Trades academies and service academies

The funding will cover the ongoing operating costs (from 2013) of the eight existing trades academies, the four trades academies opening in 2012, and the Manukau Institute of Technology tertiary high school. It will also establish and operate up to five new trades academies from 2012.

The funding will also support establishing eight new service academies and cover the costs of continuing to operate existing service academies for which funding will be required from the end of 2011.

This initiative will enable the number of places at service academies to be increased from 320 to 480 and provide an additional 1,000 places for trades academies on top of the 3,000 currently forecast for 2014.

What are trades academies and what will they do?

Trades academies are partnerships between schools, tertiary providers, industry training organisations and employers, which offer secondary-tertiary programmes.

Recent legislative change means that students can now participate in a full-time programme offering secondary and tertiary education, which may also involve a work experience component, while still enrolled at school.

The goal is to motivate young people to stay engaged in education by offering fees-free access to the different learning opportunities offered by tertiary providers, and the opportunity to learn skills directly relevant to them and employers.

How will new trades academies be selected?

Providers interested in becoming a Lead Provider of a trades academy programme will need to fill out an application form which will be available on the Ministry of Education’s website in June this year.

Priority will be given to: 

• Applications from new providers in regions where high percentages of students are leaving school with low or no qualifications, and there is no current trades academy
• Applications that demonstrate a capacity to cater for Māori and Pasifika students, and students with special education needs.

What are service academies?

Service academies offer military-style programmes that offer courses in leadership and outdoor education, while also helping students achieve NCEA literacy and numeracy requirements. Service academies aim to help students make their next transition, whether that is back to school, further tertiary education, or employment. Service academies are run through secondary schools, with assistance from the New Zealand Defence Force.