INNOVATION ACADEMY
Avondale College's Innovation Academy aims to bridge a widening gap between IT education and the digital marketplace. Students use sophisticated, industry-standard technology to create their own market-ready solutions and gain educational qualifications and industry-benchmarked certifications along the way.
It's a strategy that already is gaining results. Avondale College students are earning NZQA, CAIE, MOS, Adobe and Autodesk certifications alongside a proven-experience portfolio that will see the 'hit the ground running' in any corporate digital environment.
The wider implications of this success are promising - not only for the individual students themselves, but for the future of New Zealand innovation in a globally competitive marketplace.
HOW IT WORKS
The Innovation Academy runs from 8:00am-8:50am each weekday morning, and at lunchtimes.
Inside the classroom students are able to work on exciting real-world innovation projects using leading edge technology.
In partnership with New Zealand Industry Qualifications (NZIQ), students work toward achieving a variety of professional IT qualifications in a range of applications.
Students will also have the opportunity to prepare for the Microsoft Office Specialist competitions, at national and potentially international levels.
To find out more, please contact Baobin Deng, Innovation Academy, zdeb@avcol.school.nz
MICROSOFT COMPETITIONS
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The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Champs is the world's largest IT competition.
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19 Avcol students have won top-10 places at the MOS World Champs in the USA - including one gold, one silver and one bronze medalist!
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From 750,000 competitors, Tristan Mona won the title of World Champion in PowerPoint
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MEET TRISTAN MONA
"I've been taking part in the Microsoft Office competition for the past four years. My experience has ranged from being a Year 9 too timid to take a test – to winning the entire thing on the world stage representing my country of New Zealand and also my Samoan ethnic roots (in 2018). In 2020 I came first in the national competition.
Microsoft applications are among the most used in the world, and being certified in their usage is always a nice thing to have on your CV or resume. I’m grateful that my participation over the last few years has offered me a way to differentiate myself from my other students and peers too, which helps my confidence in other areas both in school and out of school."