Healthcare careers expos a hit with Taranaki students

The expos were held at Taranaki Base and Hawera hospitals. Photo/ Supplied

Students from high schools throughout Taranaki recently attended healthcare careers expos.

The expos, held at Taranaki Base and Hāwera hospitals, were organised by the Taranaki District Health Board (DHB) after the cancellation of Taranaki Careers Expo 2020.

The expos gave high school students the opportunity to have a look around the hospitals and talk face-to-face with staff from throughout the various clinical and non-clinical teams about their roles.

New Plymouth Girls' High School head of department - careers Brett Zimmerman says the school received immense value from the expo.

"It certainly opens up their perspective on all the different pathways in the health profession."

Ōpunakē High School careers administrator Chantal Brophy says eight Year 11 and 12 students attended the expo.

"I took students who were interested in the health sector as a possible career pathway. The sessions were interesting and informative.

"Dr Hannah Lawn [Rural Hospital Medicine consultant] was a star, sharing her story with passion and enthusiasm. She was very relatable having grown up in a rural area, which made it seem very do-able for our students."

Taranaki DHB recruitment coordinator says the feedback has been 'overwhelmingly' positive.

"Given the great feedback we've received from the schools we hope to make the expo an annual event. We encourage Taranaki high schools to contact us if they would like to attend in future, or if there are any other ways in which we can support their students into healthcare training and roles."

For more information about careers at Taranaki DHB visit tdhb.org.nz/careers/careers.shtml and www.whyora.co.nz/.