Study Options On Show At Ara | Te Pūkenga Open Day

Just weeks into the new year with NCEA results freshly out, individuals looking to lock in study options for 2024 and beyond are expected to flood to the Ara |Te Pūkenga Open Day this week.

The event is held simultaneously at Ara’s City, Woolston (Trades), Manawa (Health Practice) and Timaru campuses this Thursday January 25 from 3pm-6pm.

Ara | Te Pūkenga Manager Youth and Community Development Mark Simons said they’re gearing up for strong interest and the event signals "business as usual at Ara" with a wide variety of high quality vocational education and training opportunities leading to rewarding career pathways being on offer in 2024.

"Our January Open Day gets busier and busier attracting prospective students, their whānau and support people. Enrolments are strong compared to the same time last year, but we still have plenty of spaces available across a huge range of programmes. NCEA results prompt many to search for new options, ideas and pathways and we’re here to help!"

Events in Ōtautahi include an expo with interactive booths and displays at Ara’s City campus as well as half-hour subject-area information sessions, guided tours and shuttles between campuses.

In Timaru, student support personnel and tutors will be on hand to answer questions about study options and tours of the campus will be run on demand.

"We have more than 150 career-enhancing study options at Ara ranging from certificates and diplomas to degrees and graduate qualifications. Open Day is a chance to meet tutors, ask questions and enrol on the spot," Simons said.

"If your results aren’t what you’d hoped, are better than you hoped, or if you’re looking to kick start a career change, we can help with course requirements and pathways to get to where you want to be."

Simons said previous feedback shows learners value discovering more about Ara’s small class sizes, real-life study environment and the support services available. He said school leavers who are nervous about committing to extensive tertiary study often find their fit in a vocational education setting.

"Many who are worried about committing to a long-term qualification find their feet in a vocational education environment by signing up to a certificate, building on that with a diploma and then carrying on to complete a degree."

"Experts will also be on hand at our Open Day with advice on fees-free study, study-link and student loans. If you can’t make it on the day, it’s certainly possible to get one -on-one advice by picking up the phone.

"Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you for a free ice-cream and a taste of what we have to offer."

More information on Open Day including pre-registration can be found here: Open Day 2024 - Ara

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