New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways (Level 3)
Start here if you want to improve your study skills and prepare for higher-level learning or employment.
Domestic
July
About the programme
Whatever your background, this programme offers you the chance to improve your study skills and prepare for higher-level learning or employment.
You'll study the following courses - Personal and Study Skills, Communication Skills, Work Action and Work Preparation.
You will study in a highly supportive and encouraging learning environment. Class sizes are small and our teachers are very approachable. Along with improving your reading, writing, presenting, and computer skills, you will also gain valuable employability skills such as CV and interview preparation, and how to write a cover letter.
You’ll also do some work experience which is made up of offsite work experience, guest speakers, industry visits, group volunteering or practical workshops on campus.
We also offer this programme with two other focuses: Health and Engineering. Please note that Youth Guarantee funding isn't available for the Health or Engineering focus.
16-24 years old?
If you are aged 16-24 and feel that school didn’t work out for you, you may be able to study this programme via our Youth Guarantee Scheme and pay no fees.
International
July
About the programme
Whatever your background, this programme offers you the chance to improve your study skills and prepare for higher-level learning or employment.
You'll study the following courses - Personal and Study Skills, Communication Skills, Work Action and Work Preparation courses.
You will study in a highly supportive and encouraging learning environment. Class sizes are small and our teachers are very approachable. Along with improving your reading, writing, presenting, and computer skills, you will also gain valuable employability skills such as CV and interview preparation, and how to write a cover letter.
You’ll also do some work experience which could be made up of offsite work experience, guest speakers and industry visits, group volunteering or practical workshops on campus.
We also offer this programme with two other focuses: Health and Engineering.
What You Study
What you will learn
Courses
| Course title | Credits | Teacher directed hours | Student managed hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory courses | |||
|
Personal and Study Skills
|
15 | 80 | 70 |
|
Communication Skills
|
15 | 80 | 70 |
|
Work Preparation
|
15 | 80 | 70 |
|
Work Action
|
15 | 80 | 70 |
Entry
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
- Open entry
- As part of our application process, you'll take part in an informal discussion to gauge if the programme is the right fit for you, and to inform you of the range of support services available to you through Otago Polytechnic.
- International students will be individually assessed to ensure they are ready for this study.
English Language requirements
If English is not your first language, you must provide:
- New Zealand University Entrance OR
- Overall Academic IELTS 5.0 (no band score lower than 5.0) achieved in one test completed in the last two years, OR
- Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for internationally recognised proficiency tests and proficiency outcomes for international students).
If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.
All fees and costs are approximate.
Fees
Domestic fees
International fees
Youth Guarantee Scheme information (for domestic students aged 16-24)
If you are aged 16-24 and feel that school didn’t work out for you, you may be able to study this programme via our Youth Guarantee Scheme and pay no fees.
To be eligible for Youth Guarantee funding, you must:
- Be a domestic student aged 16-24
- Don’t already have (or are not about to have) a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in any subject
- Have been thinking about leaving school and getting a job OR prefer to be working towards a career rather than staying at school OR have left school and are not sure how to enter higher education or employment
- Want to learn practical skills
- Be more motivated in a non-school setting and be prepared to enrol in a full-time or part-time programme.
Fees and allowances
The Youth Guarantee Scheme will cover tuition fees, material and equipment costs of your programme of study. Learners aged 18-24 who are enrolled in fees-free Youth Guarantee qualifications will now be able to access the course-related costs part of the student loan and student allowances if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Those under 18 years old will not be able to access any part of the student loans. Funding for travel is available, conditions apply. Please visit the Studylink website for full details. We strongly recommend that you read this carefully prior to applying for this programme.
The process
- There is not a separate Youth Guarantee application form. Please apply for this programme by using our standard Otago Polytechnic application form. To apply online, or to download a paper version, click the blue 'Apply' button at the top right-hand corner of this page.
- If you meet the criteria for Youth Guarantee funding you will be offered the funding if it is available. We will ask you to let us know within two weeks if you do not wish to take up the funding.
- If there is no Youth Guarantee funding available, we will send you a letter advising you of this. Along with this letter, you will receive an invoice, terms and conditions, a Studylink brochure and an equipment list advising what you will need to purchase before starting your programme.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.
Studylink
Visit Welcome to StudyLink studylink.govt.nz to apply for a student loan to cover your course fees, course-related costs or living costs, or to apply for a student allowance.
If you are eligible for Fees Free you may not need to borrow for course fees, but you may still wish to apply for course-related costs, living costs or student allowance.
Student Services Fee
For most students, your tuition fee shown above includes a Student Services Fee – also known as the Student Levy. This compulsory fee covers your access to the student services we offer. This cost is tailored depending on how you're studying.
The international tuition fee does not include your Student Levy. This will be calculated when you enrol with us.
Click below to find out more about the Student Levy costs and services provided.
Fees Free
Starting tertiary study or work-based learning for the first time? You may be able to get Fees Free after you complete your first eligible qualification or programme.
Fees Free covers the cost of your fees for the final year of study or final two years of work-based learning, up to $12,000.
When you enrol, you will need to pay your fees. To help you cover this cost, you may wish to apply for a student loan. Find out more at Student loan – StudyLink.
For more information on the eligibility requirements and when it is best to apply for Fees Free, visit Fees Free – Inland Revenue.
