Waikato One Of Five To Establish Trades Academy

MEDIA RELEASE

October 15  2009
 Waikato One Of Five Regionhs To Establish Trades Academy

The Government has accepted a bid from a group of 18 Waikato education providers and industry organisations to open the region’s first trades academy.

 The Academy will see secondary school students study part-time at school and part-time at a tertiary institution during their last two years of school, graduating with both a National Certificate (Level 2) and NCEA. 

The Waikato Trades Academy, chosen as one of just five out of 113 expressions of interests from throughout New Zealand, is a collaboration between Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology), 12 secondary schools and five industry training organisations.  The aim is to give students a head start on training for vocational qualifications to make it easier for them to move onto further study or into a career after leaving school.

Wintec Chief Executive Mark Flowers said this was one of the most innovative partnerships between secondary schools, tertiary providers and industry organisations in the country.

 “It  is a very exciting development for our region and exactly the kind of training and education model that needs to adopted more often,” he said.

The Academy will open in 2011 with students choosing to study electrical engineering, automotive, mechanical engineering, hairdressing, construction or hospitality. 

While the details are yet to be finalised with the Ministry, it is likely that the Academy will be financed through a mix of Wintec and secondary schools’ existing funding, as well as additional establishment funds from the Ministry of Education.  It will be run by a manager and have a board made up of industry experts and representatives from each of the partners.  Secondary schools will continue to be the main liaison with parents on student progress. 

Once fully established, the Waikato Trades Academy will be able to enrol over 500 students from years 9 to 13.

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