Tamatea High School students find new paths on ‘Got Drive’ careers roadie

Tamatea High School students were excited when told they get to take a short flight in a small plane as part of their ‘Got Drive’ careers roadie.

There is something about the throaty roar of a Ferrari that makes people want to stop and look. So when a group of Tamatea High School students thought they were giving up a day in their holidays to go on “some careers thing” with their teacher they had a big surprise when they heard the sound of Ferraris and discovered they were actually on the ‘Got Drive’ Careers Roadie.

The Got Drive Community Trust delivers needs-based driver licensing programmes for communities on the east coast and educates high school kids about what career paths are out there with specialist licence requirements.

Tamatea High School students with big smiles on their faces while up in the air, on their own private flight.

This year nine lucky Tamatea High School students got to take part in the ‘Got Drive’ Careers Roadie accompanied by head of careers Cindy Morgan and senior constables Mark Johnson and Jason Bryant, Got Drive’s Shaun Petterssen and Roadsafe Hawke’s Bay’s staff members.

All students involved took turns to ride in the Ferraris and explore some of the careers in the community that have specialist licence requirements.

They explored licences essential for transport such as the P licence for driving passengers, so essential for our tourist industries, the Class 2 and 4 licences used in industry and by the Fire Service, the Wheels, Tracks and Rollers licences needed for infrastructure, and the pilot’s licence.

Tamatea High School student Izzy was taken aback by the power of the hose.

‘Got Drive’ came about after Thailand-based New Zealand businessman David Mulligan came back to visit Hawke’s Bay and and wanted to donate $10,000 to the ‘Got Drive’ Trust to help it in its work to help all eligible in the community gain a driving licence.

Last year Mulligan visited Hawke’s Bay again and heard through Senior Constable Mark Johnson about a teenager who had overcome difficulties and gained his restricted licence through the support and assistance of the ‘Got Drive’ Trust.

As a reward for persisting and passing his licence, Mulligan offered to take the teenager for a drive in his Ferrari, which he brought in to show the pupils of Tamatea High School. This is a reward the ‘Got Drive’ Trust has continued.

The Tamatea High School head of careers said the ‘Got Drive’ Trust and careers roadie are important for students to see what opportunities are out there and all the hosts, students, and accompanying adults had a wonderful day.