The Government’s ambitious Trade Academies Scheme aims to involve 700 students this year, with the opening of eight new academies throughout the country.
Three Academies, one each at Rotorua, Wellington, and Whakatane, opened last month, with the remaining five expected to begin functioning shortly.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said the academies are a part of the legislation enforced last year, allowing secondary school students to earn National Certificate of Educational Achievement credits and a tertiary qualification, while gaining practical skills in the workplace.
She said more than 700 students would attend trades academies free of charge this year, as part of the wider ‘Youth Guarantee Project,’ aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds who were at risk of dropping out of education and skills training.
“In Wellington, 30 schools would work in partnership with the Wellington Institute of Technology and employers to offer courses including Mechanical Engineering, Construction, Plumbing and Gas-Fitting, Automotive Technology, Creative Technologies and Hospitality,” she said, speaking at the launch of the Academy at Whakatane last fortnight.
Ms Tolley said that seven Eastern Bay schools will work with the Waiariki Institute of Technology and employers under the Eastern Bay of Plenty Scheme.
These institutions would offer courses in Agriculture, Forestry, Automotive Engineering and Business Administration, she said.
“The Trade Academies will allow students to reach their potential, while benefiting local businesses and the economy by producing young people who are better-prepared to enter the workplace. They will also boost the general level of confidence and help address the serious youth unemployment problem in their areas of operation,” Ms Tolley said.
She said the Government was committed to making the education system more flexible for students who are at risk of falling out of education, or who are better motivated in a different setting.
