The Messenger
* The Wānaka App
* The Wānaka Sun
* pineapplejobs.app 
* ‘New World’ jobs noticeboard
* CareerWise newsletter
* community forums on Facebook.

Employers wanting to offer students a job

If you are a local employer and have a job you would like to advertise to our students, please contact our Careers Office at careers@mtaspiring.school.nz or  034430499 (Ext 250). 

Information sessions and events

There are many valuable information sessions and events available for our students and their parents and caregivers to attend to learn more about career and learning pathways, including: 

  • University and polytechnic information sessions and course planning (held at MAC)
  • MAC’s annual showcases of its subject offerings and career and learning pathways, known as the Option Evening.
  • Visits from industry representatives, including the Defence Force industry events and showcases, including Girls with Hi-Vis®.


Find out about the latest career information sessions and events at the CareerWise site.

Scholarships

There is a range of scholarships available to our students to assist them with future study at tertiary institutions. MAC offers several scholarships which are awarded at award ceremonies at the end of the year. In addition, our senior students can apply for a number of scholarships provided by external organisations. The most prominent of these come from universities across New Zealand, the Otago Polytechnic, the Central Lakes Trust, Rotary, and the Masonic Lodge. You can learn more about the range of scholarships on offer here. Students who are interested in applying for a scholarship should contact our Career Guidance team. 

Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) funding

Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) funding supports students to explore career pathways to help them make informed decisions about their schooling and future work, study or training. This funding can pay for students to undertake courses that give them a taste of what it’s like to study at a tertiary level. This knowledge can help students plan their career pathways. Some examples of STAR-funded courses include tourism and travel, cafe barista, ski instructing, first aid, beauty therapy, and radio broadcasting. To apply for STAR funding, please complete this form. Students are also welcome to book a meeting with our careers counsellor to talk about applying for STAR funding. 

Resources

The Career Central Bulls-Eye quiz can help you match your talents and interests with future pathways. Students should go to the Career Central website, select ‘Mt Aspiring College’ in the drop-down menu, and sign in with Google using their school email address.

A CV enables you to show a prospective employer what skills, knowledge and experience you have and demonstrate how you are the right person for a job. The Tahatū Career Navigator: how to write a CV can help you when creating your CV and writing a cover letter for your job applications. 

Search for a course or training provider
Polytechnics
Private training providers

Visit StudySpy to find a list of providers.

Many students take a gap year at the end of Year 13. It can be a great opportunity to earn some money for tertiary study, gain work experience or see the world. Here are some options available during a gap year:

Going on a student exchange is an adventure offering cultural immersion, the opportunity to learn a new language, and the chance to develop new skills and independence.