Youth Guarantee

The Youth Guarantee is intended to increase the educational achievement of 16 and 17 year olds by making the education system more responsive to their needs. Every student should have educational opportunities that work for them.

The goal is to create stronger links between senior secondary and lower-level tertiary education systems. Better coordination will enable better outcomes for all young people.

The Youth Guarantee will provide young people with access to qualifications at levels 1-3 on the National Qualifications Framework in tertiary education, and improve transitions between school, tertiary education and work.

A number of individual initiatives have been introduced in 2010 to support the objectives of the Youth Guarantee. These include fees-free tertiary courses, and Manukau Institute of Technology’s tertiary high school programme.

Fees-free tertiary courses

Budget 2009 provided funding for a range of fees-free vocationally focused training programmes for 16 and 17 year olds.

Learners targeted through the programme are those who have left school, are unable to find a job, and are ready to study towards a full qualification.

In 2010, 2,000 equivalent full-time student places are available. The investment in Budget 2010 will increase this to 2,500 places from 2011.

Youth Guarantee provision is available at 18 polytechnics and 12 private training establishments across the country.

The Tertiary Education Commission will measure the performance of the Youth Guarantee in 2010 based on:

• Retention: the proportion of Youth Guarantee students that complete their enrolled courses.
• Successful completions: the proportion of Youth Guarantee students that successfully complete their enrolled courses.
• Progression: the proportion of Youth Guarantee students that progress into further education or training or employment.
• Literacy Language and Numeracy: the extent to which Youth Guarantee students improve their literacy and numeracy skills as measured against the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.

back to top

Trades Academies

Trades academies are based on partnerships among schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers. They give students a head-start in an industry-related career, earning both NCEA credits and a tertiary qualification.

The Government has approved Southern Cross Campus to begin the establishment process for a trades academy. At least five other trades academies will be established from 2011, and the Ministry is working with another six providers who are preparing establishment plans. Final decisions on which trades academies will be funded in 2011 will be made later in 2010.