Around 200 secondary school students stepped behind the scenes of Auckland Airport in March, discovering the wide range of careers that keep New Zealand’s busiest international airport running. The Inspiring the Future event was held as part of St Paul’s College Career Day and was designed to encourage Year 11–13 students to think broadly about their future pathways.
The event supported career engagement with South Auckland schools and connected students with seven Auckland Airport role models. They represented the diversity of roles across the airport, including engineering, IT, health and safety, emergency services, and corporate functions such as marketing. Through group and one-on-one conversations, students gained insight into an industry they may not have previously considered in depth.
For many students, meeting airport professionals was a highlight of the day. Hearing first-hand from people working in airport operations, fire and emergency services, engineering, IT and corporate roles helped demystify aviation careers and reinforced that airports offer far more opportunities than just pilots and planes.
Parvathy Nair, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisor at Auckland Airport, was one of the role models on the day and said connecting with students from South Auckland made the experience especially meaningful. “The airport is right here in their community, but many don’t realise the range of opportunities available. If this helps even a few students see themselves working here in the future, that’s a great outcome.”
Jacquie Brayshaw, St Paul’s College Gateway Coordinator, attended the event with her students and said the experience helped students clearly connect classroom learning to future opportunities. “Seeing our students so engaged, confident and curious was fantastic. Hearing directly from people who are passionate about what they do makes those career pathways feel real and achievable for our students,” says Jacquie.
The response from students was overwhelmingly positive, with strong interest shown throughout the sessions. Many asked thoughtful questions about training pathways, qualifications and what a typical day looks like – clear signs the event had sparked curiosity and ambition.
“Conversations like these can genuinely change how young people see their future,” says Jacquie. “If even a few students walk away more confident about their next steps, that’s a powerful outcome.”
Tahatū Career Navigator and Inspiring the Future: Working together to support career education
Tahatū Career Navigator, the Tertiary Education Commission’s career planning website, and Inspiring the Future work together to bring future-focused learning to life. Both are designed to align with the New Zealand school curriculum, supporting career education and empowering students to explore identity, aspirations and pathways. Teachers can easily weave these tools into their lesson plans, helping to achieve learning outcomes while inspiring students to imagine what’s possible for their future.
Check out Tahatū Career Navigator.
Host an Inspiring the Future event for your school
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