Ashburton College goes to work

"Each student has an individual programme which has been worked out with each employer"

Left - Osintai Karotu using a jigsaw. Right - David Morrison uses a router to smooth a hand-hold. These Ashburton students have been measured up for safety gear - overalls, boots and glasses - which have been covered by sponsors of the programme.

Ashburton College and local Ashburton businesses are working together to help students achieve qualifications and employment.

This year, a group of about 15 senior students from Ashburton College will embark on a full-year programme that gives them the chance to try out possible career options in 33 different trades and earn credits towards NCEA qualifications.

The programme is new and will be trialed this year. The school and the business community are hoping the programme will provide students with pathways to work in Ashburton where there is a shortage of skilled tradespeople, as well as ensuring they don't miss out on getting NCEA qualifications.

Students will spend two days at school where they will focus on numeracy and literacy skills and three days in workplaces around Ashburton.

Head of the local employers group, Enterprise Ashburton, Tim Fitzgerald said 150 employers in trades ranging from electrical, carpentry, mechanics, hairdressing, agriculture and even horse training are taking part.

The programme was not about just "parking students" in a workplace for a year.

"Each student has an individual programme which has been worked out with each employer," Mr Fitzgerald said.

In the first six weeks of the course students will learn basic employment skills, such as health and safety issues and how to manage time and fill out time sheets. Then it's straight into the hurly-burly of everyday work.

Each student will begin by working in 10 different trades and by the last part of the year will have narrowed the field down to three.

Mr Fitzgerald says by then the students should have a good idea if they see themselves going into one of the trades.

"Often a student may think they want to be an electrician or a plumber or a mechanic and they don't find out until they've committed to that trade that there were other options they could have taken but didn't know about.

"This way they get to try work they may not have even thought about," he said.

Ashburton College Deputy Principal Chris Buckland says the students were interviewed for positions on the programme.

"We have an undertaking from the students that they will be here at school for a year, as we are keen that they maximise both their chances of a job and of getting their level 2 or 3 NCEA through the programme."

While employers may be keen to hire the students on a permanent basis to fill much needed apprentice positions, they have undertaken not to lure them away from school during the year.

"I don't mind if they offer a student a job in April as long as it doesn't start until November," Mr Buckland said.

As part of the programme the students may also attend short courses on industry at the Trades Innovation Institute based at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.