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Student success shines at Dual Enrolment Showcase

26 October, 2018

The annual Youth Dual Enrolment Showcase held last night, celebrates the performance, commitment and attitudes of the young people who completed youth pathway courses at Ara Institute of Canterbury in 2018, many while still attending high school.

The event gave students a platform to speak about their experiences across a range of subjects including computing, business administration, retail, hospitality and cookery, beauty therapy, hairdressing, and trades. Each class tutor gave awards to two students, one top performing student and one to recognise a highly committed student.

Student success shines at Dual Enrolment Showcase .jpeg

Tracey Berry, Ara Director Chief Executive of Customer Experience and Engagement, acknowledged the hard work of the students before her. “The best and most exciting journeys are often those fraught with challenges to overcome…. they’re also often shared with others- as we see today this is not only your fellow students but the huge support system that sits around you of parents, caregivers, friends, tutors, advisors, and mentors. They’re all here today for you, and like us here at Ara, are incredibly proud.”

“I encourage you to grab this moment, seek counsel from those around you and make good choices. Whether your path is work, travel or more study at Ara we wish you every success for your next step,” Berry said.

Diana Law, Manager of Student Support Services, praised the students’ commitment, “Endurance is a big part of success, so for sticking with it, well done, we’re really very impressed. This is a big achievement for all of you.”

Students share their experiences
The students who spoke on behalf of their classes all paid homage to the support of their tutors, and spoke of their own pride in their efforts.

Thomas Andrews, of Introduction to Construction Trades Level 2 said, “Ara has given me something to look forward to every Thursday and Friday morning.” He spoke about how it had been a challenging year balancing schoolwork commitments, but extremely enjoyable learning trades at Ara.

“I’d like to thank all the tutors for helping us to get to where we are now and giving us the knowledge which we can apply in the future.”

Jayde Williams, from the New Zealand Certificate in Salon Skills- Introductory Level 2, also shared her experiences.

“I’ve really enjoyed hairdressing this year because I get to meet new people, learn new things and build my confidence,” she said.

Williams will continue studying at Ara next year, choosing a full time, level three hairdressing course.

Dual Enrolment programmes enable high school students to stay in school while gaining practical skills and tertiary qualifications.

More information on these programmes can be found here