In just seven years, a Te Puni Kōkiri Te Taitokerau investment in a carpentry programme for 10 Northland College students has grown into a Māori Trades Academy catering for just over 200 students from nine schools across Northland. And those numbers are set to increase in 2014 to 12 schools plus NorthTec and 240 funded places.

In 2006, just over 37% of Northland Māori students achieved NCEA Level 2. A regional initiative – the Engaging Taitamariki in Learning Strategy (ETL) – set a goal to lift this rate to 75% by 2013.

As well as this growth in student and school numbers in the programme, indications from 2012 is that the Academy had reached above the target goal for lifting the number of Māori secondary school students who achieved NCEA Level 2.

Te Puni Kōkiri Te Taitokerau Regional Director Walter Wells, who also Chairs the Northland Intersectoral Forum out of which the ETL emerged, is thrilled with the success of the Taitokerau Trades Training programme.

“What’s most pleasing is how the programme has re-engaged rangatahi with learning and achievement that potentially leads to sustainable employment and possibly successful careers in the trades,” Walter says.

In 2011, the Ministry of Education began funding the programme now known as Te Taitokerau Trades Academy. “This was an important milestone for us,” Walter says, “because Te Puni Kōkiri aims to initiate and innovate to address areas of concern and, through our relationships with other agencies, we encourage them to invest further.”

As well as carpentry, Te Taitokerau Trades Academy now provides a wide variety of practical courses including Automotive Engineering, Hospitality, Bio Physical, Aviation, Agriculture/Horticulture and Retailing and Business.

Academy students can take advantage of the opportunity to learn a trade while still at high school, giving them a head start towards a National Trade Certificate and their NCEA accreditation.

Currently the Academy runs through four hub schools (Tikipunga High School, Northland College, Dargaville High School and Kaitaia High School) and five satellite schools across Northland.

Academy Manager Joanna Smith says, even though there is funding for 240 places next year, schools will put through more students because the programme is “very popular with students”.

When asked what the attraction is, Joanna says it’s popular with “students, whānau, community and industry because the learner is completing a course of study in their area of strength.”

“They have a minimum of 15 hours of teaching time in this vocational pathway which means the learner is seeing the relevance of their course programme, and engaging in both theory and practical aspects.”

Joanna adds that attendance rates are high because the leaner wants to be at school in their course. “The visits to industry and tertiary providers gives them the confidence to transition at the end of their course as they have been exposed to their new environment and feel safe and empowered.”

Image Caption: Tikipunga High school students (L-R) Ngarahupai Broughton, Dylan Lily and Oliver Wynyard.