Engaging with parents and community

Getting families and the community involved in their children's career education improves a school's standing within its community and helps improve student learning and achievement.

What's on this page?

What are the benefits of getting families and the community involved in career education?

Engaging with family and community in learners’ career education helps schools to:

  • enhance their understanding of young people's learning processes
  • enhance their understanding of how NCEA works
  • create a wider school community prepared to work together to benefit both the community and learners, eg, the Gateway programme
  • enhance the school’s standing in the community and build trust
  • foster a sense of value and belonging to the community for learners 
  • foster an environment of shared knowledge where complementary skills and understanding are developed
  • include parents in their young people's learning and career planning (evidence shows that most parents want to be involved)
  • increase resources for and skills of learners through extracurricular experiences and education outside the classroom, eg, mentoring programmes
  • provide a network for learners to more easily find future employment and training.

What is a career community and who does it involve?

Four people at a board meeting

Review the list - how else can your school engage the community?

The opportunities for engagement go far beyond family members and businesses. A careers community can involve:

Individuals and community organisations

  • parents, PTA
  • trusts and charities
  • churches
  • sports and cultural clubs
  • providers of targeted information and services for schools, eg, Royal Society or Futureintech
  • international and national scholarship providers.

Business and industry

  • large employers (eg health boards)
  • parent-owned businesses
  • banks
  • businesses of ex-learners
  • iwi businesses
  • community education trusts
  • industry days
  • professional associations
  • employment scholarship providers.

Education and training

  • tertiary education provider liaison staff, polytechnics, universities, PTEs
  • armed services recruitment staff
  • motivational programme providers, eg, Project K
  • alternative education providers
  • apprenticeship and cadetship co-ordinators (industry training organisations)
  • career expos.

Government – national and local

  • regional economic development agencies
  • Ministry of Education staff, eg, pouwhakataki (Māori community liaison officers)
  • Ministry of Social Development youth services, eg, youth work brokers and Youth Transition Services
  • mayors' taskforce for jobs.

Linking with your community provides a win-win situation. Review what initiatives you are currently undertaking to try to create a connection with your community. Can you add to or improve on these?

Updated 28 Nov 2019