UCOL | Te Pūkenga celebrates exceptional Whanganui high school ākonga

Coral Poynter with Hayden Robinson (UCOL's director of Secondary Tertiary).

The U-Skills Academy Awards recognise the dedication and skill development of high school ākonga (learners) across UCOL | Te Pūkenga campuses.

Recently, awards ceremonies have taken place in Whanganui, Manawatū, Horowhenua, and Wairarapa eagerly ready to honour exceptional students.

Hayden Robinson, UCOL’s director of Secondary Tertiary, says that the awards, which take place each year, are a great opportunity to recognise the success of ākonga.

“The whole idea behind it is to celebrate the achievements of our ākonga doing something awesome outside of school. It’s a big commitment to juggle schoolwork with their U-Skills Academy placements, but our ākonga have shown real dedication to their courses and studies.”

The U-Skills Academy Awards bring together ākonga, their whānau, school principals and deputy principals, career advisors, and Ministry of Education representatives to acknowledge the achievements of these talented young rangatahi.

All students who participate in U-Skills are acknowledged with a certificate of attendance, plus there are three additional awards for the most dedicated, most improved, and most outstanding ākonga for each campus.

“We’ve seen lots of ākonga get nominated for their mahi this year, which is exciting! If they win, they get a UCOL goodie bag and a cash voucher to celebrate their achievement.”

The Whanganui winners of the awards are:

● Improvement Award - Zavian May-Green

● Dedication Award – Madison McGrath

● Outstanding Student Award - Coral Poynter

Whanganui High School ākonga Coral Poynter says it felt extremely humbling to be recognised as the ‘Most Outstanding Student’ and she looks forward to continuing her studies at UCOL.

“The learning is a step above what I have been learning at high school. My lecturer is great at communicating and is always there to help with questions when I need it.

“I’m coming back to UCOL next year to do the U-Skills Business Course Level 3. I’m excited to have found a path that I want to continue when I finish high school!”

The U-Skills programme is fully funded through the National Trades Academy. The programme offers year 11-13 ākonga from 55 schools across the Lower North Island the opportunity to study tertiary education while still at school, says Robinson.

“They get to develop practical skills and get a taste of potential careers, from mechanics and conservation to hairdressing, vet nursing and early childhood education.

“We aim to provide ākonga with real-life industry experience, which hopefully helps them find a career they’re passionate about.”

U-Skills applications are now open for 2024.

“If you’re interested in enrolling in U-Skills, contact your careers advisor at school or explore the options on our website. The U-Skills programme is a great opportunity for you to get valuable career experience, as well as credits to put towards your NCEA school qualification.”

To explore UCOL’s U-Skills course offerings, visit https://www.ucol.ac.nz/Documents/U-Skills%20Programme%20Guide.pdf