NQF giving students a head-start on life after school

The flexibility and portability of qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is helping secondary school students bridge the gap between school and work or further tertiary training.

Senior students in many schools are being given the option of work-based learning or attending tertiary training. From 2002 NCEA will provide even more opportunities for students wanting to explore these options as specialist industry study will have equal status with traditional school subjects.

Students will not only have their industry and tertiary based learning options count towards National Certificates, but all NQF credits and all specialist National Certificate credits will also count towards their NCEA.

Currently work-based learning and attendance at tertiary institutions can provide students with assessment towards national qualifications and many students throughout the country are giving their careers a head-start while still at secondary school.

Twenty-four schools throughout the country are participating in the Gateway pilot programme, a Skill New Zealand run pilot enabling students to engage in one day a week of work-based training in industries of their choice.

Tying wire knots was on the agenda for a group of students from Otago secondary schools who spent four days learning fencing at Telford Rural Polytechnic's Secondary Rural Programme. The programme provides access to components of the national certificates in agriculture, equine, forestry, horticulture and apiculture for students still at school. The students were able to attend through the Star (Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource) programme.

Throughout the country students are working towards qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework in electronics, fashion design, hairdressing, retailing, office administration, agriculture, tourism and hospitality to name just a few.

Students can start a qualification while still at secondary school working towards level one and two unit standards and continue studying for the same qualification at a higher level once they are in the workforce or in tertiary training.

At Porirua's Mana College there are 20 students involved in the Gateway pilot. The school's head of careers and transition Ruth McAulay said work-based learning gives students a really good idea of what work is about and what the industry they are in is all about.

Gaining unit standards towards a National Certificate while still at school can give students a head start in the career they wish to pursue. It can also motivate them to spend more time learning, either at school or with other training providers in order to enter their industry at a higher level.

"They've got pride in what they are doing. They feel important and know they are getting good qualifications," Ms McAulay said.

	Huntly College students May Tumutoa and Courtney Yates are getting valuable work experience at the Genesis Power Station and studying towards National Certificates in Computing through the Gateway programme. Training and Development Manager Dean Smith helps coordinate their work.

"It is good to have students in here to see what we can offer them in terms of employment. They see a good employer that will provide ongoing training and we have the opportunity to gain good enthusiastic employees once they leave school.

Secondary schools in rural areas have been able to provide solutions for local employment issues by tailoring courses to suit the needs of students and employers. Reporoa College has devised a year-long farm-skills course to teach basic farms skills to National Certificate in Agriculture level two. It is hoped the course will alleviate a shortage of workers in the dairy farm industry. Students will do two days in the classroom and then three days hands-on work on farms. Sixteen trainer farms have already signed on to provide farm training for the course.

Northern Southland College has set up a specialist agricultural course on the advice of a former farmer in the area who saw a need for such a course.

Students take part in one 50 minute classroom period a day for four days and one full day of practical on-farm work experience. Local farmers are willingly providing their time and their farms to give the students a day of practical experience.

Hawera High School in Taranaki is another school that has an active agricultural studies sector.

Brian Nicholson from the AgITO in Hamilton says there has been a need for agricultural options in schools for some time as many, particularly rural students, know that that is the direction they want to go in when they leave school.

"Programmes such as Gateways have made it a lot easier for schools to have agriculture as a subject. It gives them funding and makes it easier for us to encourage agriculture into schools," he said.

Once students have done level one or two courses at school they can continue with AgITO courses to improve their farming knowledge whilst they are working.