Ara students gain real-world experience through Pegasus Health partnership

_{Chloe Scoble, boxing with one of the attendees at her Better Breathing workshop.}

For students in Ara's nutrition and health promotion programmes, a practicum placement can change how you think about your future career.

Pegasus Health serves the Waitaha Canterbury region, with an enrolled population of over 391,000 people across 83 general practices. For more than 30 years, the organisation has supported general practice to deliver healthcare that's connected, equitable and focused on keeping people well. For Ara ākonga, stepping inside this system offers an invaluable bridge between theory and practice.

Currently, six Bachelor of Applied Science students - three specialising in nutrition and three in health promotion - are working with various Pegasus Health teams. The projects they’re tackling are as diverse as they are vital to the region’s health outcomes.

Two students are working with the Community Respiratory Service. One is contributing to a sleep apnoea project by gathering data from community members and GPs to inform new resources. Another is exploring a creative clinical approach within a pulmonary rehabilitation project, investigating whether singing and music can compare with or enhance traditional exercise-based treatments.

A third student is supporting the Heart Health Connector team, focusing on the nutritional components of a new cardiac programme. Elsewhere in the organisation, ākonga are working with the Pacific Health team to develop nutritional approaches to diabetes management, and another is working with a hauora Māori team, examining immunisation rates among refugee and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

Nutrition student Chloe Scoble completed her practicum with the Better Breathing team last year, despite it sitting outside her usual field. "It was a little scary to start with - I'm a nutrition student and Better Breathing isn’t nutrition-related - but I wanted to work on something community-based, something where I could interact with people. It felt like a natural fit - as a yoga teacher, I'm focused on breathing."

Her project involved visiting community-led groups across the region, from Ashburton to Amberley, that people could join once they'd completed an eight-week Better Breathing course. "My job was to visit, do the class, chat, find out what works and what doesn't work. Overwhelmingly, people said the sense of community was really important - it's not only about fitness, for these people, it was really about caring for each other. We’d learned in class about the importance of connection to these groups, and it was really cool to see that first-hand for a group of people who struggle health-wise."

_{Janet Hooper and Sana Letiu presenting on the significance of Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa (Samoa Language Week) to the Pegasus Health team.}

The collaboration with Pegasus Health reflects Ara's commitment to work-integrated learning - the belief that the best preparation for a health career happens when classroom knowledge meets the reality of working at the frontline. Throughout their degree, ākonga complete 200 hours of industry experience, with each placement tailored to align the needs of the ākonga, Ara and the host organisation.

Pegasus Health goes out of its way to make students feel welcome. Where possible, ākonga are brought together for a mihi whakatau at the start of their placement, a welcome that signals they're not just visitors but part of the team.

As part of her placement, Scoble visited Rehua marae. "It felt really intense and a little overwhelming, but everyone was super welcoming and the kōrero was inspiring. I went back and did some chair yoga with them afterwards - it's good to know I can reach out and go back again."

_{Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Nutrition) student, Chloe Scoble.}

Senior academic staff member Helen Marshall said the industry experiences have become a highlight of the Bachelor of Applied Science programme.

"Pegasus gives our ākonga access to a complex public health environment that's hard to replicate in a teaching setting. They come back with more confidence and a readiness to step straight into the workforce. I wish I'd had access to that kind of industry immersion when I was studying."

The relationship between Ara and Pegasus Health has been growing over time. It began more than 10 years ago through a connection with a Pegasus Health pulmonary rehabilitation physiotherapist, which paved the way for a formal research partnership. This foundation eventually led to the student practicum programme in place today.

In recent years, the collaboration has expanded further. Pegasus Health now provides funding for summer scholarship projects, allowing Ara students to undertake research-adjacent work connected to the Better Breathing programme and other clinical areas.

For Pegasus Health, hosting ākonga is a strategic investment in the future of the local health workforce.

Integrated Services Programme Manager Deborah Callahan said, “Students bring energy and curiosity into the workforce. They help meet today’s needs while also strengthening the future of our healthcare system. The more we can expose students to the wide range of opportunities in healthcare, the better the outcomes for our communities.”

As the public health sector in Waitaha faces growing demand, the need to develop and retain local talent has never been more critical. Practicums like these ensure graduates are work-ready and give employers a first-hand look at emerging talent long before they cross the graduation stage.

Scoble’s advice to future students considering Pegasus Health? "Put yourself forward and make an impression – a practicum at Pegasus Health is extremely beneficial. Not only do you get to work with the team you're placed with, you also get insights into other parts of the organisation, plus extra experiences and training. I even got to go to a motivational interviewing training session that they ran for staff."

_{Kate Sutherland and Chloe Scoble present at community workshops}