School Leavers Explore IT Career Pathways
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Toi Ohomai welcomed more than 30 high school students to our Pōike campus on Thursday 15 May for the first-ever Toi Ohomai Discover IT Workshop.
Coordinated by the Information Technology Academic team with support from Marketing, high school students from Ōtūmoetai College, Pāpāmoa College, Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College and Te Kura – SchoolPoint Bethlehem College were introduced to the world of IT and the career opportunities it offers. The event was aimed at school leavers considering career pathways in information technology.
Academic Staff Members, Andrew Chapman and Bruce Tuhakaraina, led the workshop which included an overview of the IT programmes on offer at Toi Ohomai, hands-on coding activities and core IT skills, as well as project showcases from current IT ākonga at Windermere.
Toi Ohomai Academic Leader – Information Technology, Kaveeta Dutt, says the workshops provided prospective students with a clear sense of what it’s like to study IT in a tertiary environment, the demand for qualified IT and technology professionals across of range of sectors, and the career paths available.
“There was an excellent turn-out of young people looking into careers in IT and technology. We showcased the benefits of the practical learning environment at Toi Ohomai, the courses on offer, and why the best place to get started on your IT career journey is here,” Kaveeta says.
One highlight of the workshop was a presentation by IT tutor, Francisco Roldao. Along with teaching our New Zealand Diploma in Software Development and the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology programmes, Francisco also works at Ballance Agri-Nutrients as an Applications and Business Intelligence Manager. He shared insights about working in IT day-to-day, and how IT knowledge gained through study can be applied to real-world, in work scenarios.
“The students who attended were really engaged, and wanted to hear more about where a career in IT could lead. Our team is available to provide follow-up information to those who attended too, with support from our Education Pathways Specialists,” Kaveeta says.
The success of the event means IT is already planning more Discover IT Workshops for later this year, and ahead of Semester 1, 2026 at Mokoia and Pōike campuses.