Education and Social Work
Amiria is of Te Atihaunui-A-Paparangi and Ngati Tuwharetoa. She is a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) graduate. She is now employed as a social worker in West Auckland.
Work placements
“My 12-week placement in third-year strongly influenced my career choice. It was an intervention role where I worked therapeutically with whānau who had care and protection concerns, in environments of violence, abuse and/or severe drug use. That opportunity confirmed that I wanted to make changes with tamariki and whānau. Today I’m a community based social worker in a role that allows me to work closely with them at an early stage."
“Initially I saw my Social Work degree as a stepping stone towards my dream of becoming a counsellor. But through the University’s placement opportunities, my passion for social work began to flourish. Counselling is one-on-one, but to make effective change for a child, we need to work with their entire whānau and living context.
Initially I saw my Social Work degree as a stepping stone towards my dream of becoming a counsellor. But through the University’s placement opportunities, my passion for social work began to flourish.
Career development opportunities
“As well as placements, we had workshops focusing on communication skills and interview techniques. The University does well at identifying these needs so that grads are well prepared when it is time to search for employment. There were also CV workshops to ensure we were fully supported in that aspect of job searching as well.”
Opportunities for further study
“At the University of Auckland, unlike other institutions, I was be able to do honours in fourth year. The chance to finish with a higher qualification influenced my decision. And a masters in social work would now only take me one year.”