Maharey – New Qualification Provides Opportunities For School Students To Enter High Technology Pathways

Associate Education Minister (Tertiary Education), Steve Maharey has welcomed the introduction of a new National Certificate in Electronics Technology. The new revised qualification was launched at the ElectroTechnology ITO (ETITO) Industry Forum in Auckland this afternoon.

"This has been a very successful qualification with over 3,500 students from 140 secondary schools achieving credits in electronics unit standards over the first four years of the NCET," said Steve Maharey. "I sense that it is going to prove to be a real asset – for students, for teachers, for industry, and for the New Zealand economy as a whole, which, now more than ever, requires the kinds of skills and knowledge that a qualification of this kind provides a foundation for."

Mr Maharey reinterated the Government's commitment to the funding of vocational education and training, and to building linkages between schools, industry, ITOs, and education and training providers.

"The Government signalled its commitment and its future intentions in the recent Budget. Budget 2001 demonstrated our commitment to significantly boost the number of industry training places available so that employers can recruit sufficient skilled staff across all sectors of the economy. An additional $56m will be added to the Industry Training Fund over the next four years to purchase an estimated additional 17,400 training places.

The continued expansion of industry training places to an all time high makes a significant contribution to our goal to develop an inclusive knowledge society. The new investment builds on a $23 million four-year allocation provided last year, taking total investment in industry training to $338.9m over the coming four years.

Up to one $1m of the additional funds for the 2001/02 year will be targeted specifically to a new technology and industry training project. We want to increase employee's access to learning through the use of new learning technologies, such ass computer-based learning."

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