ACT is promising to overhaul how New Zealand schools deliver vocational education, arguing that too many rangatahi are being pushed towards university while careers in construction, engineering, agriculture and other skilled trades are treated as second-class options.
The party has unveiled a three-part election policy designed to give secondary school students clearer pathways into apprenticeships, industry training and skilled employment.
Announced on October 20 by ACT list candidate Paul Henry, the proposal would change how vocational education is funded, introduce new industry qualifications for senior secondary students and give employers a greater role in determining what young people learn at school.
ACT says the changes would help address skills shortages while providing students with alternatives to university study.
Ending the University-First Mindset
At the centre of ACT’s proposal is the argument that vocational training should receive the same recognition and support as university education.
The party believes the education system has placed too much emphasis on academic qualifications, overlooking the opportunities available through trades and apprenticeships.
ACT says careers as electricians, builders, mechanics and other skilled tradespeople can offer young people opportunities to earn while learning, avoid substantial student debt and potentially establish their own businesses.
The policy would seek to make vocational training a mainstream education pathway rather than an option primarily associated with students at risk of disengaging from school.
Schools Could Receive $2,000 Per Vocational Subject
One of the most significant proposals involves changing how schools are funded when students undertake vocational training.
ACT would allow schools to retain their base and equity funding when students attend approved vocational courses outside their usual school environment.
Schools would also receive additional funding averaging approximately $2,000 for each approved industry-led subject, with support available for up to two subjects per student each year.
The party proposes combining existing programmes, including STAR, Gateway, Trades Academies and Vocational Pathways, into a single system without fixed programme-place caps.
Funding would follow student enrolments rather than depend on schools securing places through separate programmes.
ACT says the changes would be funded within existing education spending allocations.
However, the announcement does not provide a detailed assessment of the total cost or explain how demand would be accommodated if participation increased substantially.
New Industry Awards for Senior Students
The second part of the policy would introduce Industry Awards, designed to recognise students who complete vocational subjects alongside relevant academic learning.
To qualify, students would need to complete two approved industry-led subjects and a related academic subject.
For example, a student interested in primary industries could combine practical vocational learning with agricultural science, biology or business studies.
The qualification would provide employers and training providers with evidence that students had completed relevant preparation for further industry training.
Importantly, ACT says students could achieve both an Industry Award and University Entrance in the same year.
The party also says the award would not become a compulsory requirement for entering an apprenticeship, preserving employers’ ability to recruit through existing pathways.
Industry to Have Greater Say in What Students Learn
The third component would give Industry Skills Boards an ongoing role in proposing and developing new vocational subjects.
ACT says this would help schools respond more quickly to technological developments, emerging industries and changing workforce requirements.
The party would also work with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to ensure credits gained through approved industry-led subjects could be recognised towards relevant apprenticeships and vocational qualifications where appropriate.
The aim is to reduce duplication between school-based learning and subsequent industry training.
ACT points to existing school-industry partnerships, including programmes at Ashburton College and Palmerston North Boys’ High School, as examples of what closer cooperation can achieve.
Its proposal would seek to establish a more consistent national system rather than leaving individual schools to develop arrangements independently.
What Could It Mean for Māori Rangatahi?
The proposed changes raise important questions about access to vocational education for Māori rangatahi, particularly those living in rural and regional communities.
Trades training can provide pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and industries such as construction, infrastructure, engineering, agriculture and renewable energy.
For Māori communities, expanded vocational opportunities could also support iwi development projects, papakāinga construction and the growth of Māori-owned businesses.
However, the benefits would depend on whether schools and training providers have sufficient resources, industry partnerships and access to practical training opportunities.
Transport costs, geographic isolation, access to equipment and the availability of local employers can all influence whether rangatahi are able to participate in vocational programmes.
The ACT announcement does not identify a dedicated Māori vocational education initiative or specific funding for kaupapa Māori training providers.
Whether the proposed system would improve outcomes for Māori learners would therefore depend on its implementation and how effectively it addresses existing barriers.
Balancing Academic and Vocational Education
The policy comes amid wider debate over the future of secondary school qualifications and the relationship between education and employment.
ACT says the planned replacement of NCEA already provides opportunities to introduce more industry-led subjects into senior secondary education.
Its proposal would build on that direction by giving vocational subjects a clearer place alongside traditional academic pathways.
The policy draws on research and recommendations from Skills Group and the New Zealand Initiative, both of which have examined ways to strengthen the transition from secondary education into employment and industry training.
However, questions remain about how the new funding model would operate within existing budgets, whether schools could deliver sufficient vocational subjects and how quality and consistency would be maintained nationwide.
A New Direction for School-to-Work Pathways?
With the general election approaching, ACT’s announcement adds vocational education and workforce development to the growing list of education policy proposals being presented to voters.
The party argues that strengthening trades training would help address workforce shortages while allowing young people to pursue careers that better match their interests and abilities.
For employers, the proposal could create more direct connections with secondary schools and provide clearer signals about students’ practical skills.
For rangatahi and whānau, the key question is whether the changes would make apprenticeships and vocational qualifications genuinely more accessible without limiting future education choices.
ACT’s central proposition is that success after school should not be measured solely by university enrolment, and that vocational education deserves a more established place within New Zealand’s secondary education system.
Whether its proposed funding and qualification changes would deliver that outcome will be part of the wider education debate ahead of Election Day.
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