A new apprenticeship partnership between Thames High School and local water management company Veolia is about to be launched.
Principal Dave Sim says he and Veolia manager Cliff Olsen are hammering out the details for the scheme, which will see one senior student awarded an apprenticeship with the company every two years. That successful student would become a qualified water industry technician in about five years. All their course fees and tools would be covered, and they’ll earn a wage.
Mr Olsen says the apprentice will learn about Veolia from the ground up, and if they’re motivated, they will end up on the path to a management position within the company.
Veolia employs several hundred people in New Zealand, and has tens of thousands of employees all over the world, so career prospects are potentially huge.
Mr Sim says this is a great opportunity for a senior student. “I am delighted to see a local company committing to Thames High students. There are a lot of talented young people here and we need to be creative about developing opportunities for them in our small community. Veolia is doing this and I encourage other local business to consider how they can support our students with similar programmes.”
Application forms will be available from the school office at the start of Term 4 (12th October), with a closing date of 30th October. Applicants need a good academic record and minimum NCEA Level 2.