Student Success & Support Hub

Pathways Awarua

Access reading, writing, and numeracy modules specifically tailored for the Primary Sector. This is a fantastic free resource to upskill at your own pace.

Open Pathways Awarua

Supporting our learners

STS delivers training designed to develop practical skills, knowledge, and employability skills for people working in the seafood and related primary industries. Using innovative approaches, training is delivered in real-work environments, which is supported by using intercom headsets and tablets, allowing all learners to complete their training in a practical and evolving environment. This also supports our learners with their digital literacy and modern day operational practices.

Seafood Training Services also employs the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by ensuring equitable access to education for Māori and providing a learning environment that is culturally safe (without prejudices), responsive, and supportive for Māori success and all other learners.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Core Principles

Seafood Training Services follows the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by these core principles:

Partnership

Seafood Training Services enacts the principle of partnership by forming positive and respectful relationships with learners and their company management. These relationships help create a strong sense of belonging, where learners feel supported and valued throughout their training journey. By working closely with employers and all learners, strong connections develop naturally, enabling collaboration that supports learner success.

We aim to support learners in the way they learn best. Tutors build trust and rapport with learners, ensuring they feel comfortable engaging in oral communication and conversations that allow them to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. This supportive learning environment encourages participation and helps learners gain confidence.

Our training spreadsheet is used to track and monitor learner progress and identify areas where additional assistance may be required. This information is shared with tutors in real time through their tablets, allowing tutors to respond quickly and provide timely support during training and assessment and in an environment familiar to the learner, supporting a number of learning styles.

Delivering training in this environment also recognises and respects the cultural connections that Māori and Pasifika people have with the seafood industry, while supporting learners to succeed within their communities and workplaces.

Participation

Tutors demonstrate practical training and provide hands-free communication tools, allowing students to participate in learning while remaining physically safe and aware of their surroundings. Providing resources like Moodle with videos, workbooks, and study guides supports different learning styles and helps build the confidence necessary for active participation. Encouraging students to see the qualifications as valuable provides a sense of personal growth and future success, motivating them to engage fully with their training.

During oral assessments, it allows learners to explain why they are doing a task while they are doing it, proving their underlying knowledge without the barrier of literacy levels. This is especially impactful for ESOL learners as it shifts the focus to occupational skill rather than the written language providing immediate clarity for both the learner and the tutor (assessor) and ensuring that competence is determined free from misinterpretation.

Our staff come from different cultural and national backgrounds, creating an inclusive environment that supports participation for learners from diverse communities. Our organisation supports this principle by having Māori represented within our teaching workforce and have opportunities to contribute to the learning environment.

We also demonstrate the principle of participation by ensuring that learner’s feedback is reviewed and used to guide improvements to learning materials, support services, and training delivery thereby supporting a safe, inclusive, and culturally respectful learning environment.

Protection

Seafood Training Services focuses on keeping learners safe by supporting their holistic wellbeing and future success.

Physical safety is supported through the provision of health and safety resources and practical guidance that aligns with workplace requirements. Tutors teach injury prevention practices, such as correct lifting techniques, and ensure all learners understand safe ways of working within the seafood processing environment. Headphones are also used during training to reduce sensory overload and support learners’ physical comfort while learning. It also helps improve communication by allowing learners to clearly hear instructions and learning materials in a busy workplace environment.

Seafood Training Services also supports learners’ mental and emotional wellbeing. Tutors use simple instructions, visual aids, and repetition to ensure learning is accessible and understandable for all learners. Tutors work to build strong relationships of trust, so that learners feel comfortable sharing concerns or challenges. Personal experiences and conversations are treated with respect and confidentiality, creating a safe environment free from judgment.

This approach reflects the concept of manaakitanga, which emphasises care, respect, and the nurturing of others’ wellbeing. By showing empathy, patience, and understanding, tutors create a supportive learning environment where learners feel valued and encouraged.

