Year 13 students at three Wellington schools will get a taste of what it's like to be a police officer this year.
Some Wellington students hope an NCEA course this year will help them begin careers in the police force next year. Photo: 123RF
Aotea, Mana, and Kāpiti College are offering an introduction to police studies course, worth 25 NCEA level 3 credits.
The initiative for the course follows a similar opportunity for students at Rotorua Boys' High and Rotorua Girls' High where it was first rolled out last year.
The students would learn physical training, mental health work, and leadership, acting Senior Sergeant Chris Kerekere said.
Police wanted to engage with youth more and were looking at recruiting people who reflected the communities police worked in.
Aotea College student Syatyche Maiava said the course offered a great opportunity. She wanted to be able to look after the community, and give back to it as well.
She planned to go to police college straight out of school.
Classmate Benjamin Tovio said he was excited to meet new people and learn about the different situations police would have to handle every day.
He said the course would help students become better people, and gain confidence in who they were.
Mr Tovio too wanted to get to police college straight after school.
Both he and Miss Maiava wanted to stay in the community where they were from.
Isaac Bloomfield was another year 13 student planning to do the course, and was grateful he went to one of the schools doing the courses.
He said having the police college so close made it easier.
Mr Kerekere said what the students were learning was a prerequisite to joining police college.
However, doing the course did not guarantee students a place at the college.