First Stage of Modern Apprenticeships

First Stage of Modern Apprenticeships Rollout Announced

Skill New Zealand has announced industries for the first stage of the national rollout of Modern Apprenticeships.

The first eight industries to be covered are: boating; building and construction; dairy; electricity/electrical; engineering; hospitality; printing; and telecommunications.

Modern Apprenticeships will be available in these industries from January 2001, with a gradual rollout across other industries over the next 18-24 months, and a target of 3,000 Modern Apprentices in training by early 2002.

Skill New Zealand general manager Max Kerr says the industries were chosen because they have identifiable skill shortages, and there is likely to be higher employer demand for Modern Apprentices.

“We want to increase opportunities for young people in industries such as these, where the trend has been to employ older apprentices. Increasing opportunities for Mäori and Pacific Islands young people is also priority area,” says Max Kerr.

“We’re looking at purchasing co-ordination services from a wide variety of organisations – industry training organisations, group training organisations, tertiary providers such as polytechnics, private training establishments, and Mäori organisations. We’re keen to ensure that Modern Apprenticeships is supported across New Zealand by a comprehensive, nationwide network. For this to happen, we must create a collaborative environment among key partners,” says Max Kerr.

“We’re particularly interested in proposals for services across industries that will help to extend the benefits of Modern Apprenticeships to smaller centres.” The deadline for proposals is 20 October 2000.

Max Kerr says that there has been an extremely positive response to date from employers and potential apprentices around the country to the Modern Apprenticeships concept.

Peter Rushworth, who has been involved in piloting Modern Apprenticeships at the Electrical Training Company (ETCO), says that “the quality of young people coming to ETCO for apprenticeships has already improved dramatically. A whole new group of young people who may not previously have considered apprenticeship-type training are now interested.”

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1 page Background information follows

For further information contact:
Peter Palmer
Strategic Manager, Industry Training
Skill New Zealand Tel 0-4-801 5588
www.modern-apprenticeships.govt.nz

Skill New Zealand–
 Is a Crown agency operating at the critically important interface of education and the labour market.
 Develops and implements a range of initiatives designed to build a highly skilled and adaptable workforce.
Modern Apprenticeships Background Information:
 Modern Apprenticeships was launched earlier this year to provide more opportunities for young people (aged 16 to 21) to enter apprenticeship training. It has been piloted successfully in selected industries and regions since July, using a number of different approaches.
 Modern Apprentices sign an industry training agreement registered with an Industry Training Organisation and work towards a National Certificate at levels 3-4 of the National Qualifications Framework.
 Modern Apprentices are supported by Modern Apprenticeships Co-ordinators who work closely with employers to facilitate new training pathways and act as personal mentors to modern apprentices to ensure they successfully achieve qualifications.
 Modern Apprenticeships complements the Government’s existing Industry Training Strategy, which currently provides systematic workplace learning for over 63,000 New Zealanders. Young people will continue to be employed and trained under existing ITO arrangements.
 Modern Apprenticeships combines the best of apprenticeship traditions with a high level of local support and service for employers and modern apprentices. It’s putting apprenticeships back on the map, as far as employers are concerned.

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