Unit #1: Workforce Essentials

Introduction to Workforce Readiness

Subject: Business Studies
Year Level: Year 13
Curriculum Area: Social Sciences – Business Studies (NZ Curriculum Level 8 / NCEA Level 3)
Duration: 120 minutes
Unit Title: Workforce Readiness Essentials
Lesson: 1 of 18

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❝He waka eke noa – We’re all in this together❞

This whakataukī reinforces inclusion, whanaungatanga, and collective effort – essential in workforce preparation and adult education.

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Learning Intentions

Students will:

• Understand what workforce readiness means in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Explain its significance for adults returning to the workforce.
• Identify the skills and attributes desired by New Zealand employers.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Define workforce readiness in their own words.
• Connect key employability skills to real workplace scenarios.
• Reflect on and share their own workforce readiness journey.

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Key Competencies

• Thinking – Engaging critically with concepts of readiness.
• Managing self – Reflecting on their goals and personal growth.
• Relating to others – Participating in collaborative discussion and empathy-building tasks.
• Participating and contributing – Applying understanding in context to New Zealand businesses.
• Using language, symbols, and texts – Developing and interpreting vocabulary around employability.

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Mātauranga Māori Integration

Use of whakataukī to promote collective progress and inclusivity. Links to Whakahaere-whaiaro (self-management) and Waiaro pai (positive attitude) within employability skills. Encourage tuakana-teina relationships during small group tasks.

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Resources Needed

• Set of printed "Ki hea rā?" career posters (see NCEA Pathways guidance)
• Post-it notes, marker pens
• Digital access or printed case studies of small-to-medium NZ businesses
• Workforce readiness word cards for matching activity
• Whiteboard or digital board for recording discussion
• Reflection journals or A4 paper

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2-Hour Lesson Plan Breakdown

⏱️ Warm-Up (10 Minutes) – "Work Ready or Not?" Icebreaker

Purpose: Activate students' prior knowledge and prompt initial thinking about workforce experiences.

Activity:

1. Display 4 scenarios (brief) on the board showing different adults returning to the workforce (e.g., a parent returning after 10 years, a laid-off worker reskilling, etc.).
2. Ask students to stand near the one they most relate to or are interested in.
3. In each group, share why they chose that profile.

Outcome: Builds empathy, fosters discussion, and sets a human context for workforce readiness.

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🧠 Introduction to Concept (15 Minutes) – What is Workforce Readiness in Aotearoa?

Purpose: Define workforce readiness and relate it to New Zealand’s context.

Activity:

1. Ask students: "What does workforce readiness mean to you?" Record quick responses on the board.
2. Teacher defines Workforce Readiness for NZ context:
   • Bridge between education and employment
   • Skills for transitioning, returning, or succeeding at work
   • Lifelong relevance
3. Discuss impacts: changing job markets post-COVID, automation, Māori and Pacific employment statistics

Outcome: Students can describe what workforce readiness involves specifically within NZ's ever-evolving labour landscape.

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🔎 Main Activity #1 (25 Minutes) – Skill Match: What Do Employers Want?

Purpose: Identify and understand key work-readiness skills and attributes.

Activity:

1. In pairs, students receive a set of "employability skill" cards (e.g., Communication | Teamwork | Resilience).
2. Each pair matches the skill to a list of common job tasks or challenges (e.g., "dealing with a difficult customer").
3. Teacher circulates and adds prompts to deepen understanding.
4. After 15 mins, bring class together – each pair shares 1 card and their reasoning.

Outcome: Students can connect abstract attributes to real-world NZ workplace actions.

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🔄 Main Activity #2 (30 Minutes) – Real Talk: Employers Speak

Purpose: Understand workforce readiness from employers’ perspectives.

Activity:

1. Provide 2 short case studies of NZ employers (e.g., a local construction firm and a tourism operator). Each highlights what they seek in candidates.
2. In groups of 3, students complete a ‘Who They’d Hire & Why’ task:
   • Choose from 3 fictional candidates
   • Justify their pick using employer priorities and key skills
3. Whole-class feedback session.

Outcome: Encourages analysis and synthesis of employer values and candidate attributes.

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🧘‍♀️ Break & Refocus (10 Minutes)

Purpose: Re-energise and prepare the class for reflection
Activity: Light wellbeing kōrero: How are you managing your own readiness? Students stretch, breathe, and refocus. Leader (student-led): “Where is your head at today?”

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🪞 Reflection/Wrap-Up (20 Minutes) – Mirror Moments

Purpose: Connect learning to personal context; promote self-awareness.

Activity:

1. Provide each student with a "Workforce Readiness Self-check Form"
   • Personal strengths
   • Areas to grow
   • How this applies to their goals (returning to work/studying/etc.)
2. Pair/share: “One strength I bring to any team is…”
3. Contributions are added to a collaborative class wall: “Our Workforce Strengths”

Outcome: Students reflect with authenticity and build classroom culture.

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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Observe group reasoning during matching and employer tasks
• Listen for alignment between skills and scenarios during feedback
• Collect and review readiness self-check forms for understanding and next-step needs

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• How confidently were students able to connect workforce skills to real-life work environments?
• Which activities prompted the richest discussion?
• Are there any misconceptions about the New Zealand workforce that need clarifying in future lessons?

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Considerations for Differentiation

• Provide bilingual (English and Te Reo Māori) versions of skill cards.
• Support learners with limited work experience by drawing on community or school-based roles they may have held.
• Offer verbal instead of written options during reflection for students with dyslexia or writing-related learning needs.

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Looking Ahead – Lesson 2 Preview

Topic: CVs, Cover Letters, and Telling Your Story
Focus: Building personal narratives and documents based on today’s identified skills.

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Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero.
The food of chiefs is dialogue. – Watch how your students step up when their lived experience becomes central to the learning.