PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2023
Getting Amp’d for flourishing careers
Career decision-making can be a daunting task, especially if you’re the first in your family to attend university. Many of our scholars are trailblazers and lack exposure to the professions others may take for granted.
Amp’d is a programme that helps young adults get clearer on the type of work where they can thrive. For our students, it’s become a highlight among the workshops and ongoing pastoral care our team puts together. And we love seeing new connections made at these events across the motu!
During February, our Amp’d days taught our newest scholars career planning skills that they can draw on again and again throughout their working lives. Best of all, they were a fun way for our scholars and mentors to get to know each other and look to what’s ahead and how support will work best.
As one scholar explained, “We started by reflecting on our own strengths, values, when we’re ‘in the zone’. It was eye-opening! We also looked at the kind of impact we’d like to make in our lives.”
Students at the workshop held in Christchurch.
Students participating at the Amp’d workshop held in Auckland
The student’s reflections were a great place to start conversations with their new mentors. They could then work together to create a roadmap of the crucial skills they’ll need to succeed in the working world. They also came away with a clearer idea of their ideal careers and a plan to set them on course.
Amp’d is the brainchild of Sharon Spence and Suzie Marsden. They bring an impressive depth of both corporate experience and empathy wrapped up into a powerful, proven format. It uses Design Thinking as a framework, so as a bonus, everyone involved gets to learn about this popular innovation approach.
Kirk Sargent, chief executive said, “Amp’d is a fantastic way to set these young people in making informed career choices. It’s been a privilege to see how well this programme prepares our students for the decisions they’ll encounter as their paths unfold.”
For many students the favourite part of the day was getting to know their mentor.
