Trades Academies

Trades Academies will focus on delivering trades and technology programmes to secondary students based on partnerships between schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers. Students in Years 9 to 13, interested in a career in trades or technology, will be able to combine study at a Trades Academy with studies towards their NCEA.

The purpose of a Trades Academy is to:

• motivate more students to stay engaged in learning and training by providing them with a greater number of options for study;
• provide students with clear pathways post-school by giving them a head start on training for vocational qualifications and smooth access to employment; and
• improve the responsiveness of schools to business and economic needs.

Government's expectations

A key priority for Government is to help students to remain engaged in education and achieve worthwhile qualifications. Trades Academies will provide students with an integrated pathway into a trade through closer alignment of schools, the tertiary sector and industry.

A Trades Academy will do this by:

• delivering trades and technology programmes
  - to students in Years 11-13;
  - that take account of local and national workforce needs; and
  - that are aligned to allow students to achieve dual qualifications (NCEA level 2 and Tertiary, levels 1-3 National Qualifications Framework)
• developing viable working partnerships between secondary schools, tertiary organisations and industry that promote education, welfare and safety of students
• providing high quality
  - teaching programmes that engage young people in education; and
  - career advice and guidance so that students and their parents can manage career development

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Funding

The Ministry will determine how funding for students attending Trades Academies is allocated. This will include: the total amount of funding required, the movement of funding between schools and academies, and students’ access to tertiary funding streams.

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Governance

Where a Trades Academy is operated through a secondary school, it will come under the governance of the school’s board of trustees, with a management committee that includes representatives from local business, industries, other community interest groups and tertiary education providers.

If a Trades Academy operates outside of school, an alternative governance structure will need to be developed.

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Establishing a Trades Academy

The Minister of Education plans to establish at least five Trades Academies in the next three years.

Trades Academies could be structured in many different ways and may offer a variety of different teaching environments. These might range from on-site school-based delivery, to consortia of secondary, tertiary and business partnerships, or virtual academies that facilitate students moving between standard school delivery, tertiary training providers, and industry-based experience and mentoring.

The Minister has announced the locations of the five Trades Academies

The five Trades Academies selected to start work on their establishment plans include:

• Northland College
• Waikato Institute of Technology and Cambridge High School
• Wellington Institute of Technology
• Taratahi Agriculture Centre
• Catlins Area School

The Ministry will work with six other potential Trades Academies:

• Christchurch Polytechnic and Linwood College
• Trident High School
• Education Taranaki Incorporated
• Greymouth High School
• Eastern Institute of Technology
• Forest Industries Training and Education Council and Agricultural Industry Training Organisation

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Further information

For any further information please contact trades.academy@minedu.govt.nz [no spam] at the Ministry of Education.