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
Bar Service, Mocktails	22 - 23 March	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.
Introduction to Engineering Welding	03 April	1	n/a	You will be introduced to aspects of mig welding in our fully-equipped, industry-standard welding and fabrication workshops.
Barista Coffee	18 - 20 April	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.
Café Table Service	02 - 04 May	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.
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.
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
VHF Radio Operator	12 - 13 June + 14 - 15 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.
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 two 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.
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Engineering Welding - Intermediate	24 - 25 October	1	n/a	To provide students with an intermediate understanding of basic Mig welding.
Joinery, Intermediate	26 - 27 October	1	n/a	Get tooled up in the joinery workshop and experience creating a project of your own using hand and power tools.
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.