STAR Courses

Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) courses are short classes that give students a taste of different study and career options.

Students can complete STAR courses during school terms and holidays, and some courses offer Level 1 and Level 2 NCEA credits. Please get in touch with your school’s Career Advisor for more information.

Semester 1 | March - July

STAR Course	Delivery dates	Level	Credits	Description
Barista Coffee	30 May - 01 June	2	4	Learn basic barista skills, preparing espresso beverages that may help to secure that part-time job in a café while you're studying at school. Unit Standard 17285 (Demonstrate knowledge of commercial espresso coffee equipment and prepare espresso beverages under supervision).
Patisserie Cooking and Baking	06 - 08 June	2	2	Learn baking methods and whip up a range of bread, cakes and pastries in the commercial training kitchen for the Rata Room café. Unit Standard 13272 (Cook food items by baking).
VHF Radio Operator	12 - 13 June	3	2	Get Maritime safe before summer and learn a maritime VHF radio's features and functions. Training will include the correct distress and urgency procedures for 'Mayday' and 'Pan Pan' calls, pro-words and phonetic alphabet. Trip reports, weather services, call signs, EPIRBS, and other search and rescue equipment. Unit Standard 19491 (Demonstrate knowledge of using VHF marine radio and an EPIRB).
Joinery, Intermediate	13 - 14 June	1	n/a	Get tooled up in the joinery workshop and experience creating a project of your own using hand and power tools.
Hairdressing Salon Skills	11 - 13 July	2	2	Spend three days in the on-campus salon, Head Zone, be introduced to the tools and trade products and learn how to shampoo hair and create simple styles for long hair. You will also learn about the industry sustainability concepts by examining sources of waste, product disposal, recycling, and strategies to reduce a salon’s carbon footprint. Unit Standard 25439 (Demonstrate knowledge of sustainability concepts for a salon).
Beauty Fashion Trends (Marlborough)	05 - 07 July	2	3	Explore fashion trends and influences and learn the technical skills used in beauty therapy clinics by observing practical demonstrations. You will then learn how to care for your skin and provide beauty services for make-up design and facial and nail services. Unit Standard 28027 (Demonstrate knowledge of undertaking an observation of technical skills in a salon).

Semester 2/3 | July - November

STAR Course	Delivery dates	Level	Credits	Description
Beauty Fashion Trends	19 - 21 July	2	3	Explore fashion trends and influences and learn the technical skills used in beauty therapy clinics by observing practical demonstrations. You will then learn how to care for your skin and provide beauty services for make-up design and facial and nail services. Unit Standard 28027 (Demonstrate knowledge of undertaking an observation of technical skills in a salon).
Automotive, Intermediate	02 - 03 August	1	n/a	Learn safe work practices and the basic knowledge and skills to strip and reassemble a four-stroke engine.
Joinery, Intermediate	12 - 14 September	1	n/a	Get tooled up in the joinery workshop and experience creating a project of your own using hand and power tools.
Barista Coffee	12 - 14 September	2	4	Learn basic barista skills, preparing espresso beverages that may help to secure that part-time job in a café while you're studying at school. Unit Standard 17285 (Demonstrate knowledge of commercial espresso coffee equipment and prepare espresso beverages under supervision).
Cookery, Gourmet to go	03 - 04 October	3	2	Gain cookery and gourmet sandwich preparation skills in the on-campus commercial kitchen. You will focus on flavour and texture combinations and advanced food preparation and presentation techniques. Unit Standard 13282 (Prepare, assemble, and present complex sandwiches for service in a commercial kitchen).
Barista Coffee	03 - 05 October	2	4	Learn basic barista skills, preparing espresso beverages that may help to secure that part-time job in a café while you're studying at school. Unit Standard 17285 (Demonstrate knowledge of commercial espresso coffee equipment and prepare espresso beverages under supervision).
Café Table Service	17 - 19 October	2	3	Learn real-world hospitality skills by participating in the on-campus cafe services at the Rata Room and focus on customer dining service and equipment. Unit Standard 14434 (Prepare and clear areas for table service for a commercial hospitality establishment).
Engineering Welding - Intermediate	24 - 25 October	1	n/a	To provide students with an intermediate understanding of basic Mig welding.
Bar Service, Mocktails	11 - 12 October	1	2	Learn real-world hospitality and bar-service skills in the Rata Room bar. Over two days, you will learn to prepare and serve various non-alcoholic drinks, mocktail recipes, and ingredients. Unit Standard 21057 (Prepare, construct, and garnish mocktails for the hospitality industry).