Te Whatu Ora Southern and Māori mentoring programme support rangatahi into health careers

Te Whatu Ora Southern has warmly welcomed a collaboration with Māori mentoring programme Kia ora Hauora (KOH), with a cohort of 17 high school students recently invited to experience several different services in the Wakari and Dunedin Public Hospital, gaining valuable insight into what a career in health might be like.

The students aged between 16 and 18 years, were welcomed with a Whakatau at Wakari Hospital and greeted by several Te Whatu Ora Southern health professionals earlier this week. They had the opportunity to do a mihi and express what area of health they were interested in exploring.

“This has been a long time in the making, and we are so excited to finally have our students here,” says Te Whatu Ora Acting Chief Māori Health Strategy and Improvement Officer Nancy Todd. “It’s the small things we do in health which make a world of difference, and I hope our students get to experience this first-hand during their three-day visit.”

The KOH programme is a national Māori health workforce development programme established in 2009 to increase the overall number of Māori working in the health and disability sector.

KOH Coordinator Trudy Thomson says the programme provides the opportunity for Māori to see the health sector in action.

“No matter what stage of the decision-making process our rangatahi are in, we can assist and support a better understanding of the exciting professions in healthcare,” says Trudy. “And I’m passionate about supporting rangatahi Māori to meet their potential.”

Their three-day tour included spending time and chatting to staff from different service areas, including Pharmacy, Oral Health, Mental Health, Physiology, Physiotherapy, Public Health, Paediatric Outpatients, Radiation and Audiology.

“Healthcare is one of the most dynamic and growing fields in the world,” says Trudy. “The rewards of working in this industry are endless, and we hope this visit opens their eyes to the possibilities.”

Bayfield High student Holly Bezett says she’s grateful for the opportunity to visit Te Whatu Ora Southern. “I’m passionate about helping people and I love children,” says the 17-year old. “I’m interested in paediatric nursing, radiation and oncology. This visit will help me find out more about the health sector and the great opportunities I could have.”

Trudy says the facilitation of the programme goes beyond the students. “KOH work with their whānau, school and community and together, we encourage our Māori students to explore tertiary education.”

Te Whatu Ora Pou Taki Educator Matt Kiore says it’s a privilege to be able to help young Māori students.

“We want the tauira to know they don’t stand alone – we are here to catch them if they fall, and we are honoured to have this opportunity to help them make some big life decisions.”

For more information about the Kia ora Hauora programme: www.kiaorahauora.co.nz