Eastern Bay of Plenty Trades Academy Launched

Press Release

Waiariki Institute of Technology launches Eastern Bay of Plenty Trades Academy (EBOPTA) – Friday, 11 February 2011

Trades training opportunities for youth, part of the government’s Youth Guarantee scheme

Waiariki is proud to announce the institute will provide national trades qualifications to the Eastern Bay of Plenty in 2011.

The official launch is this Friday, 11 February 2011 commencing at 9.30am at Waiariki’s Whakatane Campus, Cutler Cres, Whakatane. Education Minister Anne Tolley will open the EBOPTA.

Last year Education Minister Anne Tolley announced that nine trades academies will open around the country in 2011, providing trades and technology programmes for more than 800 secondary school students.

Waiariki is the tertiary provider chosen for this region and is very proud to be on board with this initiative which is based on partnerships between secondary schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers.

The new Eastern Bay of Plenty Trades Academy (EBOPTA) will be based in Whakatane with Trident High School as the lead secondary school working with six other schools in the Eastern BOP to create a successful programme.

Peter Tootell, Trident Principal, says, “The other schools are very excited about the potential of the academy and the opportunities it will provide their students.”

The academies, which are part of the government’s Youth Guarantee scheme, are aimed at keeping 16 and 17 year olds engaged in education by continuing their academic achievements alongside developing vocational skills through trades and technology training. During the first year, students will spend four days a week at their school and one day a week at Waiariki; in the second year they will spend two days a week at Waiariki.

“At Waiariki, they will gain an academic education related to their trade, practical hands-on training, and work experience,” Mr Tootell explains.

The trades training available through the academy in 2011 could include agriculture, forestry, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, construction, chef training, hospitality, and business administration. Growth of the programme is expected and further training such as health and nursing, and fashion technology could be added in 2012 and 2013.

At the end of two years, these students will be earning dual qualifications, achieving NCEA credits and a Waiariki certificate which also includes embedded national certificates in the trades.

“The key thing is the student can be involved in tertiary education whilst they’re still at school, and they can work toward a tertiary qualification,” he says. “It gives more meaning to the studies they are doing at a school and hopefully provides an incentive to continue their education.

“There is a high drop-out rate of those students leaving secondary school and going into apprenticeships. This new programme will provide a better pathway in that we feel they will still have the security of school, still have their sports and interests at school, and support mechanisms like pastoral care, rather than a clean break where an apprenticeship might not fit their expectations, they might not have the knowledge of what actually will happen in that apprenticeship, and they might not succeed. This is a blending of secondary and tertiary study, a gradual transition that will better prepare them for the future.”

What will the students do then? “Ideally,” says Mr Tootell, “they would start an apprenticeship or go straight into the work force. A successful tertiary experience might mean that a number of them would go on to further study, considering the many degree options at Waiariki or other institutes that Waiariki partners with such as Waikato.”

Students interested in the academy have gone through a selection process to ensure that priority is given to those who are motivated and dedicated to successful completion of the two-year programme. The selection process occurred through October and November and up to 105 students have been selected for 2011, starting next week.

Another great part about this programme is there are no fees for academy students or their schools as associated costs are funded by the government. So, that means at least 105 young adults will not only walk out of high school with a tertiary qualification, be ready and more highly qualified to begin work, but they will remain free of the possible burdens of a student loan.

It’s a win-win situation for our future workforce, our industries and our economy.

ENDS

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