Tai Poutini gives high school students a helping hand

Each year Tai Poutini Polytechnic presents a number of awards to students from West Coast secondary schools who demonstrate goal setting and passion in the curriculum areas of Technology, Computing, and Hospitality and Tourism.

At two local prizegiving ceremonies yesterday, three students were presented with an acknowledgement letter by Jolan Kilkelly, Tai Poutini Polytechnic Liaison Officer. They will each receive a cheque for $500 at the Polytechnic Awards ceremony in March next year.

“These awards are a great incentive for students to stay at school and complete their NCEA,” says Kilkelly.

“It is important for students to stay at school for as long as they can and the Tai Poutini Polytechnic High School Awards are a way of encouraging and rewarding those students that do!”

Students are asked to write an essay detailing what they have done and plan to do to prepare themselves for their chosen career path and they must also include a testimonial from their teacher in their application. There is no compulsion for the students to study at Tai Poutini Polytechnic when they leave school, but they must be returning to school in 2010 for the full year.

The students who received a Tai Poutini Polytechnic High School Award yesterday were:

Alexis Davis - Reefton Area School
Jasmin Biddle - John Paul II High School
Adella Ryan - John Paul II High School

Seven students from Buller High School received a Tai Poutini Polytechnic Award at their prizegiving last month.

They were:

Sarah McDonald
Taylor Elley
Nathaniel Kearns
Cameron Hurst
Julia Moloney
Zoe Watson
Shane O'Callaghan

Claire Westoby, Careers Advisor at Buller High School, says “The Awards are a great incentive for them to stay at school for another year and gives them a real boost.”

ENDS


Jolan Kilkelly 03 7699495
Liaison Officer jolank@tpp.ac.nz
Tai Poutini Polytechnic 027 245 0013

About Tai Poutini Polytechnic:

Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) offers a range of exciting programmes, has had one of the highest course completion rates in New Zealand for the last 3 years, has low student to tutor ratios and great relationships with business and industry. TPP has campuses in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Wanaka, Invercargill, Westport, Greymouth, Reefton and Hokitika. In 2010 Scholarships are available for most programmes* (* Conditions apply)