Thinking about leaving school?

Once you turn 16, you're legally able to leave school. But before you make any decisions, you need to take a look at your options. Having a plan of what you will do when you leave school will help you through the change, and may persuade your parents and whānau that it's a good idea!

Check out your employment options

: You can gain valuable skills from work experience

If doing training doesn’t suit you just now and you are thinking about getting a job, or you are considering taking a year out, here are some tips to help you with your job hunt:

Speak to key people – friends who have left school, people in work, parents, careers advisers and Gateway co-ordinators.
Make sure your CV is up to date.
Speak to recruitment agencies.
Consider doing work experience so that you can find out about a range of jobs before making a decision. You may be able to do this while still at school – talk to your careers adviser.
Contact some employers to find out what they are looking for.
Search the Internet – there are websites dedicated to job searching.
Check out newspapers. They often have sections for job seekers.

Find out more

How do I know what's right for me?

Sometimes there seem to be too many choices. You may still be unclear about which option suits you even after doing your research. Here are some tools that could help:

What else do i need to know?

Think about where you want your career to go and make sure you don’t cut out too many options by leaving school. It’s always a good idea to have a Plan B – a back-up just in case your first option doesn’t work out.

Why stay in school?

It’s simple – the better qualified you are, the more money you can earn.

Your level of education has a big effect on how much you can earn. Look at the chart below for some interesting comparisons between qualifications and wages.

: Source: Department of Education – Impact of Education on Income

If you have a tertiary qualification you are likely to earn 30% more than those without a school qualification.
If you have a Bachelor's degree or higher you are likely to earn at least double that of a school leaver with no qualifications.
If you finish a degree you are likely to earn 25% more than if you drop out partway through.
You are more likely to be employed if you have a tertiary qualification.

What if I’m not sure whether to stay at school?

When you’re not sure what to do, staying at school is a good idea. Why? Because it keeps your options open. The longer you stay at school and the more qualifications you get, the more choices you’ll have later on. Ask your friends and get advice from your teachers and careers advisers to help you make up your mind.

Only after being turned down for several jobs did Neli Laufoli realise the importance of qualifications

"Applying for jobs, I found it hard because I didn’t have any qualifications. They'd ask ‘Have you got any qualifications?’ and I’m like 'Nah', because I never chose to do any.

"There is heaps of help at school. It was offered to me a lot and I just always turned it down. Now I'm pretty gutted I did that."

Neli Laufoli, Sports Turf Management Trainee

What's an action plan and how could it help me?

Action plans help you to stay focused and well organised. You can see what needs to be done, make notes as reminders and tick each step off as you work through your plan. If you decide that you are going to start looking for a job, check out the Find a Job Action Plan.