In 2019, the Government proposed a Reform of Vocational Education (Rove) then created Te Pūkenga. Now, the National Party has said it will break it up if it forms the next government.
So, is Aotearoa New Zealand on the right track with vocational education? Are we setting ourselves up to succeed?
We all know about trade apprenticeships. Trainees earn while they learn and combine practice and theory. Could we extend this concept to cover a much wider range of vocational education? Could we let people earn degrees through apprenticeships?
Tertiary study is expensive. In New Zealand, student debt is $16 billion. That is 80,000 deposits of 20% on a $1 million home.
Over the last four years, as few as 50% of nurses have completed training. The high rate of attrition is linked to the financial struggles faced in their degrees.
Being a graduate does not guarantee a job. Some firms now favour aptitude and proven skills over academic qualifications.
The public sector and businesses are scrambling to find workers. There is a skills mismatch and a lack of work-ready graduates.
In New Zealand, 82% of all university students are studying vocational degrees. Some of these students would learn better in the workplace. It's vital that we get it right for both the student and the economy. In many countries degree apprenticeships play a key role in talent acquisition.
New Zealand has a limited view of apprenticeships. Other countries use them far more widely. The perception in New Zealand is that apprenticeships are a pipeline for trades workers.
Both the US and the UK have developed their offerings to a wide range of industries. Apprenticeships are now available in accountancy, law, digital technology and engineering. Even the UK’s police forces now train their detectives on apprenticeship schemes with local universities.
Across the ditch, BAE Systems and the employer association AI Group will launch Australia's first degree apprenticeship programme in 2023.
Degree apprenticeships may be an ideal solution for the health sector in New Zealand. Recruiting directly from schools and training locally reduces the reliance on recruiting from overseas. It also boosts the workforce more quickly, especially if students are bonded to work in New Zealand for a minimum period.
Having spent seven years working for international professional services firms in the UK, I was lucky to work with many apprentices. Their enthusiasm and maturity impressed me. The employer ensures their employees have the skills to do the job while apprentices contribute to productivity.
From a student perspective there is little or no debt.
But degree apprenticeships can be a more difficult route balancing work and study. Students miss out on the “traditional university experience”.
Done properly, the apprenticeships can address skill shortages, open doors for disadvantaged learners and support the passage from school to work.
We need to get vocational education right.......The full article is published HERE
Richard Downey works for management consulting firm Hague Consulting, based in Wellington.
Tertiary study is expensive. In New Zealand, student debt is $16 billion. That is 80,000 deposits of 20% on a $1 million home.
Over the last four years, as few as 50% of nurses have completed training. The high rate of attrition is linked to the financial struggles faced in their degrees.
Being a graduate does not guarantee a job. Some firms now favour aptitude and proven skills over academic qualifications.
The public sector and businesses are scrambling to find workers. There is a skills mismatch and a lack of work-ready graduates.
In New Zealand, 82% of all university students are studying vocational degrees. Some of these students would learn better in the workplace. It's vital that we get it right for both the student and the economy. In many countries degree apprenticeships play a key role in talent acquisition.
New Zealand has a limited view of apprenticeships. Other countries use them far more widely. The perception in New Zealand is that apprenticeships are a pipeline for trades workers.
Both the US and the UK have developed their offerings to a wide range of industries. Apprenticeships are now available in accountancy, law, digital technology and engineering. Even the UK’s police forces now train their detectives on apprenticeship schemes with local universities.
Across the ditch, BAE Systems and the employer association AI Group will launch Australia's first degree apprenticeship programme in 2023.
Degree apprenticeships may be an ideal solution for the health sector in New Zealand. Recruiting directly from schools and training locally reduces the reliance on recruiting from overseas. It also boosts the workforce more quickly, especially if students are bonded to work in New Zealand for a minimum period.
Having spent seven years working for international professional services firms in the UK, I was lucky to work with many apprentices. Their enthusiasm and maturity impressed me. The employer ensures their employees have the skills to do the job while apprentices contribute to productivity.
From a student perspective there is little or no debt.
But degree apprenticeships can be a more difficult route balancing work and study. Students miss out on the “traditional university experience”.
Done properly, the apprenticeships can address skill shortages, open doors for disadvantaged learners and support the passage from school to work.
We need to get vocational education right.......The full article is published HERE
Richard Downey works for management consulting firm Hague Consulting, based in Wellington.
2 comments:
Regional attendees at university in a big city are at a huge disadvantage to the local students. The costs of rent alone are impossible hence the drop off now in students at most universities but especially in Wellington with the cost of rents there.
What we need is support for a regional model that can support the major academic requirements. With remote learning this should be possible.
Other benefits are major with families living closer and able to support each other. What is a family after all?
MC
As a private tutor in maths and reading I have adult students coming to me. While admittedly a small sample I have nursing students came to me for maths instruction. I do wonder how many of the 50% who don't complete the course actually lack the basics. I certainly had trades students also requiring maths instruction,usually algebra.
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