Stepping Stone into Trades Careers for Dyslexic Youth

Stepping Stone into Trades Careers for Dyslexic Youth

A new training programme kicks off in South Auckland later this month to help youth with Dyslexia launch careers in engineering and welding.

The Level 2 Foundation Trades course is being offered by Cornerstone Education’s Aspire2 Trades in Wiri and is free for 16 – 19 year olds. It will provide support for dyslexic students who may struggle to keep up in mainstream trades training classes.

Cornerstone Group CEO Linda Weterman said since opening the Wiri campus last August, staff had noticed a real need within the local community for support in this area.

“We had potential students coming in wanting to become welders, but their dyslexia was really holding them back. We’ve launched this unique programme so that they can get off to the best possible start in this high demand sector.”

Run exclusively for those who identify with dyslexia, classes will be small, and lessons will be delivered by specially trained tutors, in a way that optimises dyslexic learning. Students will benefit from mentoring during study, a reader writer if needed and ongoing dyslexia and life skills support. Extra tutorials will also be offered every Friday.

“Our tutors have all been trained in the Davis Concepts for Life programme, and Aspire2 Trades will have a Davis Dyslexia facilitator supporting our tutors. Davis Concepts for Life is a highly regarded programme that has achieved great results, so we are extremely excited to be able to offer this to the South Auckland community.”

It is estimated that one in ten New Zealanders suffer from dyslexia, which results in problems with reading, writing, spelling and maths. While these individuals are just as able and talented as anyone else, this particular learning difficulty can hinder success in the classroom and workplace. Thanks to the new course, youth can now have the stepping stone they need to overcome these hurdles and launch their careers.

Students will graduate from the 20-week course with an NZQA-accredited qualification, the NZ Certificate in Foundation Trades Training Level 2 – Supporting Dyslexia Correction. Limited places are still available for the first intake which starts on April 30.

© Scoop Media