To highlight the extent of career opportunities available in Southland our Southland Youth Futures Programme has been busy coordinating workplace visits for students across Southland.
Ever wondered what really happens on a dairy farm, in a modern warehouse or behind the gates at Fonterra, South Port or the Tiwai aluminium smelter? Last month almost 120 young people and 20 adults took the opportunity to find out by attending one of five workplace tours organised by Southland Youth Futures.
The tours have been designed to give young people valuable, real-world experiences and the opportunity to talk to staff and hear first-hand about the many career opportunities available across Southland
The five tours explored focused on dairying, dairy processing, trades, commercial transport, infrastructure, warehousing and logistics, science and technology, plus also showcasing the administration, sales and marketing, HR and workplace health and safety roles required to keep a business running.
The tours that took place were:
Island Getaway
A visit to the man-made Island Harbour port at Bluff where South Port and SSA NZ Ltd gave students the opportunity to board a tug and find out about marine piloting and engineering careers, gain an overview of port operations, and find out what stevedoring involves.
Trucks, Tractors and Transport
Visiting Agricentre South, Commercial Vehicle Centre and Freight Haulage, students were able to check out trades, parts, administration and management opportunities in auto trades, commercial transport and warehousing and logistics.
From the Cow to The World
The opportunity for students to follow the milk trail from the dairy farm to what happens to milk when it is processed at the Fonterra Edendale plant. Such was the popularity of this tour that it was repeated a second day.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelter
A tour of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter site before students were able to select one of two career pathway options in more depth – process/engineering and trades, or science, technology and IT. Students who selected the science, technology and IT option experienced a new virtual reality training tool being developed to teach staff how to safely climb the 137m-tall Tiwai plant chimney.
Build Big or Go Home
With the support of Wilson Contractors, the Invercargill City Council 3 waters department and The Roading Company, this tour involved a visit to an Invercargill stormwater pipe replacement project in Windsor as well as the Beatrice St stormwater pumping station on the banks of the Waihopai River and the new stormwater collection pond being built next door.
This year, around 200 young people and their teachers expected to participate in workplace tours. More than 1650 will hear about career opportunities through employer talks in schools, and about 300 are gaining vital employability skills through the Southland Work Ready Passport.
It’s all part of a strategy to connect our young people with training and career pathways and show them there are excellent employment opportunities on their doorstep!
