Ākonga Pathway Programme
16 – 21 yrs

Our Ākonga Pathway Programme is open to 16-21 year old ākonga / students in the Waikato, Wellington and Wairarapa regions, who have had their education negatively impacted by COVID-19 and who are at risk of disengaging from their education, or who have disengaged from their education and have no pathway into further training or employment.  Our Youth Coaches walk alongside and support eligible ākonga to achieve sustainable education or training engagement, or transition to employment. We use a strengths-based approach to identify risk factors and barriers, and then work with ākonga to reduce these.

Our Ākonga Pathway Programme aims to ensure:

• All ākonga have an increased level of engagement in their learning and aspirations for the future or to have transitioned to further training or employment.
• Younger ākonga have increased confidence in their learning environments.
• Older ākonga have a clear plan for their future.
• All ākonga have stronger connections with whanau, iwi, community and other support services including schools, health and youth services.

What do young people do as part of this service?

Our young people work together with our Youth Coaches to:

• Identify their goals and where they would like to be.
• Figure out what could be holding them back at school, training or work based learning.
• Create their own pathway plan (an action plan that will help them reach their goals).
• Learn and develop key life skills.
• Develop their self-leadership skills through interactive, practical and engaging activities.
• Achieve education, training, work based learning or employment outcomes.
• Have assistance with any personal situations that may arise.
• Review their progress and be supported to stay on track.