Webinar notes - Trade Routes: Charting new pathways from secondary school to industry

 Attended the webinar organised by the NZ Initiative. 

The event provides an overview of a report on 'Trade routes: charting new pathways from school to industry training'. 

The webinar's description - Drawing inspiration from Germany's successful dual-training model, Josh Williams and Dr Michael Johnston will discuss initiatives in secondary and tertiary education to enhance the status and quality of trades and industry training.

Notes taken:

Oliver Hartwich provided overview, introductions to Dr. Michael Johnston and Josh Williams and chaired the webinar.

Sli.do hosts the Q & A -

Observed that 65,000 Students leave school each year and about 1/3 go to university. Only 6% take up apprenticeship and 7% are NEETs (sigh).

Cultural aspects in NZ mean most take the university as there is lack of visibility of alternatives and much lower esteem for trades work.

Education is not cohesive. The pathways from work into alternatives to university are not easy. Vocational pathways need to attain parity of esteem with higher education. Proposed several ways to bring this to fruition.

It will take time but there is a need to start the pathway at school, rather than post school.

For apprentices, starting on lower pay and moving to full pay will encourage employers to take on apprentices. A bonding system may be useful for apprentices to stay a few years with employer, post completion of the apprenticeship contract.

Also suggested the fee free for degree students be diverted to apprenticeships, which will cover most of the training costs for the 6% of school leavers moving into apprenticeship.

Work Development Councils need to be given wider scope. Instead of appointment by government, they should be appointed by industry and not only be responsible for standards setting but also approval for programmes/ and supporting providers (secondary schools) to set up themselves.

Need to be a progression from school on to tertiary / apprenticeship rather than a abrupt shift.

Josh contributed the Forward for the report. Important to not just 'drag and drop' the German dual system across but to think through the things that will work for us in Aotearoa.

Provided a background on how a decade ago, Youth Pathways was launched, along with Arthur Graves. There are initiatives - STAR, Gateway etc. but they not always well coordinated. Specialising at high school may be difficult later on, but they provide a good start.

Provided some examples of schools that are doing good work in this area. Important that all the ones who are successful have good connections and networks with their local communities, employers and industries.

The ecosystem to support change in this area needs to be undertaken but requires multiple connections and a holistic understanding to work out what will work.

Q & A ensured of the 30+ questions collected on sli.do.

Interesting presentation and some recommendations make good sense. Had to leave to be at another meeting so missed the bulk of the Q & A.