Contact
kiaora@standtall.nz
Stand Tall Community Trust
Creating the conditions for all youth to maximise their potential so that they can build the future they want to see.
Stand Tall Community Trust 148 Durham Street Tauranga 3110 Aotearoa - New Zealand | 
kiaora@standtall.nz
How we approach Pathways
We focus on building the capability to navigate pathways through education, training, and work over time.
Why pathways feel hard to navigate
Across Aotearoa, there is no shortage of pathways through education, training, and work. Yet many young people still struggle to move through them. This is not because they lack motivation or ability. It is because pathways are designed to make sense to institutions, not to the people expected to navigate them.Pathways are organised around qualifications, programmes, sectors, and funding streams. These are necessary from a system point of view.
From a young person’s perspective, however, they can feel fragmented and hard to connect to real life. As a result, many young people disengage at transition points, between school and work, between study and training, or after something doesn’t work.
It is not because they can’t succeed, but because the system is hard to read from where they are.
How pathways are currently delivered
Pathways guidance is delivered by many dedicated professionals: careers teachers, youth workers, job brokers, vocational tutors, industry training facilitators, and workforce development teams. This work often focuses on:- explaining available options
- supporting decisions at key moments
- helping meet entry requirements
- aligning individuals to programmes or roles
The gap: pathway literacy from the young person’s perspective
New Zealand has employability pathways. What it lacks is shared, user-centred pathway literacy.
Pathway literacy is the ability to:- make sense of options and expectations
- test direction without fear of failure
- adjust when something doesn’t work
- re-engage with education, training, or work
- navigate uncertainty over time
This is not a one-off decision. It is an ongoing capability that supports sustained participation in learning and work.
What Stand Tall does differently
Stand Tall does not design pathways, deliver qualifications, or place young people into jobs.
Instead, we build the capabilities young people need to navigate employability pathways over time including entering, sustaining, and re-entering education, training, and work. We do this by:
Instead, we build the capabilities young people need to navigate employability pathways over time including entering, sustaining, and re-entering education, training, and work. We do this by:
- working alongside young people through real experiences
- using entrepreneurial capabilities as practical tools for sense-making and adaptation
- supporting learning while young people are moving
- strengthening confidence and persistence at transition points
How young people build confidence and capability by navigating education, training, and work through real experiences — with support and reflection.
At the start I just wanted a clear answer. Now I’m more comfortable figuring things out, adapting, and trying again.
— Onramps participant
By employability, we mean the capability to:
- enter education, training, or work
- sustain participation when challenges arise
- adapt and progress as circumstances change
- re-engage after disruption
Stand Tall treats delivery as a learning platform.
As we work alongside young people, we pay close attention to:
As we work alongside young people, we pay close attention to:
- where transitions break down
- what creates confidence or confusion
- how different parts of the system interact in practice
This is long-term work. We are committed to it through partnership, evidence-informed practice, and continuous learning.
© 2022 by Stand Tall Community Trust. Registered Charity CC59121.
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