The Youth Guarantee Programme and funding changes to the industry training sector have significant impact on Pacific and Maori students looking for a second chance at education to create a fulfilling career.
Sio Setefano isn’t a bad kid. At age 17, he just didn’t want to spend another year at school.
“I knew another year there would be a waste of time and it wouldn’t help me get to where I wanted to be,” says Sio, one of six children who came to New Zealand with his parents from Kolonga in Tonga in 2002 in search of a better life.
Sio, a talented ands aspiring rugby player who was part of the Counties Manukau Rugby Academy, wants to be a Personal Trainer. He loves sport, enjoys meeting people and realises he needs something else besides a professional sporting career to aim for.
Having failed to gain the necessary credits at school to chase his dream, he saw an opportunity when he heard about the launch of Youth Guarantee Scheme, which seeks youth who:
• are 16 or 17 years old, and will not be turning 18 within three months of starting study
• have completed Year 11 and achieved NCEA Level 1 or less
• are thinking of leaving school to either get a job or work towards a career
• want to learn practical skills and be more motivated in a non-school setting
• are prepared to enroll in a fulltime course for a minimum of one year
In 2010, 2000 Youth Guarantee places were made available from tertiary education institutes throughout New Zealand. It requires all students to attend classes and while student loans are not permitted, the programme is free and students can apply for an allowance.
After unsuccessfully trying MIT (Manukau Institute of Technology) which had filled its quota, Sio was recommended to contact the New Zealand Institute of Sport based in Botany Downs, 10 minutes east from the heart of south Auckland.
He succeeded and hasn’t looked back. His course this year was a Certificate in Sports Studies. If he does well in exams he could have the opportunity to earn a scholarship to continue studying (the Youth Guarantee funding is for one year) towards becoming a qualified Personal Trainer.
Undoubtedly Sio’s highlight was travelling with the NZIS women’s rugby team to the United States as an assistant trainer in October. He fundraised the $3000 needed and says the tour was a dream come true.
“I’ve always wanted to go to America. To be able to do it as part of a sports team was such a buzz,” he says.
At an NZIS evening promoting the Youth Guarantee’s Zero Fees Programme, Tutor Mike Clayton singled out Sio for his invaluable contribution on tour, emphasising such students are worthy of consideration for scholarships.
If successful, Sio knows the pain and sacrifices his parents have made will be well worth it.
“I come from a poor family and life has been a real struggle for us here in New Zealand,” he says.
“But I thank God that there are people out there wanting to help me, so I can then help my family and my parents know the sacrifices have been worthwhile.”
Sio believes the Youth Guarantee is an excellent scheme, but says the success is ultimately down to the individual students.
“It’s a great opportunity to get a chance at a second education on something that suits you,” he says “But it really comes down to knowing what you want to do and being prepared to really work for it.”
Funding changes
When the incoming National Government came into power in 2008, tertiary education became a key target. There were concerns too many courses were providing training for training’s sake, without creating a viable path to jobs.
As CEO of New Zealand Career College, which has 450 students spread over five campuses, Feroz Ali has made childcare a priority, particularly for Pacific, and the College has flourished.
“Whether it’s National or Labour in power, childcare is always in their plans and charters,” says the 37-year-old Fijian, who came to New Zealand with his family during the 1980s as a teenager.
“And because of the growing Pacific population and concerns over the skills shortage in some Pacifica Centres, it was an area we felt we could focus on and make a positive difference.”
Feroz has seen too many cases where Pacific people leave school without the necessary NCEA grades to go to university and are often caught trying to earn what income they can while managing a large family environment which can create its own demands.
“We created 24-week childcare courses that involve lots of hands-on work, pastoral care and tutorial support. By the end of it, they’ll know whether they’ve qualified to work the industry or not. We have pass rates of more than 80% and for many students, it’s their first meaningful education achievement they’ve made in their lifetime.”
Feroz, who is also on the board of the Pacific Islands Training Providers of New Zealand (PITPONZ) as a “de facto executive director” wants his students to move on and gain degrees at the universities.
“That’s my inspiration, for Pacific people to gain an education that will lead them into meaningful employment.”
New Education Initiatives
• Linking training with employment is a factor in the 60:40 funding split between the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). MSD, through its 86 Industry Partnerships and Work and Income’s in-depth knowledge of the labour markets and understanding of what employers want, will fund short, employment-focused training programmes
• National standards for literacy and numeracy for primary and intermediate school pupils, where individual progress in reading, writing and mathematics is regularly assessed against national benchmarks. $36 million will go towards helping children who are struggling to achieve them
• $523 million is going towards building and infrastructure of schools
• Incentives for teachers in hard to staff regions and subjects with 1800 opportunities for graduate teachers in a voluntary bonding scheme, helping teachers pay off student loans with other incentives pay off loans faster
• Six new trades academies nationally
• Funding to provide for 30,000 extra places in school holiday activity programmes located in less wealthy communities
• 100 places for a Prime Minister’s Programme for teenagers who, according leader John Key “have made a concerted effort to turn their lives around.”
“We are determined to do better for the one in five that currently leave school without the skills or qualifications they need to succeed in a modern economy.”