The Gateway Programme

2007 - The Debut

The first year of the Gateway Programme at Mount Aspiring College was extremely successful with 9 students starting and 9 students graduating at the end of the year.

They worked hard completing their work based learning programme and keeping up with their college programme at the same time. Student credit achievement on the programme was much higher than the national average.

The students successfully made the transition into full-time and part-time employment, on job training and pre-apprenticeship polytechnic courses. One student has returned to college and has begun a second year on the programme. Two students are also waiting decisions on their applications into the forces.

As well as the excellent results and successful transitions, the students made massive steps forward both personally and socially. Extremely pleasing was the levels of confidence that they developed and the positive feedback from employers.

A huge thank you to our 2007 employers that you can see in the table below, who gave time and training, nudging and nurturing to help the students succeed.

In 2008 the number of Gateway places has increased to 20 with students identifying a more diverse range of industries and work areas.

The year started well with the students attending a team building and personal development day, highlighting and developing skills that they would need in the workplace.

If you would like to know more about this exciting programme or would like to place a student in the future then contact the MAC Gateway Coordinator.

Background

Gateway supports students undertaking learning and assessment in the workplace. Schools are funded to co-ordinate this activity to ensure the educational and subsequent employment needs of students are met.

Structured workplace learning is a formalised learning arrangement set in an actual workplace for a sustained period of time, with clear understandings about the knowledge and skills to be attained, and the assessment of unit or achievement standards.

Students complete a work placement and have their learning in the workplace assessed against unit and/or achievement standards on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and integrated with their current programme of study.

Gateway integrates general education with workplace learning and assessment. Gateway builds on existing partnerships to develop new relationships among schools, Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) and employers. This approach dovetails with Modern Apprenticeships and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) to provide further pathways and recognise a broader range of achievement.

Gateway provides senior school students with valuable learning and ‘pathwaying’ opportunities. For example, students can gain specific vocational skills leading to future employment and can benefit from making significant progress towards qualifications. All students can enhance their career management skills in a world where the roles of learner and worker continue to change.

Key Features

• A workplace learning component is incorporated into the student’s overall study programme.
• Year 11 – 13 students are eligible to participate in Gateway.
• There is no additional cost for students who participate in Gateway.
• Schools can either directly manage the delivery of Gateway, or engage a broker to arrange and oversee all or part of the programme.
• A work placement relevant to the student’s learning and vocational goals is arranged.
• An individualised learning plan is prepared with each student which identifies the learning and assessment to be undertaken.
• Placement with an employer who can deliver the learning plan is arranged.
• A work placement is for a sustained period to ensure planned learning goals are met.
• The school, employer and student formalise their understanding of what will occur in a Gateway Placement Agreement before the student begins the work placement.
• Workplace learning is usually assessed against NQF unit standards or achievement standards, and this assessment usually occurs in the workplace.

2008 Gateway Crew On the Ropes!

This year's Gateway crew had a team building day out to Cromwell to kick off their year. They were set a number of tasks that drew all of the participants closer together through problem solving by working as a unit.

They were also shown what they can acheive when they set their minds to it by conquering the high ropes obstacle course that is in Cromwell as part of the Polytech campus.

Click here to see them in action

2008 Gateway Slideshow

Click here to see some of the Gateway gang out and about, enjoying their Gateway programme this year.