News watch: Celebrating our students

Again this year I have been privileged to attend the senior prizegiving of some of our secondary colleges.

Unlike when I was at school these are not boring speech-laden affairs but a celebration of school life with talented input from students especially in the music and speech areas.

Many of the students are able to address the gatherings with confidence and poise. With so many negatives about young people today it is a pleasure to see the other side. It is also with a touch of sadness that I attended as this will be the last time a Rodney mayor is able to do so.

We are very fortunate to have a number of excellent schools within our district that are working hard to provide a high-quality education for our young people.

It is always pleasing to be able to attend an event which cele-brates the outstanding achievements of so many students and to be able to join with them and their parents, teachers and the wider community to acknowledge their hard work.

I would also like to acknowledge the joint efforts of the Rodney Economic Development Trust, local high schools and businesses, including the Rodney Times, who have been working together on the highly successful Gateway work experience project.

This scheme gives students the opportunity to try out careers that interest them and also to gain NCEA credits through their work.

More than 60 local businesses have taken part and this experience will provide students with valuable work experience to set them in good stead to pursue the career of their choice.

Finally, at next month's council meeting we will be presenting the last-ever Rodney District Council Scholarships to a number of young people from a range of schools in our district.

It will be a memorable occasion and I hope that under the new Auckland Council there will continue to be opportunities to support young people in this way in the future.

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