Brokering links
Ken Hird of Wanganui Incorporated
Ken Hird of Wanganui Incorporated (WINC) has been involved in working with technology teachers since the implementation of the new curriculum in the late 1990s. From his initial contact with teachers and students in Wanganui schools Ken quickly appreciated the value to be gained from linking school programmes with the local community. He sees real value for both sides in the partnerships.
"For the schools, and particularly the students, it certainly gives them a practical perception of what enterprise is all about, and the practical application of what they learn in school out in the business community. I suppose it's a bit of a reality check. You can learn about business practice, and life in general on a theoretical basis in the classroom, but its only when you get out into the real world and try to apply it that it becomes meaningful and useful. ”
They can also meet a range of role models and gain a better understanding of opportunities available when they leave school.
From the business perspective, they get a better understanding of what is going on in schools and come in direct contact with young people who could potentially move into their area of practice.
"If they're looking ahead strategically and looking at how they're going to resource the business in the future - particularly in terms of labour, and qualified personnel, they've got to be looking at what's going on in the schools.”
To maximise the effectiveness of the links formed, both the school and the business community have to be aware of the constraints that each side faces.
"The time that a business spends on working with students is all down time in terms of individual productivity. So there has to be a careful balance - because it hits the bottom line immediately in terms of profitability. Time is money, especially for the smaller businesses - they're more vulnerable because of their lower staff levels.”
Any practical steps that schools can take to make it easier for the businesses to be involved will be helpful in maintaining the link.
"There's a lot of goodwill out there in business, but they don't like their time being wasted. It is important that the people from schools that are working with the business really want to be there and will really benefit from the help given.”
As an economic development agency WINC is keen to see Wanganui progress through having a thriving business community. "We want to see businesses do well – the whole range of businesses. The better the businesses do then the better the city is placed economically, and that impacts on the employment situation. A thriving economy leads to full employment. So for us it's a case of growing the business base and providing employment opportunities to retain our youth and stop them from moving out of the city. Its important for us to make sure both economically and population wise that we thrive as a city.”
Ken points to the important role that effective links between school technology education programmes and local enterprises can play in this development and says that if they work well, the community will thrive and everyone gains.
Ken says the new technology curriculum has greatly enhanced the learning opportunities for students in local schools.
"Working with technology teachers, particularly in those early days, made me realise how far down in the school system some good technology programmes were being taught. We had a number of primary schools, for example, that were much more effective in developing technology in the classroom than some of the secondary schools. This was really positive – it meant that you got enthusiastic young primary and intermediate children who had grown through those exciting technology education programmes and were looking for more when they hit the secondary schools. So a culture change was coming from the bottom end up. I think it's progressing very well. There's a fair way to go yet, but were going in the right direction - that's for sure.”
"Teachers need to be more enterprise and business focussed in many ways. They need to appreciate the relevance and value of the links themselves, and to see how important they are and commit to making them work.”
He can point to local teachers like Chris Donaldson, of Wanganui City College, and Mike Jackson, of Wanganui Girls' College, who are "constantly going out and actively looking for links”.
"Mike took full advantage of his Teacher Fellowship. He got out of the school for a year and into the business community and found out more of what it's all about. His programmes show that it benefited him immensely, and of course his students benefit as well. He's pretty passionate about making it work."
"Chris knew exactly what links he wanted to make and was quick to approach us to see if we could help. It's a clear example to other teachers of how it can be done and how much the students benefit from it."
