Increasing populations and increasingly diverse populations also place pressure on these services. There will always be a demand for well-qualified and enthusiastic teachers and effective, caring and professional social workers and services. The Faculty of Education provides reputable qualifications to enter into these fields.
Depending on the programme you study you could be working with under-five-year olds (early childhood education), new entrants through to Year 8 (primary teaching) or Year 9 to Year 13 (secondary teaching).
You might choose to go on to specialise in an area of teaching or take your teaching qualification to work in a broader area of education.
Your skills as a teacher are also transferable to other professions. The personal skills that you will develop, such as excellent communication and organisational skills, creativity and flexibility, are valued by employers in almost every field of work. While we never like to lose great teachers from the profession, it's always nice to know that you will have a wide range of options.
A career in social work
Social workers are in high demand. There is a shortage of qualified social workers particularly in New Zealand, Australia and the UK so there are plenty of job opportunities out there.
As a qualified social worker, you could work in a wide range of fields from health, child and family services, child protection and justice to youth, mental health, disability services, probation service and community organisations. You could choose to work in direct service with clients or in areas such as policy, research or education.
With a high demand for social workers overseas, a qualification in social work could be your passport to overseas travel and employment.
A career in human services
A qualification in human services can lead to work in a wide range of human service agencies and community settings. Choosing to major in either youth work or disability studies gives you specialised skills, insight and knowledge in these fields and will enhance your career prospects.
You might be working in direct service with people or work in areas such as policy, management or research. Your qualification will strengthen your chances of gaining leadership and management positions.
Majoring in Youth Work will enable you to work in services such as youth health and counselling, community development, truancy or alcohol and drug services.
Majoring in Disability Studies will enable you to work in government departments, mental health services, schools or organisations such as Spectrum Care (supporting people with disabilities), Royal NZ Foundation for the Blind or IHC.
Other careers in Education
An Education qualification can open the door to a range of other career options.
Besides studying education for the purpose of teaching you can also study education in its broader sense within the Bachelor of Arts.
You will learn about areas such as educational policy, child development or the philosophy of education.
The study of education can prepare you for working in a wide range of careers including: educational and social policy, research, human resources, social agencies and educational and psychological services.
Postgraduate study
Your experience at the Faculty of Education doesn't have to end when you complete your undergraduate degree. There are plenty more opportunities to further develop your understanding of your subject area.
From graduate diplomas through to masters and doctoral qualifications, postgraduate study will improve your career and salary prospects.
For more information on postgraduate study at the Faculty of Education, contact the faculty on +64 9 623 8883 or education@auckland.ac.nz
