An Academy dedicated to providing vocational trades and technology training is expected to help employees to improve their skills and on-the-job performance.
The Wellington Trades Academy is a Government initiative in which 30 Wellington schools will work in partnership with the Wellington Institute of Technology (WIT) and employers and ensure that at least 60 students are provided with appropriate training.
Such training will be free and form a part of the Government’s Youth Guarantee Scheme. The Government expects at least 700 people to undergo training programmes next year.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said the Scheme will enable students to earn National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Credits and a tertiary qualification to get ahead in life and career.
She said trades training will be available in Mechanical Engineering, Construction, Plumbing And Gas-fitting, Automotive Technology, Creative Technologies and Hospitality.
“This exciting new venture will provide opportunities for 16 and 17 year-olds, currently at the risk of dropping out of education to earn a qualification while learning practical skills,” she said, inaugurating the Academy in Wellington on February 14.
Such youngsters will be better prepared to enter the workplace, take up apprenticeships or go for further study, which will also benefit employers and the economy, she said.
Ms Tolley said the enthusiasm and will of the young people at WIT were inspiring and impressive.
“The Institute has worked hard to be at the forefront of this innovative approach, with eight Trades Academies opening across New Zealand this year as we give more young people the opportunity to reach their potential, with smoother pathways to employment,” she said.
Ms Tolley vowed to make the New Zealand education system more flexible and accessible to people.
“Trades Academies will make a real difference for those young people who are better motivated in a setting outside the conventional school,” she said.
