Tararua College Year 12 student Gemma Highet is learning to turn corners on the CoDriVR Simulator watched by Mayor Tracey Collis and school principal Iain Anderson.
Tararua College Year 12 student Gemma Highet is learning to turn corners on the CoDriVR Simulator watched by Mayor Tracey Collis and school principal Iain Anderson.
Rural areas are disadvantaged when it comes to learning to drive a car.
This is because of the distance from driving instructors and the lack of opportunity to drive in urban areas, the so-called “40 minutes from traffic lights” syndrome.
Distance is not the only problem. For parents, providing a vehicle and paying the cost of fuel these days makes it a challenge to finance lessons.
For teenagers and other job seekers getting a driver’s licence is also becoming a prerequisite for securing a job.
With this in mind, the Tararua District Council and Mayors Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) Tararua has partnered with two sponsors to bring two CoDriVR Simulators to our district to enhance the skills of learner drivers to become more competent and confident drivers on our roads.
One driving simulator has been sponsored 50 per cent by the Waireka Community Trust and will be available at venues in South Tararua while the other will be available at venues in North Tararua. It has been sponsored 50 per cent by Tararua REAP, with MTFJ providing the balance for both.
Fontayne Chase, taskforce coordinator, says these simulators will be available to venue hosts and users in the district free of charge. Users are allocated a unique login so they can track their progress through each module with multiple levels.
At Tararua College the simulator had been in use for a few days and was launched as a vital tool in its driver education programme on September 1 with Mayor Tracey Collis and principal Iain Anderson present.
Careers adviser Rachel Ireland said the school already has learner licence courses provided by Wairarapa REAP and qualified driving instructors provided by Talent Central of Palmerston North with one coming to the school two days per week. The simulator is a welcome additional tool for students to develop their driving skills and knowledge in a safe, risk-free environment, helping to boost their confidence at the same time.
Jarna Mihaere, rangatahi mentor, is trying out the new CoDriVR simulator under the guidance of Fontayne Chase, Mayors Taskforce For Jobs co-ordinator, on the simulator currently located at Ngati Kahungunu HQ in Dannevirke.
Jamie Hape, rangatahi support team leader, and her team from Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua are hosting the other simulator which also launched on September 1 attracting attention from the many visitors to the local office. The iwi is delighted to have the driving simulator available in their rangatahi space and invite the public to contact Jamie Hape on (06) 374 9224 or email: Jamie.hape@kahungunutnar.co.nz to access the simulator.
Tracey is excited by the arrival of these simulators. She says there are nine districts in Aotearoa which have the CoDriVR Simulators at a cost of $16,000 each. This cost is high but MTFJ sees them as a vital tool to support young drivers to be competent and confident drivers on our rural roads.
The simulators are available to schools, community groups and organisations and businesses in our district who would like to host a simulator at their venue or event. For further details on hosting one of the simulators, contact Fontayne Chase at Tararua District Council or the Tararua REAP office.
The Mayors Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of New Zealand’s mayors, administered by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), working together towards the vision of all young people under 25 being engaged in employment, education, training, and other positive activities in their communities.
MTFJ has developed the Industry Partnerships – MTFJ Community Employment Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). As part of the Programme, MTFJ have provided Tararua District Council with funding to enable them to:
- Deliver employment outcomes for individuals who are NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), those clearly identified as at risk of becoming a NEET, disabled youth, and other youth aged 16–24
- Deliver employment outcomes for those disadvantaged in the labour market who are not able to readily access MSD products and services.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.
