Career Edge 9 (February 2003)

A Big Call (Editorial)

The feedback from learners in this issue of Career Edge shows that deciding on a programme of tertiary study is often a tough call.

For young people in particular, tertiary education decision-making can be a sobering introduction to the real world. After all, as students, they have just spent most of their lives in an education system that has offered them a great deal of certainty, support and direction.

Suddenly that sense of predictability is gone and they must shoulder responsibility for making a major decision with significant personal and financial implications. Making a tertiary education decision is the first major point of transition for the majority of young New Zealanders.

It is not surprising that many students and parents struggle with the situation. Not only is it a much bigger decision than any other decision they have had to make, but these days learners are bombarded with an enormous amount of information and marketing material about different tertiary study destinations and programmes. The hype surrounding many tertiary study options can be overwhelming to those who are unfamiliar with the system and the choices it offers.

There is little doubt that nowadays people are well aware of the need to keep learning and gain qualifications. The very fact that the number of New Zealanders in tertiary study has doubled in a decade attests to this. People know what they need to do, but many struggle with how they should achieve it.

Career Services has launched an information and awareness-raising campaign, Take Off To Tertiary , to help people of all ages and backgrounds make better-informed tertiary education decisions.

The campaign provides web-based information to help people make sound career decisions. It also provides opportunities for people to chat online with qualified career advisors and provides learners with a pocket-sized passport with information and hints for those about to decide on a programme of study.

The notion of a passport is a very powerful and appropriate metaphor for this area. It is going to open up a world of opportunity for many learners and present them with the broadest possible range of choices.

The campaign encourages people to seek out independent information and advice and to ask the right questions of tertiary providers before they commit to a programme of study.

It also assists learners to examine their own needs, strengths and values to maximise their chances of success in whatever field they choose to study.

The aim is to provide people with the ability to make a reasoned decision based on some self-analysis and independent information and advice. We want to avoid the situation where people are feeling pressured and making important decisions without all of the necessary information.

The campaign is aimed not just at school-leavers but at anyone faced with making a tertiary decision. The material is designed to have universal relevance and appeal.

As New Zealand strives to establish its knowledge society and economy with ongoing opportunities for lifelong learning, our tertiary system is expanding to encompass this vision. In addition to traditional tertiary options such as universities and polytechnics, over the past decade we have seen the emergence of wa¯nanga, private training establishments and a host of foundation education, workplace learning and adult and community learning options.

Making people aware of how the system works and the full breadth of choices available to them is crucial. The Government, as the major funder of tertiary education, also has a vested interest in making this type of information as widely available and accessible as possible. This focus on the front end of tertiary education is a fundamental prerequisite for a vibrant and dynamic knowledge society. For many individuals and communities making a tertiary decision can be a very daunting and frustrating task without some independent help and advice. Our belief is that the Take Off To Tertiary campaign is going to make that decision a lot easier for thousands of New Zealanders

Lester Oakes
Chief Executive
Career Services

Disclaimer

The views in this publication are not necessarily those of Career Services or its board. They have been published in the interests of encouraging understanding and debate on career related issues.