Fruitbowl - Fresh Ideas from Hawke's Bay

Carissa Looij credits EIT with helping her grow up and find a career direction.

While she wanted to quit school, her parents insisted she complete Level 1 NCEA or 5^th form. Then Carissa worked for six months as a volunteer for the SPCA.

Meanwhile, her Dad, Chris Looij who was on the School of Applied Science Advisory Committee, heard about the 17-week Land Skills certificate. It’s 90 per cent practical learning with emphasis on the outdoors including agriculture, horticulture, animal care, tree care and forestry.

Carissa has progressed to the Animal Care programme, where she found that while she loves animals, it could be emotionally challenging dealing with them when they were sick or injured.

Now, having learned more about herself and her abilities, she has her sights set on a career as a social worker or a counsellor – she’s enrolled in the Intro to Social Sciences as a stepping stone to the degree.

Semester Two programmes start next week – so there’s still time to enrol.  Check out the website www.eit.ac.nz