Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

1 October 2015

Another 940 in Trades Academies from 2016

More young people will have the opportunity to combine study and practical experience with 940 additional places in Trades Academies, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

A funding transfer from the Youth Guarantee Fees-Free programme will add a further 600 places to Trades Academies commencing in 2016. This is on top of the additional 340 places already announced in this year’s Budget.

“This will take the total number of Trades Academy places to 6,190 a year, which is great news for these young people as well as employers,” Mr Joyce says.

“Trades Academies have been successful in supporting young people to stay engaged in education and achieve NCEA Level 2. They are motivated to move into further study or employment.

“Last year, an estimated 1,200 18 year olds had achieved NCEA Level 2 through Trades Academies and the wider Youth Guarantee programme when they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Ms Parata says a report by the Education Review Office showed Trades Academies are delivering “overwhelmingly positive outcomes” for students.

“Kids who were at risk of dropping out are staying engaged in education, building self-esteem, developing problem-solving and time management skills and gaining qualifications.

“Trades Academies not only lift student achievement, they help students into further education or careers in industries such as building and construction or the primary industries,” Ms Parata says.

The extra funding of $21 million over 2016-2019 for Trades Academies comes from reducing the number of places in the Youth Guarantee Fees-Free programme from 9,900 to around 9,500 per year from 2017, after demand in that programme has softened as more students achieve NCEA Level 2.

“In effect, the funding switch has been enabled by a rise in student achievement,” says Ms Parata.

The extra Trades Academy places will be prioritised to areas where there are more young people at risk of not achieving NCEA Level 2 and would benefit from having the additional learning choices offered by Trades Academies, such as Northland, South Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.

ENDS

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