Information for parents, family and whanau
Step-by-step guide to STAR
7 steps for a successful STAR experience
The Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) programme provides Ministry of Education funding to all state-integrated schools with students in Year 11–13. This funding is used to assist students to attend courses either within the school or by external training providers.
How STAR courses are administered varies from school to school. However, this step-by-step guide will help your child to understand the approach to take when considering doing a course.
Read more about STAR
Step 1: Check out what courses are being offered under STAR
It’s best to know in advance what STAR courses your school has available. Have a look at your school curriculum guide and find out what hands-on courses are being offered. These may be in your school, or with a training provider at another place.
Step 2: Talk to your careers adviser and STAR co-ordinator
Your careers adviser or STAR co-ordinator will help you with starting a STAR-funded course, so before you visit, it is a good idea to have some good ideas on the course you would like to attend.
Step 3: Start the STAR course
When you start the STAR course, remember to get the most out of it that you can. It is an opportunity for you to gain some valuable skills, which could also prepare you for the Gateway programme or other work experience.
Step 4: Complete all assessment tasks
Work hard and complete all your assessments. In the future an employer may want to see your workbook and assessment results, as this may indicate to them that you can do the job.
Step 5: Update your CV
Go back to your CV as soon as you can and update it while the tasks are fresh in your mind.
Step 6: Reflect on your experience
Things to think about are:
- What did you learn from your experience?
- What did you particularly enjoy?
- Is this an area that might interest you in the future?
Step 7: Think about doing work experience through the Gateway programme
Now that you have learned some new skills, find out if you can put them into practice by getting into the Gateway programme, or work experience.
