Careers & Pathways

Wellington High School is committed to providing skills, knowledge, and qualifications to support our students’ success in the future in further education or employment.

Our students follow many different pathways during and beyond school. We work closely with education providers so that you can make the right choices for you.

Wellington High School has a dedicated Careers team that provides guidance and assistance throughout this process. The Careers team is available to meet with students to help with subject choice selection, enrolling for tertiary study, applying for scholarships, STAR & Trades Academy choices, CV preparation, applying for jobs, and more.

To make an appointment to see one of our team please click on the appointment link below.


Chuni Bhikha
Careers Advisor Yr13
Head of Careers Dept & Pathways Teacher
bac@whs.school.nz
Bec McKenzie
Careers & Pathways Teacher/Career Advisor
mrc@whs.school.nz
Denise Pannett
Careers Administrator
ptd@whs.school.nz

Upcoming Notices & Events

These events are open to all students. If you require further information, please contact Chuni Bhikha (Careers Advisor) at bac@whs.school.nz.

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General Websites

Use these websites to find information about Careers in New Zealand. The NZ careers site will give you comprehensive information about career planning and job outlook in New Zealand. The Employment Relations Service gives you information about laws relating to New Zealand workplaces.

What is an Apprenticeship?

Becoming an apprentice means learning a new trade while you work. You’ll get a globally-recognised qualification and hands-on job experience, plus you’ll get paid so you won’t go into debt. The more qualifications you get, the more you can earn.

You may be interested in upskilling where you work now, or starting out in a new job. Anyone can do an apprenticeship if they’re aged 16 or older, legally reside in New Zealand, and hold a current driver license. You must have citizenship, permanent residency or a valid visa to work in New Zealand. The average length of an apprenticeship is three to four years.

Apprenticeships can help open doors to owning your own business, or working overseas.
https://www.careers.govt.nz/courses/find-out-about-study-and-training-options/apprenticeships

Industry Training Organisation Websites

These are the websites you look at if you are thinking of getting an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is a contract between you, an employer and an industry training organisation and will get you an industry qualification at level 3 or 4 on the NZQA website.

  • ATNZ – Engineering Apprenticeships in New Zealand
  • Building and Construction ITO – Building, construction, flooring, masonry, glass and glazing, joinery, interior systems, and painting and decorating.
  • Career Force – Health and disability support, Social and community support, cleaning, caretaking, and pest management.
  • Competenz – Engineering, manufacturing, forestry, communications and media, maritime and rail transport, and other trades (locksmithing, fire protection, refrigeration, heating and air conditioning).
  • ETCO – New Zealand’s provider of electrical and training apprenticeships
  • Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand – The Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand (FSTT) is the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the funeral industry in New Zealand.
  • Hairdressing ITO – Hairdressing, barbering, and beauty.
  • Infrastructure ITO – Civil construction, electricity supply and transmission, water, and telecommunications.
  • Primary ITO – Agriculture, horticulture, sports turf, equine, dairy manufacturing, meat processing, and seafood.
  • Motor ITO – Automotive, commercial road transport and logistics, stevedoring and ports, freight forwarding and distribution, industrial textile fabrication, extractives and drilling, gas and petrochemical, protective coating, and resource recovery.
  • MasterLink – New Zealand’s largest Kiwi-owned group training organization specializing in mentored plumbing, gasfitting & drainlaying (PGD) apprenticeships.
  • NZ MAC ITO – Boat building design and manufacturing, composite manufacturing, and marine support services.
  • Service IQ – Tourism, travel, retail, hospitality, museums, aviation, and wholesale goods operations.
  • Skills Active Aotearoa – Sports, fitness, and recreation.
  • The Skills Organisation – Plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying, roofing, electrotechnology, real estate, financial services, local government, public sector (with some exclusions), security, contact centre, offender management, cranes and scaffolding, ambulance, emergency management, and fire services.

About University Entrance

University Entrance (UE) is the minimum requirement to go from school to a New Zealand university. Being awarded University Entrance also opens doors to tertiary study in other countries.

