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Ara Hospitality Services Students Start Study with The Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award

Two Ara Hospitality Services students have arrived at Ara with a passion for their new profession, and the prestigious ‘Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award’.

Hannah Croal and Adam Norton, who are now both students at Ara, were recipients of the 2020 Prime Ministers Vocational Excellence Award.

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The Award, instituted in 2019 by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, gives both recognition and practical assistance to promising vocational students. The overall goal on a national level is to boost awareness of the possibilities of vocational training and to enhance the status of this kind of study. Each beneficiary, recognised as their school’s top Year 12 or 13 vocational student, also benefits from a useful $2000 financial prize, which can be used by learners to defray some of the costs of their training.

Ara has been consistent in connecting with some of the country’s most promising culinary students. Adam has finished his final year at Oxford School and is now studying Level 4 Cookery. He received his Award during his Senior Prizegiving last year, but Hannah was handed her Award in person by the Hon. Dr. Megan Woods, (Minister of Housing, Energy and Resources and Research, Science and Innovation), during a special ceremony at Ara.

The event, which took place on April 1st 2021, was also attended by Head of Department Mandy Gould and Ryan Marshall, Manager (Cookery & Bakery), featured a special welcome in te reo Māori from Hemi Hoskins, Deputy Director of Māori Achievement at Ara. The crowd, which included representatives from the Hillmorton High School Gateway team, swelled with the arrival of Hannah’s classmates who had come to celebrate the occasion with a spread of delicacies prepared by tutors and students.

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Hannah, appearing in her spotless new chef’s uniform, said that she was pleasantly surprised to receive notice that she’d won the Award on her birthday. Hannah has now started studying for the Certificate in Baking - Level 4 (Generalist) at Ara in February of this year. Previously, she had taken part in work experience at a bakery during her school’s Gateway programme while completing her year 12 studies. She says “I would like to continue onto higher study, and hopefully in the future, I’d like to travel around and see the world through my work.”

Adam Norton is also quick to see the advantages of working in the culinary sector. In an interview for the Oxford School magazine, he said “I was interested in getting into the food industry and chose to take Hospitality at school, as well as doing a two-day Ara Dual Enrolment Course. This gave me experience and insight into becoming a chef.”

Adam’s upcoming study at Ara was greatly facilitated by the Prize award. He said “The Prize money has meant that I’ve been able to purchase all of my chef’s equipment and uniforms, as well as providing me with funds left over to help with transport to and fro from Christchurch.”

Secondary schools can apply to the Ministry of Education for consideration for the Award on behalf of their students, who are assessed against a range of criteria that has been developed in consultation with industry representatives.

Prime Minister Ms. Ardern said at the Hutt Valley launch of the Award in 2019 “This is one of a range of new initiatives… designed to encourage more young people into vocational education and training, and to celebrate the achievement of secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes of learning."