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The training here is so hands-on and I’m loving the community involvement. Some of the papers are designed around...
“I just finished my first year studying Sport and Recreation at Waikato uni when my circumstances changed. I wanted to move back up here so I took a semester off then had to start again.”
“The training here is so hands-on and I’m loving the community involvement. Some of the papers are designed around Sports Northland events and we get to volunteer at things like turbo-touch in schools.”
“We’ve also developed our own community amongst the students. Being part of a small, caring class is such a contrast to being in a uni lecture with 200 people with no interaction. Here we all support each other, we Facebook chat, and are involved in each other’s lives.”
“What we learn impacts our own personal development and our lives in ways I wasn’t expecting but really like. The tutors are also there for us in a really dedicated way giving extra time and support or just checking that we’re OK.”
“I’m upskilling here in a way that will open so many more career opportunities for me. When I started my study I wanted to be a personal trainer but now I’m leaning more towards health and wellbeing out in the community or in the forces. There are so many options there and I’m still exploring the possibilities.”
“It’s so valuable doing work placement while I’m studying because I get that extra experience. So I am able to go out in the community and apply what I am learning, and to be able to meet people while I’m studying. I get that first-hand experience and gain more knowledge myself. I really think it’s going to help me get a job after my studies.”
“I love the range of activity in this job and everything I did in my course is relevant.”
Brooke is one of six in the Biodiversity team working for the Northland Regional Council and her job is Biodiversity Advisor in Lakes. “We have programmes in place to remove excess nutrients and plants from Northland’s outstanding lakes including our dune lakes, and my job is to monitor water quality, raise awareness of the issues and the value of the lakes and their environments, and to help upskill Kaimahi amongst our youth and local iwi.”
Brooke finished her degree in the middle of this year. “I did my course practicum with the Puketi Forest Trust, then last summer got 15 weeks doing monitoring work with the State of the Environment Team at the Northland Regional Council. That ended in March, then this job was advertised in April so I applied and got it. I was able to start working just two days a week until I finished my degree in June.”
“At the moment I’m working in the office planning our summer field work which will be doing lake surveys and ecological monitoring. I’m finding that the tutors gave us all the experience I need for this. I use the biology, ecology and conservation from my courses daily, as well as things like the research skills, report writing and presentation skills. I use 100 per cent of what I learned at NorthTec.”
“I have gained so much confidence since starting work here. I work with some very experienced people, and I realise now that I do have the knowledge to keep up, understand and participate in the team. I know what they’re talking about and I can offer my input with confidence, and I’m really enjoying making a difference in the environment.”
“I know that conservation is my passion and I’ve just started my career, so I’m really interested to see where this job takes me.”
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