An egg-citing showcase of emerging hairdressing talent
NMIT's Level 3 Hairdressing students showcased creative Easter-inspired looks in a fun competition.
From school to real-world skills
Rai Valley ākonga (student) Lorna O’Donnell has explored several STAR courses at NMIT over two years, gaining practical skills and career confidence.
Trying something different
Still at school, Lorna has already gained experience across Beauty, Hairdressing, Cookery, Patisserie, Barista, Mocktails and Business Innovation through NMIT’s STAR (Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource) programme(external link).
STAR courses give secondary and home-school students the opportunity to explore different subjects, develop practical skills and experience real-world learning in NMIT’s purpose-built facilities. Some courses can also contribute NCEA credits.
For Lorna, the experience has been about much more than credits.
“The skills NMIT teaches are skills you can use every day – especially things like coffee, cooking and food safety. They’re practical skills you need to learn before you leave home, and NMIT makes it easy to master them, and all in bite-sized chunks.”
Her favourite courses have been Mocktails, Barista and Business Innovation.
Already working at The Brick Oven café in Rai Valley, Lorna chose Barista to build on her coffee-making skills, while Mocktails introduced her to another side of hospitality.
Business Innovation also appealed to her entrepreneurial side.
“One day I want to have my own business,” she says.
Study like an adult
For Lorna, one of the biggest differences between school and NMIT is the learning environment.
“It’s much different from school. You have more freedom and independence, you’re treated like an adult, and the tutors are really nice and supportive.”
She particularly enjoys NMIT’s hands-on approach and the way tutors use different teaching styles to support individual learners.
“Everyone learns differently, and the tutors adapt to what you need. I really enjoy hands-on learning. It’s much more enjoyable coming to this kind of class.”
NMIT Cookery STAR tutor Jasper says the practical focus is an important part of helping school students experience what learning and working in a professional environment can be like.
“It’s a great way for students to learn by doing.” he says.
Building a future
Lorna says her STAR experiences have helped bridge the gap between school and the world of work, while giving her a clearer view of possible pathways.
She has developed skills she can use at her café job, from coffee-making and cooking, to customer service, and food safety, plus helping with stock and day-to-day operations.
NMIT Tertiary Pathways Liaison Ferne Cribb-Williams says this opportunity to experience learning first-hand can be really valuable when students are considering what comes next.
“Rather than reading about a study area online, students can ask questions, get hands-on and learn directly from our industry-experienced tutors. That experience can be really valuable when considering your next steps.”
Lorna is still deciding whether her future will be in dairy farming, business, hospitality or something entirely different! - but STAR has helped her gain confidence in foundational life skills, and understand what she’s good at, what she most enjoys, and most of all – to appreciate just how many options are at her fingertips right here in Te Tauihu.
Her advice to other secondary students is simple: give it a try! - especially if you are not sure what you want to do after school.
