OSTC Police Pathway (Level 3)
If you’re at secondary school and want to learn some practical, hands-on skills that will help you on your career pathway, you can learn at our Otago Secondary Tertiary College (OSTC).
If you're thinking about a career in the Police, this course is a great option. Designed by the New Zealand Police for secondary school students, this course will be taught via classroom sessions, guest presentations and practical experiences.
Domestic
How to apply
See application section below for more information.
This course will give you a ground-level understanding of the knowledge, skills, attributes and attitudes associated with the Police and policing in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition to this, it will provide an opportunity for you to explore the physical and leadership requirements required to become a police officer.
What You Study
You will learn
- Policing principles and the roles and responsibilities of a Constable of New Zealand Police
- Investigative interview skills, initial scene investigation, legislation about policing tasks and court procedures
- The physical requirements of being a police officer and explore the leadership required to be one
- Career opportunities within the New Zealand Police
- The six core values of the New Zealand Police (PRIMED - see them here).
You will learn through classroom sessions, guest presentations, practical experiences, online-based activities and visits to local police operational groups.
Courses
| Course name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Plan a career path | 3 |
| Interview in informal situations | 3 |
| Conduct an interview in a formal situation | 5 |
| Contribute within a team or group which has an objective | 3 |
| Listen actively to gain information in an active setting | 3 |
| Describe factors that contribute to mental health wellbeing and mental health problems | 3 |
One or two will then be chosen from the following:
| Course name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Demonstrate quality performance of a physical activity in an applied setting | 4 |
| Communicate across cultures | 2 |
| Speak to a known audience in a predictable situation | 3 |
| Evaluate concept of law in a specific situation | 4 |
| Describe factors that contribute to mental health wellbeing and mental health problems | 3 |
Workload
Your workload for this course is 1 full day each week, for the duration of the school year. Each week you come to our Dunedin Campus and participate in a range of facilitated learning environments, by an Otago Polytechnic tutor.
Expect classroom sessions, guest presentations, practical experiences and visits to local police operational groups. This is the perfect taser to see if a career in the Police force is right for you.
Unit standards covered in this course
| Number | Name | Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4251 | Plan a career pathway | 3 | 3 |
| 1296 | Interview in informal situations | 3 | 3 |
| 1297 | Conduct an interview in a formal situation | 4 | 5 |
| 9681 | Contribute within a team or group which has an objective | 3 | 3 |
| 11097 | Listen actively to gain information in an active setting | 3 | 3 |
| 26971 | Describe factors that contribute to mental health wellbeing and mental health problems |
3 | 3 |
| One or two will then be chosen from the following: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 91501 | Demonstrate quality performance of a physical activity in an applied setting |
3 | 4 |
| 1304 | Communicate across cultures | 3 | 2 |
| 1307 | Speak to a known audience in a predictable situation | 3 | 3 |
| 27843 | Evaluate concept of law in a specific situation | 3 | 4 |
Entry
- You must be a Year 11-13 secondary school student attending a high school anywhere in Otago.
- You must be motivated.
- You need to be keen to pursue a career pathway related to the programme.
- Your school must support your application.
- Ideally you should have achieved NCEA Level 1 including English and Maths or be working towards it (however exceptions may be made in some circumstances).
At this stage, you don't need to be fully-vaccinated or present a My Vaccine Pass to attend Otago Secondary-Tertiary College learning on the Otago Polytechnic campus.
Fees
In most instances, study at OSTC will be fully funded, with no cost to you or secondary school. However, please note that OSTC is only funded for a limited number of places. Additional places may be offered, however your school will be charged a fee. Please clarify any costs with your school.
Application
How to apply
Talk to your school's careers advisor and they will guide you through the application process.
You can download the application form below, but we can only accept applications through your school – speak to your school career’s advisor.
