Mentored work experiences are structured programmes where you engage in practical work activities under the guidance and supervision of experienced mentors. These experiences are designed to provide real-world exposure, skills development, and professional growth within a specific field or industry.

Mission Ready works with 200+ industry partners to provide mentored work experiences.

Participants work on actual projects or tasks that contribute to their understanding of the industry, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. In addition to technical skills, mentored work experiences develop communication and teamwork skills that are so important in the modern work palce.

Our facilitators match participants to mentors to provide you with valuable feedback, insights, and referrals.

The mentors, are experienced professionals who have agreed to provide guidance, feedback, and support. They help mentees navigate challenges, understand industry norms, and develop professionally.

These experiences often enable participants to connect with professionals in their field, expanding their professional network and opening doors to future job opportunities.

For many, these experiences can lead to employment opportunities within the host organisation or with others in the industry, based on the skills and relationships developed during the program.

Mentored work experiences are part of our Level 6 programmes.

Your commitment is crucial.

Full-time students should aim for 30-35 hours weekly, while part-time students should allocate 15 – 17.5 hours per week.

Engage with online resources, classroom sessions, and assessments diligently.

For Level 6, a commitment of 40 hrs per week is essential. No part-time option is currently available.

After successfully completing Level 5 training, you can go into our Applied Technology Product Solutions accelerator (Level 6) to gain work experience.

After completing mentored work experience, you will be ready to look for your first piece of work in the tech industry. Our job coach will work with you to maximise your chance of getting employment.

Applicants must have the legal right to study in New Zealand and must be a Domestic Student to apply.

All applicants must be able to meet the NCEA Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy requirements.

If English is not your first language, you must provide:

• New Zealand University Entrance, or
• Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), or
• Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS.

By the end of the Level 5 Training Scheme, you will be able to:‍

1. Apply Agile software delivery and design thinking practices to contribute to the development of digital technology product solutions in specific contexts of practice.
2. Apply industry standard best practices to contribute to the development of digital technology product solutions in specific contexts of practice.
3. Apply ethical decision-making principles when contributing to developing digital technology product solutions.
4. Apply effective professional interpersonal and collaborative skills when working on digital technology product projects with internal and external stakeholders.
5. Plan and deliver an effective communication strategy for purposes of obtaining employment  or contract work.

‍By the end of the Level 6 Training Scheme, you will be able to:

1. ‍‍Evaluate project requirements and apply relevant industry-standard best practices to the development of digital technology product solutions in the context of practice.
2. Apply Agile and design thinking practices to successfully develop digital technology product solutions in the context of practice.\
3. Evaluate the ethical impact of, and apply ethical considerations to, the development of digital technology product solutions in the context of practice.‍
4. Evaluate their own personal management, collaboration and communication techniques when working on a technical project with internal and external stakeholders in the context of practice.
5. Critically reflect on own experience working on an industry project to gain successful employment.

Level 5 is intended for learners who are currently pursuing employment in a technology career as a software developer. The Micro-credential is specifically designed for those looking to pathway into employment. The learners most likely to benefit from this are career changers and skill upgraders particularly those with transferable technical skills, recent graduates or self-taught individuals with basic technical skills who are looking to gain employment within the highly paid tech sector, or upgrade to careers that require specialisation beyond foundational tech roles.

On successful completion, you will be invited to join Level 6 for a mentored work experience. Its primary purpose is to provide learners enrolled in the Micro-credential with advanced skills in digital product design and delivery through professional practice in a work placement project. The aim is to enable learners to gain experience, practice the application of digital and technical skills and improve their work readiness to increase their chances of success in roles in the context of their practice as a Software Developer.

You will need a working laptop or PC with the following minimum specification:

• 16GB memory
• 128GB SSD or HDD hard drive, with at least 10 GB free
• camera, microphone and speaker

Optionally, an additional monitor will make your life better :-) 😊

You may need to incur the following costs:

• Travel, accommodation, and food during classes
• Broadband internet access
• A computer or laptop. (Loan devices may be available in special cases)

Note: Fees and details are subject to change based on government policies and other factors.