Once you have met the requirements for University Entrance, it will appear on your Record of Achievement. To be awarded UE, you need:

  • NCEA Level 3
  • 14 credits at Level 3 in each of the three approved subjects
  • 10 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading, 5 credits in writing
  • 10 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above, comprising co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy unit standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau unit standard 32412, or certain achievement standards.
  • NZQA University Entrance Requirements University Guaranteed Entry Scores

University Websites

These are the websites for all the Universities NZ websites If you want to attend one of these universities in the future look at the prospective students section of the appropriate university. Thinking about university? And what to study and where? Click here

Polytechnic and Institute of Technology Websites

These are the websites for all the New Zealand Polytechnics and Institutes of Technology. If you want to attend one of these universities in the future look at the prospective students section of the appropriate university.

Other Education Options

Student Loans, Allowances & Benefits

Student Allowance:
This is a weekly payment for full-time students to help with day-to-day living expenses. You have to meet certain criteria to qualify, but you won’t have to pay it back.

Student Loan:
The Student Loan is there to help with study costs. You may get a loan to help with your compulsory fees, course-related expenses, and living costs. You do have to pay this back. Loans can help finance a student’s tertiary study. Depending on some criteria, a student may be eligible for a student loan, allowance, and/or accommodation benefit. For more information and eligibility tests, click on the links below.

We recommend students also regularly check their emails and the Year 13 to ensure they know when universities, polytechnics, and organizations are visiting WHS and for the latest career and tertiary study updates.

Scholarships & Grants (NZ & Overseas)

A range of scholarships, grants, and internships are offered yearly from universities, polytechnics, tertiary providers, organizations, and businesses throughout New Zealand and overseas. The NZ Scholarship Directories listed below are a good starting point for researching options in New Zealand.

Student Exchange

There are a variety of organizations that provide student exchanges to a multitude of destinations worldwide. These are generally for a full year or a semester with varying departure dates. This is a brilliant opportunity to learn a new culture and perhaps a new language.

Please visit Chuni Bhikha (Careers Advisor) for any questions on tertiary study, student loans and allowances, student exchanges, and scholarships. Parents and students are welcome to email Chuni at bac@whs.school.nz

Gap Year

A gap year is simply a year, or even less, taken out from formal education.

This year may occur during the transition from secondary school to tertiary education, or even after completing all formal education but before entering the workforce. Regardless of when it occurs, many options for gap years include travel, work, or volunteering.

For an excellent overview of taking a gap year, what type of things you can do, including the advantages and disadvantages of taking time away from study visit careermatters.co.nz

Trades Academy

The purpose of Wellington Trades Academy courses is to provide students with the opportunity to get a head start, continue with education, and learn new skills in various vocational pathways not offered within secondary schools. You will select one area of interest and attend classes either one or two days per week, whilst still attending your usual secondary school for the other three or four days.

The pathway you choose will allow you to gain credits towards NCEA and other national qualifications within vocational pathways. These skills will assist in preparing you for either further study in your chosen area, or entry into employment or apprenticeships. It is an exciting opportunity for you to start developing the skills and attributes that are valued by employers alongside gaining your qualifications. We support you, along with your teachers at school, in planning your next stage to identify what that may look like.

WelTec / Whitireia Training Opportunities Guide 2025 – This guide lists many providers including links and relevant course-related information.

STAR – Free & Partially Funded Courses

What are STAR courses?

STAR courses are for Year 11-13 students who want to explore tertiary study while still at school. Many tertiary education providers offer open days, short courses, and other ways to explore tertiary education.

What can students achieve by completing a STAR course?

STAR courses offer students an introductory day or two in their chosen career field. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to sample a course and make sure that this particular study path is right before commitment. STAR supports students to explore career pathways and helps them make informed decisions about their future work or study.

What a fantastic way to witness students begin their journeys of exploration and the ‘world of careers’.

