Friday 12 July 2019
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Giving credits where fees are due Almost 150,000 current and former students with unpaid NCEA fees will now formally be awarded their NCEA credits or qualifications It follows the Government’s decision in the Wellbeing Budget to remove the $76.70 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship fees, and write-off any historical NCEA fees owing dating back to 2002, when NCEA first started. “We want to make things a bit easier for families to make ends meet and ensure every student who
achieves NCEA can receive their qualification,” says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. “Current and former students with unpaid fees will now have their credits or qualifications added to their official NZ Record of Achievement, backdated to the time the credits or qualifications were earned “It also means that employers will now be able to verify that their employee or potential employee has earned their NCEA qualification.
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The Weekend Sun
Discovering an inner strength A Te Puke community hub wants to help Bay of Plenty women live in freedom, overcome trauma and discover their self-worth. EmpowermentNZ is launching a free self-development workshop ‘Shine Women’ at the end of this month, aiming to teach women about their worth, strength and purpose. “We have all been through our traumatic (stuff) aye, and we just can’t let it define us, because we end up living in these little boxes,” says programme coordinator Charli McLachlan. “This workshop is about women establishing their own sense of selfworth and belonging, no matter what they have been through. They can use the skills to empower their lives rather than hide behind it.” EmpowermentNZ social work manager Deborah Nicol says the workshop is needed because there is a lack of support for women in the community with self-esteem issues. “I have come across too many women from all walks of life who don’t think very highly of themselves, beat themselves up, have anxiety, depression, and feel unworthy. They are sort of hidden from society. There is a lot of services for at-risk families, especially for kids that are at risk and women that have been victims of domestic violence. “To be able to bring this workshop to the table for Te Puke for me was really important because I did see it as a gap.” The nine-week course will involve conversations exploring
The Shine Women workshop is helping a wide range of people. self-worth, art-therapy, journaling life,” says Charli. and learning about self-care on a “Women are looking to discover budget and nutrition routines. who they are. There’s definitely a It will also provide free childcare yearning among them to connect for mothers who are keen to and have a voice,” says Deborah. attend. Charli emphasises the Shine Women is an international importance of making the programme written by Hillsong workshop accessible to all women, Church based in Australia. particularly those who would not Deborah says the programme is normally have the opportunity to written in a way that is take time out for themselves. non-religious and can be “It needs to accessible to single applied in both church and mums, women who have been through traumatic experiences who community settings. can’t ever get out because they are EmpowermentNZ Charitable stuck at home with the kids.” Trust is a hub which functions to Both Charli and Deborah say help the community thrive. that an overwhelming amount It provides access to food, of women have already opportunities to connect with registered their interest in the others, receive advocacy, budget workshop, ranging from a help, social work and counselling. teenage girl through to a woman For more information about the in her nineties. workshop, call Charli on “It is such a blessing to see 021 027 74174 or visit that this programme speaks to www.facebook.com/ women of all ages, backgrounds, EmpowermentNZ ethnicities. It’s really targeted at Women from outside of Te Puke any women, no matter how old are welcome to sign up. you are or where you have been in
Emma Houpt