Students to give careers a spin with The Real Game
Media advisory 16 November 2009
On Wednesday 18 November, a group of Year 10 students from Tawa College in Wellington will get a taste of the real world of careers through an interactive learning resource called The Real Game. The demonstration is a prelude to the International Careers Conference, being hosted by government agency Career Services from 19-21 November.
Originally developed in Canada, The Real Game is a career education programme disguised as a game, which has been used in thousands of schools around the world over the past decade.
Bill Barry and Phil Jarvis, the creators of The Real Game, will be on hand to oversee the demonstration in front of on audience of 250 New Zealand and international guests, as well as students from the Wellington region.
The Real Game is widely used in New Zealand secondary schools. Career Services adapted The Real Game for New Zealand in 2003 and further enhanced it in 2007. Schools have found it a valuable way to develop students’ understanding of what they need to think about when choosing subjects in Year 11 and above.
“The Real Game uses elements of role play, group work and individual investigation to help students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to assess and make decisions about further education and training and career options,” says Mr Barry.
In the game, students "time-travel" to the future and experience real-life scenarios as they are assigned jobs, and construct lifestyles around what they can afford. They purchase or rent homes and cars, create and exchange business cards, live in neighbourhoods in a community they've created and budget their money and time.
Mr Barry says that as the students juggle work, home and leisure, deal with job loss and solve moral and ethical dilemmas, the adult realities are always linked to the school subjects they are studying.
“The great thing about this resource is that it’s a lot of fun for students. It gives them a chance to visualise the future and think about what they need to do to realise their dreams,” he says.
Mr Barry and Mr Jarvis will be speaking about the international success of The Real Game at a presentation at the International Careers Conference.
“We’ve had many reports from schools that use The Real Game that say that students have more confidence, hope and optimism about their careers after participating in this game,” says Mr Barry.
Career Services is pleased to present a hands-on demonstration of The Real Game from 1.00pm – 4.00 pm on Wednesday 18 November in the Ilott Theatre of the Wellington Town Hall. Media and photographers are most welcome to attend this event.
Ends
For further information or media passes for this event, contact:
Wendy Goldswain, Marketing and Communications Manager, Career Services
wendy.goldswain@careers.govt.nz, +64 4 381 5825 or +64 27 548 4568
Pete Kerr, Marketing and Communications Adviser, Career Services
pete.kerr@careers.govt.nz, +64 4 381 5804 or +64 27 548 4568
