Welcome to Horowai, our Employability Awards specialist

Managing the AUT Edge Award and Beyond AUT Award role fits well for Horowai Broederlaw. She believes strongly in the value of helping others and is delighted to be encouraging students to build up employability skills through volunteering and leadership experiences, while learning the benefits of giving back and having fun.
“What’s not to like in this job?”, she laughs.

An AUT human resources and international business graduate, Horowai was attracted to HR because of that desire to help people - she’d had a bad workplace experience in the past and wanted to make sure other young employees avoided similar situations.  

She graduated as Covid-19 struck and, due to the disruption of the pandemic, took up a Case Manager role at the Ministry of Social Development in Papatoetoe.  Although not an HR role, Horowai found it very satisfying.  
“Although I wasn’t really in the space I had initially aimed for, I really liked it because it was about helping people and making a difference in people’s lives and that’s mattered more, especially over Covid.”

An experience that really stayed with her was providing help through MSD during the floods in January.  
“My heart broke for those families but to be able to help in some way either financially or by helping clean it was the best thing ever!”

However after two years at MSD Horowai realised she needed a change.
“I was doing a mentoring program at the time with MSD and my mentor suggested it might be time to find a new role and challenge.”

So when a friend told her the AUT Employability Awards Specialist role was vacant she decided to apply. It was an easy decision because she had done the AUT Edge Award while at AUT and had positive memories of the experience.

Horowai's employability award experience

Horowai says the AUT Edge Award pushed her outside her comfort zone.
"The award helps you grow and learn more about yourself in so many ways while you are also helping others. I realised that I had to be uncomfortable at times to grow,” she says.

Before doing the award, she was the type of student who came to campus, did her classes and then went back home.
“I didn’t get involved in anything else. I never knew what the university offered - the wrap around services that are provided. The AUT Edge Award helped me learn about those services and how they could benefit students. It really widened my horizons about university."

Although Horowai volunteers with her religious organisation, she found volunteering during the award opened her eyes to the diversity of volunteering done in Auckland. 
“Doing different volunteering gave me a better understanding of a range of organisations and why they do the work they do. I’m continually amazed at the love people have despite the challenges faced. And it is fun!"

She sees her own participation in the award is helping her a lot in her role as employability awards specialist.
“I know how students are feeling because not so long ago I was in their shoes, so I can share that and help them. I also know the benefits of doing the award so I’m keen to introduce it to as many students as possible.”

So yes, what's not to like in this job for Horowai!

What are the Employability Awards?

There are two employability awards run out of AUT Employability and Career Services. The AUT Edge Award is for undergraduates and Beyond AUT is for postgraduates. Both require you to do volunteering, leadership and employability activities that help build confidence and communication skills, widen students’ understanding of the workplace and their wider community and improve their employability. Although not credit bearing, the award is included on your academic transcript.

Find out more

Read more about the AUT Employability Awards here.

Register online through Elab Online for an introductory workshop.

Pop into our city campus home, the Employability Lab at WA202 (just before Student Hub).