Ethan Riley Curtis from Napier Boys High School attended the automotive course.

Tonight nearly 400 Year 11, 12 and 13 high school students from 21 Hawke’s Bay schools are celebrating their graduation from the Hawke’s Bay Schools Trades Academy. EIT has one of the largest and most successful Trades Academies in New Zealand.

Next week a further 250 students from twelve East Coast high schools will graduate from EIT’s Tairāwhiti campus.

“It is a celebration of the fantastic relationship between EIT and the high schools within our region and students who are completing vocational programmes,” says Trades Academy manager Paul Hursthouse. “The Trades Academy programme is an important pathway for supporting students into trades training and helping industry address skills shortages.”

Students were able to choose from 20 programmes including building and construction, engineering, automotive, hospitality and information technology.

Trades Academy manager Paul Hursthouse is delighted to see over 600 students completing Trades Academy.

The recent government announcement of 2000 additional Trades Academy places for New Zealand recognises the value of students commencing tertiary vocational training while still at school.

Another success of the Trades Academy model is the high participation rates of Māori and Pasifika students. Trades Academy has also proved to have a positive impact on student retention and success in their senior years of high school.