A new, free education option is open for enrolments in Oamaru for young people for whom mainstream education isn’t working.

Y•Education, run by YMCA South & Mid Canterbury (the Y), offers rangatahi aged 16-19 years the opportunity to complete foundation level 1 and/or level 2 education qualifications and NCEA level certificates. Enrolments of 15-year-olds may be considered subject to early leaving exemptions Y•Education is based on the Ara Campus at 44 Humber St, Oamaru.

Enrolments are now open for Term 2, which starts on 2 May 2022.

“We are excited to be working alongside local organisations and community stakeholders, including Workbridge, Stronger Waitaki and the Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs, to provide a supportive, youth-friendly environment for disengaged learners to achieve their level 1 and level 2 qualifications,” says Diane Schenkel, Senior Manager Education & Employment Pathways.

“The Y are well-known for our wrap-around support for rangatahi. We use a strengths-based approach to guiding the growth and development of people during a student’s time enrolled with us, and we are thrilled to be able to offer this to young people in Oamaru.”

YMCA South & Mid Canterbury, established in 1917, is an award-winning youth development organisation that has provided accredited education programmes in a safe and positive learning environment for rangatahi for over 20 years. The new Oamaru education site complements existing Y•Education & Training Centres operated by the Y in Timaru, Ashburton, and Christchurch.  

The Y’s FREE tertiary education Youth Guarantee courses aim to raise self-esteem, confidence, and motivation to develop life skills in each student so they can realise their potential and achieve. All courses aim to engage students with education in a positive learning environment that is supportive, fun, and relevant to their needs. The courses support the development of numeracy and literacy skills that are required for further training, the workplace, and everyday life.

The Y’s education courses will be delivered in Oamaru by recently appointed local Education Tutor, Susie Sinclair, who brings considerable education experience and youth-friendly skills to the role. Susie can be reached at 021 448 602 or susie@ymcasc.org.nz. Courses include New Zealand Certificates in Foundations Skills at Level 1 and Level 2, which are 20 weeks in length offering 60 credits for each course. There is also the opportunity to gain NCEA Level 1 and 2 as a result of completing both courses. The Y’s mission is “Inspiring and Connecting Communities by Investing in the Next Generation”.Y•Education’s arrival in Oamaru complements the youth development mahi the Y is already delivering locally through our facilitation of the Mates & Dates and Resiliency Toolkit programmes in local secondary schools and Youth Transition Support Services delivered within the community and supported by Oranga Tamariki.