Declining School Tech-Course Offerings Cause For Concern

• Up to 10% decrease in student participation
• Schools opting out of tech courses
• Leading Kiwi tech-training provider trying to reverse trend

Participation in tech-careers and courses among school leavers is declining, at a time when workforce demand for tech roles is rapidly increasing.

A concerning trend is emerging from NCEA statistics that reveal a 10.4% decrease in participation and attainment in NCEA Level 1 technology subjects from 2023 to 2024.

The decline is even more pronounced for tech-related courses at the tertiary level, with a 7.6% drop in enrolments for Level 3 certificates and a 9.3% decrease in diploma and certificate enrolments in 2023 alone.

Leading Kiwi tech-training provider, Mission Ready, says compounding this issue is an increasing number of schools that are also opting out of offering Level 1 technology courses - either entirely or in part.

“Instead of technology courses and careers being popular, growing options among school leavers, there is actually now declining participation with Year 12 and Year 13 students, further limiting their access to these critical learning pathways and opportunities,” says Mission Ready co-founder, Diana Sharma.

“We’re especially concerned because despite this downturn in student interest and course offerings, employer demand for tech-skilled workers continues to surge. As an example, 92% of job openings in New Zealand last year required digital expertise, with companies competing fiercely for talent in fields such as data analysis, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

“The demand for AI and cybersecurity roles is particularly expected to accelerate in the next 12 months, driven by rapid advancements in technology and a growing need for robust data protection,” says Sharma.

In response to this Mission Ready is trying to reverse the trend by teaming up with 10 secondary schools and learning institutions across New Zealand, offering more than $150,000 in scholarships in the process.

“The first 20-strong intake of Year 12/13 student trainees from across the motu has just got under way with a 16-week Tech Career Launchpad programme course aimed at inspiring and equipping Year 12 and 13 students for future careers in the tech sector.”

The NCEA/NZQA-certified technology course costs $1920 for each student but is fully funded by the Mission Ready Foundation for the mainly low-decile schools taking part. The part-time course is integrated into the participating schools’ curricula and includes live Teams meetings with Mission Ready trainers, self-paced modules, project-based learning and video content.

Sharma says key objectives for the programme are challenging stereotypes that tech is ‘just for geeks’ and aligning students’ unique skills and interests with real-world tech careers.

“We are all about bridging the gap between tech education and employment, and creating pathways to higher-skilled, higher-paying roles in the tech workforce - especially for our underrepresented rangatahi.”

Mission Ready has scheduled more fully funded courses later this year and into 2026.

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