We also support learners’ sense of belonging by using localised training units and recognising the strong family and cultural connections that many Māori and Pasifika learners have with the seafood industry. Respecting these cultural ties helps protect learners’ identity and strengthens their engagement in training and employment.

Family Services Directory

One suggested resource available for all learners is the Family Services Directory, a searchable online database that connects people with organisations and providers who offer a wide range of support services across New Zealand. This resource helps learners and their whānau access assistance such as counselling, family support, financial guidance, and community services.

Additionally, the Health and Wellbeing section below will provide other agencies that may be of value.

Access the Family Services Directory

Click the button below & then scroll down to "Access Knowledge Hub"

If you learn differently, you are in good company in the primary industries. The Dyslexia Foundation has a massive "Knowledge Hub" filled with tips, strategies, and advocacy advice.

Click Here

How to use the Reading Helper

You may notice a floating bar at the top or bottom of your screen. This is our Reading Helper, designed to make your study a lot easier. Here is how to use it:

• 🔊
  Listen to Text: Highlight any text on the page with your mouse (or finger on mobile), then click the speaker icon. The tool will read it out loud for you!
• Abc
  Dyslexia Friendly Font: Click this to switch the entire page to the 'OpenDyslexic' font. This font is designed to make letters easier to distinguish.
• 📏
  Reading Ruler: Click this to activate a highlighted bar that follows your mouse, helping you keep your place on the page without losing your line.
• ↕️
  Text Spacing: Click this to increase the space between lines and letters, giving the text a bit more room to breathe.
• +/-
  Change Text Size: Use these buttons to make the text larger if you're struggling with eye strain, or smaller to fit more on the screen.
• 🎨
  Colour Overlays: Click the coloured circles to change the background colour of the page. This helps reduce "glare" and visual stress. Click the same colour multiple times to find a shade that suits your eyes.
• X
  Reset: Feeling lost? Click the 'X' to reset everything back to the original settings.
• ⚙️
  Minimize/Hide: If the bar is in your way, click 'Hide'. You can bring it back anytime by clicking the gear icon floating in the corner of your screen.

Sorted.org.nz

Money worries can distract from study. Sorted is an independent Kiwi guide to money. Visit their homepage to find tools for budgeting, KiwiSaver, and debt management.

Go to Sorted.org.nz

Budget Calculator

Get a quick snapshot of your finances. Select your pay cycle and type in your numbers below to see what you have left over.

Regular Expenses

Credit Health Estimator

Your credit score affects your ability to get loans, buy a car, or even rent a house. Answer these quick questions to see how your current habits might be affecting your score.

Physical Health & Medical Advice

Healthpoint: Provides up-to-date information about healthcare providers. Use this to find a local GP, pharmacy, or clinic that offers discounted fees.

Find a discounted GP (Healthpoint)

Healthline NZ: Not sure if you need a doctor? Call 0800 611 116 for free health advice from trained nurses and health advisors. It's available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call Healthline (0800 611 116)

Mental Health & Wellbeing

1737 - Need to talk?: Free, anytime support. Text or call 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor. Reach out if you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or just need a safe space to clear your head.

Need to talk? (1737)

The Lowdown: A great space for mental health support. They offer free text (5626) and web chat for advice on relationships, anxiety, and everyday stress.

Visit The Lowdown

Lifestyle & Settlement Support

Quitline: Ready to stop smoking or vaping? Quitline gives you free advice, support plans, and can help you get subsidized nicotine patches or gum to kick the habit.

Quit Smoking (Quitline)

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB): New to New Zealand or learning English? CAB offers free, confidential advice on your rights, housing, and can connect you with English language classes or interpreters in your area.

Visit Citizens Advice Bureau

Alternative: Careers NZ CV Builder & Advice

If you'd prefer to use the official government tool, Careers NZ offers a comprehensive CV builder and advice on cover letters and job hunting in New Zealand.

Launch Careers NZ CV Builder