7. LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What reports has she received about the initial success of the Youth Guarantee for 16 and 17-year-olds?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
I have received a number of reports about the success of the Government’s Youth Guarantee. I recently received information from the Eastern Institute of Technology, which stated: “Student success last year was strong, which was very encouraging. Preliminary work on academic outcomes indicates that Youth Guarantee students did as well as, or even slightly better than, the wider student body. This is a great result, given that many of them could be classified as at risk of not achieving academically.” This Government is committed to addressing the chronic gap between those succeeding and those being failed in our education system, and this is proof that it is working.
Has she received any reports about how popular the Youth Guarantee courses at the Eastern Institute of Technology are proving to be?
Yes. I have been told that in 2011 demand is even greater, with huge support coming from local schools, families, and students. The Youth Guarantee courses at the Eastern Institute of Technology have proved so popular that they have now reached maximum capacity, despite this Government funding even more places for them. The institute is now having to wait-list many of its Youth Guarantee applicants.
Yes. I visited NorthTec at the end of last year—it has successfully embraced the Youth Guarantee programme—and in talking to the students I found that they were very motivated. Many of them had been at risk of dropping out, or had already dropped out, of the education system, and they are now considering taking up apprenticeships or further study in courses like tourism, hospitality, fabrication, and welding. This Government is absolutely committed to supporting those young people who are at risk of dropping out of the system, and that is why we are funding nearly 4,000 places this year under the wider Youth Guarantee.