For Tapawera Area School students Mitchell Brooks and Keanu Sharpe, deciding what they wanted to do after leaving school was a big call.
They were both interested in pursuing a career path in the uniformed services and after recently completing a month-long course run by Whenua-Iti, and funded by the Ministry of Education, things are a bit clearer.
“I always knew I wanted to join the army, since I was a kid,” says 16-year-old Keanu, “the course has definitely inspired me to pursue it now. I really enjoyed the first aid section and the LandSAR scenarios, it is quite amazing how quickly things can happen.” Students work in teams running through real life scenarios, and taking on different roles within their groups, to develop leadership skills and confidence in themselves and their abilities. Working through the different services; Police, LandSAR, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Paramedic and Civil Defence, the students also learn bush survival skills, search and rescue and first aid training. Mitchell has been inspired to look into a career in the Police force when he finishes school and says the course was a great way to try things out, “it has pushed me more to go in that career path. I enjoyed the LandSAR techniques we were taught.”
Lead tutor at Whenua-Iti Ben Fenselau says the students are put to the test both physically and mentally, “they have to participate in the same physical pre-entry tests (PPT) that the Police and Fire Services do, so we definitely put them through their paces!” Ben explains that after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Coordinated Incident Management System (C.I.M.S) which was put in place to help manage multiple response agencies, is now an integral part of the students learning, “it is the thread that weaves through our course. The students get the opportunity to take a leadership role. They are immersed in dry emergency scenarios and are given different roles and environments. It’s the kind of thing I would’ve wanted to do when I was at high school.”