Media Release
February 2016
Employers applaud school partnerships
More than 50 Waikato employers are being applauded for their involvement in a new initiative
linking them with school faculties in key subject areas.
Smart Waikato’s Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEP), being piloted in five schools
throughout the region, gives employers an opportunity to work with teachers, shape curriculum and
show students how their classroom learning applies “in the real world.”
Smart Waikato chief executive Mary Jensen said a range of employers, from trades, agriculture,
health and science to engineering, business, ICT and service industries have been selected for the
pilot, partnering with school maths, English, science, technology and business faculties.
Educators from pilot schools – Hamilton Boys’ High School, Thames High School, Hauraki Plains
College, Morrinsville College and Fairfield College – are applauding employers for being part of the
initiative.
“The schools are excited that more than 50 of our region’s key employers are keen to partner with
them help inform their curricula. In turn, these relationships will shape learning in a manner relevant
to employers’ workforce needs, so it’s a win-win for educators, employers and students. Being
exposed to a range of industries where there are real career options and seeing how subjects are
actually applied will help students choose the right subjects for successful career pathways,” she
said.
SSEP employer meetings held in Hamilton, Morrinsville and Thames recently called for employer
support for the partnerships, supported by Waikato Means Business, the Ministry of Education and
WEL Energy Trust and identified as vital in addressing the gap between education, training and skills
shortages in the region.
Fairfield College principal and maths teacher Richard Crawford spoke at the Hamilton SSEP employer
event, saying SSEPs paved the way for “more purpose-filled learning” for students.
“As a maths teacher I see students asking ‘how am I going to use this in my life?’. This will show
them how it can be used by providing purpose-filled learning. This is particularly important for the
key subjects students tend to drop early, including maths,” Richard said.
Smart Waikato’s SSEP project manager Linda Nelson Caie said employers will be introduced to the
educators they will partner with in the next few weeks.
“Employer engagement is going to look different in each of the five schools, depending on the
faculty we are working in. We’re looking to have at least 10 employers engaged with each school –
Hamilton Boys’ in technology, Fairfield in maths, Morrinsville in science, Thames in business and
Hauraki Plains in English,” Linda said.
ENDS
For more information:
Linda Nelson Caie
Smart Waikato SSEP project manager
021 170 8880