InZone Bus to promote careers, including health to eight local schools

02/06/2010 | InZone Bus promotes careers to local schools

The InZone Bus that travels around high schools promoting career opportunities to students is once again in the MidCentral District Health Board region.

Last year the InZone bus visited seven schools in the MDHB region. This year eight schools will be visited – two schools have hosted the bus before but the other six will have the InZone Bus visit for the first time.

Inside the bus are approximately 20 computer screens called PODs. Each POD promotes different careers. Students log onto the PODs and view a five minute film clip about the career. If the career interests them they can request more information and they will be linked to an industry website – for health this is www.healthcareers.org.nz

For the second year the health sector has a POD on the bus. This year the health POD follows the story of a young person, Neil, diagnosed with cancer and some of the health professionals he encounters on his journey. All the filming was carried out in the MDHB region. The GP consultation was filmed at Barraud St Health Centre in Dannevirke and then the journey continues at Palmerston North Hospital where Neil sees his social worker and pharmacist. The Medical Physicist is a ‘behind the scenes’ health professional whose role in radiotherapy treatment is vital but largely unseen.

The health sector is keen to promote the range of opportunities in health and to profile less prominent careers such as medical physicists as well as doctors and nurses as a means of highlighting the diverse career opportunities in health.

The InZone Bus is just one of many activities underway in the health sector encouraging young people to think about a career in health. For further information on health careers opportunities visit www.healthcareers.org.nz

The bus is visiting eight schools in our region at Otaki, Pahiatua, Dannevirke, Levin, Foxton, Feilding and two in Palmerston North, between 4 to 24 June. Students will visit the bus at each location during school hours.

The first visit is at Otaki College on Friday 4 June.

On Tuesday 15 June the bus moves to Tararua College in Pahiatua.

On Wednesday 16 June the bus comes to Palmerston North’s Queen Elizabeth College.

Thursday 17 June sees the bus visit Dannevirke High School.

On Friday 18 June the bus returns to Palmerston North and goes to Awatapu College. This is the third time the InZone Bus has visited Awatapu College.

The following week the bus makes a visit on Tuesday 22 June to Feilding High School – this is the second time the bus has been to Feilding.

On Wednesday 23 June the bus visits Waiopehu College in Levin.

On Thursday 24 June Manawatu College in Foxton hosts the InZone Bus.

For students and other people interested in pursing health careers check out: www.healthcareers.org.nz or www.midcentraldhb.govt.nz/working

Contact: Communications Unit (06) 350-8945