A message from the Minister of Education

I am delighted to be a part of this edition of Career Edge, with only a couple of months to go before the anniversary of my first year in office as Minister of Education, Minister for Tertiary Education and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office.

It is a real privilege to hold these positions as education has always been my passion.

I know that Career Services plays an important role for the education community in helping to make this Government’s priorities a reality.

We are committed to lifting educational achievement and progress for all students in New Zealand. We want to make sure our nation’s children and young people have the knowledge, skills and values needed to be successful citizens in the 21st Century.

Of course, there are many different pathways to follow before choosing a career. I decided to have my family earlier in life, while working as a computer programmer. I then got involved in local body politics, in time entered parliament, and now proudly represent the East Coast as MP, with an electorate that covers the region from Gisborne right around the East Cape to the Whakatane Plains.

There is no underestimating the challenges this country faces in the current economic climate. This Government is focusing on education and skills as part of the main drivers to ensure that our return to growth continues as strongly as possible, for as long as possible.

Included in this are Trades Academies, which will provide opportunities to school-aged students to undertake trades and technology programmes.

They will be based on partnerships between schools, tertiary institutions, industry training organisations and employers. Currently, we have 11 plans for academies, some of them truly innovative, which are now at the stage of putting together a business proposal. 

For some of our young people, the school system isn’t a good fit. The Youth Guarantee is a key initiative in ensuring that these young people have opportunities to participate in tertiary education without paying fees.

There will be up to 2000 full-time equivalent student places for the Youth Guarantee in 2010 and 2011, at a cost of $52.7 million. The scheme will focus on areas with high youth unemployment rates and look at access to suitable vocational training programmes.

Underpinning all of this is the introduction of National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics in all English-medium primary and intermediate schools next year.

National Standards aim to improve student achievement in literacy and numeracy by being clear about what students should achieve and by when, with schools required to report in plain language to parents about their child’s progress. The standards will also enable schools and teachers to identify and support students who need additional support.

I believe this is vital for lifting achievement for our children, and giving them the best possible chance as they set out on the road to successful careers.

We want to make a difference to the lives of all New Zealanders. I am confident that we are on the right path to doing that.