KEY POINTS:
Some students are being pushed so hard to go to university that they don't realise a lot of other options are available to them, says Stewart Thompson, business and industry pathway manager at Howick College.
"We've had a lot of students that say, 'I'm going to university.' And if you ask them why, it's because they haven't got any other options," says Thompson.
He says many students don't see the link between what they're learning in school and the needs of the modern workforce.
"In too many cases our students are going from school to university or polytech without knowing where the qualification they're doing is going to actually lead them to."
And while the overall unemployment rate looks good at 3.8 per cent, unemployment for youths between the ages of 15 and 19 has skyrocketed to 15.5 per cent. (Statistics New Zealand).
Two years ago, Thompson set up a program to improve the link between students and industry. Called Pathways to Employment, it consists of four expos a year where students are invited to learn more about working for various companies. Thompson is focussed on the high-growth industries that use fast-moving modern technology, including; automotive, engineering, plumbing, electro-technology, transport/logistics, furniture and construction.
"Students that see companies they like the look of will put their name down and the companies follow up at a later date for workplace learning opportunities, apprenticeships, holiday works or employment."
Thompson says the courses currently being taught in school on these topics weren't giving students the relevant information they needed to operate in the real world.
"While the courses are very popular, and the students certainly like them, their effectiveness was reduced by the fact that the teachers had been out of industry for over 20 years in many cases."
Approximately 5300 students and their teachers have attended Pathways to Employment expos over the past 18 months. Exhibitors have received 5459 expressions of interest and 1950 students have already gained employment. But he insists he's not trying to lure students away from university.
"All we're saying is, 'Here are your options. Make an informed decision'."
Some students in the programme have their sights set even higher than being a qualified tradesperson.
"A kid could go into the building industry or the plumbing industry to do an apprenticeship, not with the intention of being a plumber or a builder, but with the intention of setting up their own company."
The trades have a reputation that is unwarranted, says Graham Flanagan, careers development manager for Tools for Work.
"We've been told to think that academic and university is up there and apprenticeships are down there. But people express capability and intelligence in a range of different ways," says Flanagan, adding that with the housing boom, there is good money to be had.
"Certainly those people who have the knack and are good with their hands are often the people earning more money than the doctors and lawyers."
Flanagan's Tools for Work programme is often the next step in the trades' pipeline following the Pathways to Employment expos.
Tools for Work personally mentors students and has a recruitment service to help place them into industry.
He says students often lack the exposure to apprenticeships, career opportunities and workshops for hands-on work.
There is too much focus on university to the detriment of other careers, says Flanagan, but he is not against going to university.
"All we're trying to do is promote students to be in a position so they can make an informed choice. For some, going to university will be the right thing for them to do."
But for others who might not learn as much from a book as they would by doing, attending university could be a mistake, particularly if someone is good at working with their hands.
Flanagan also encourages students and parents to look at the financial implications of going to university versus beginning a career that will begin paying right away.
"Parents are starting to understand that with high student loans and what realistically a university graduate can earn compared with the trades, particularly with the skill shortage, the trades route may be the smart start for many students."
For further information about the Pathways to Employment initiative contact Stewart Thompson on either 534-4492 ext 879 or 027-306-4576.
