Opening Doors That Change Direction

Recently, Puatala took a group of rangatahi through an Immersive Experience Day at Tesla’s Auckland site. For many, it was their first time stepping into a global company operating at that level. Not just hearing about it, but actually being in it.

And it showed.

Students were moving through the site, asking questions, getting up close with the vehicles and trying to understand how it all works. It wasn’t surface-level interest. They were engaged, trying to connect what they were seeing to what a future in that space could look like.

One student put it simply:

“The thing I enjoyed most was learning about the technology behind the vehicles and how Tesla is moving towards sustainable energy. It was also cool seeing how different they are from normal petrol cars.”

That kind of curiosity doesn’t come from theory. It comes from being in an environment like that.

Moments like this take an industry from something abstract to something real. Something young people can actually understand and engage with.

A highlight from the day was seeing a former Puatala student return, now part of New Zealand’s first Tesla Apprenticeship intake, sharing his experience with the group. It grounded everything. It showed that the pathway is real.

At Puatala, the focus is simple. Create real access. Back it with support. Make sure it leads somewhere.

Because it gives them something real to work with.