Pathways

This Pathways class focuses on developing a foundation of skills, experience, and knowledge to create the opportunity for confident and meaningful transitions for students. All students will:

  • Complete/update CV
  • Develop a Career Plan
  • Have interview practice
  • Job Search Skills
  • Develop an awareness of Employment Agreements and Employment Dispute resolution
  • Gateway/STAR courses (distance learning where relevant)
  • Health and Safety in the Workplace Course
  • Volunteer Work
  • Learner license
  • Misc life skills standards – flatting, budgeting, tertiary study finances, self-management and more

Papa Taiao Earthcare

Papa Taiao’s programs offer a range of possibilities for student-led innovative and entrepreneurial learning. Whether you want to lead and make a change, develop a social or ecological enterprise or participate in the restoration of the climate, our biodiversity, our coasts and waterways, or learn how to regenerate kai moana, harvest or catch a feed we have a program to help you achieve your goals.

Check out some of the courses Papa Taiao offers

NZMA – New Zealand Management Academies

NZMA offers far more than education: We give hope. Inspiration. And motivation.
Whether you know what you want to study, or have no idea, we’ll help you with the tools and support you need to start your journey.

Check out our many courses: https://www.nzma.ac.nz/courses

We have smaller classes, which gives you more one-on-one time with your tutor – and more chances to get to know your classmates. Our tutors will adapt to suit your learning style.

If you’re not close to campus or need more flexible study options, we offer a wide range of online and part-time courses online study options.

Job Hunting & Careers

Careers NZ helps students by providing tools and information to help them make decisions about their careers and education. Careers NZ also provides a database of information about occupations, tertiary education, and training. Visit the Careers NZ website. Careers NZ has also created a free job hunters workbook

Popular job search websites in NZ are Seek, Trade Me, MoneyHub’s Student Jobs Directory, and Student Job Search (available to current or intending tertiary students only).

CV Writing & Resources

Any questions about career options, CV writing, apprenticeships, or job hunting? Please visit Chuni Bhikha (Careers Advisor) Parents and students are welcome to email Chuni at bac@whs.school.nz

Careers Central And Tahatu

Career Central is a site we use at school to help you create a personal career profile. It is a leading platform for student pathway management. It is an informative site for all career information, providing interactive modules for students, teachers, and caregivers. https://www.careercentral.school.nz

Tahatu

Tahatu Career Navigator connects NCEA school subjects, qualifications, and careers and shows the most common ways others have taken to get to that career or job. It brings this information together for the first time in one place, profiling 100 school subjects, 4,000 qualifications, and 800 ideas.

Tahatu Career Navigator will become a trusted source of career information across Aotearoa New Zealand and a key resource for those providing career support and advice. Tahatu Career Navigator is an important initiative under the National Careers System Strategy and a key objective in the Tertiary Education Strategy for the future of learning and work.

‘Discover Tahatu Career Navigator’ that showcases everything Tahatu has to offer https://tahatu.govt.nz/

Whānau As Career Educators

Parents and whānau are often the first and preferred choice for information, advice, and guidance for young people when making career decisions. Parents and whānau, working alongside school Career Advisors, have a positive impact on student learning and transition outcomes.

Often parents and whanau hear the word ‘career’ and think back to when they were younger it was the norm to choose a career path for life. Those days are gone.

Many parents and whānau report they feel overwhelmed about how to help their teenagers in making informed career decisions. They often believe they might give them incorrect advice, resulting in the teenager making the wrong decision. In today’s fast-changing world, there is no such thing as a wrong choice because a career decision is not a single event. Career paths are no longer linear with a fixed destination, rather career paths are now a journey, with multiple roads and numerous destinations, guided by available support, and ever-growing opportunities. There will be bumps in the road along the way however, the key is to support your teen in overcoming these bumps. We have a forgiving education system that enables students to recover from false starts so be sure that teens understand the power of resilience and the ability to bounce back is a skill that will serve them well in the 21st-century working world.

Advice for parents, families, and whanau, links below to help the next stage in a student’s study or training journey. https://www.connected.govt.nz/support-for-you/careers-advice/advice-for-parents-families-and-whanau/