Thriving with free study

JASON OXENHAM

THE RIGHT FIT: Carpentry student Zethan Feilo-Makapa is part of scheme that focuses on getting young people into vocational training programmes if they have left school.

JASON OXENHAM

THE RIGHT FIT: Carpentry student Zethan Feilo-Makapa is part of scheme that focuses on getting young people into vocational training programmes if they have left school.

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WITH a new semester starting, the government's youth guarantee scheme is thriving at Unitec.

The scheme, which was introduced this year, provides free study for teenagers who dropped out of school with little or no qualifications.

The initiative is designed to ensure that young people, for whom the school system is not a good fit, have chances to participate in tertiary education regardless of their circumstances.

Students like Zethan Feilo-Makapa have seized the opportunity. The 18-year-old Grey Lynn resident wants to follow in his family's carpentry footsteps and says he was surprised at how different it is from school.

"At school if the teachers know you can't do it, they don't bother with you. But this is a better environment for learning, they're more supportive of you."

Zethan's great-grandfather Masini Tukuniu was a woodwork teacher in Niue in the 1950s and an outrigger canoe carver. He taught Zethan, his brother, and 13 other Niuean boys the traditional art of vaka model-making that culminated with an exhibition held at Artstation last year.

"In the workshop we learned about canoe making. My parents are supporting me and my dad is into building and carpentry and I want to carry on the same trade," Zethan says.

"It's a good feeling when you make something and get to show it to your family."

As well as learning building skills such as furniture construction and joinery, vocational training is also offered in electrical engineering, auto and mechanical engineering, music, business administration and computing, retail, plastering, plumbing and foundations studies.

Youth guarantee scheme and foundation studies lecturer Beth Soutter says she has noticed considerable changes in the group since they started in February.

"This has been a massive step for them. Ask every one of these kids and they will tell you they didn't enjoy school for whatever reason. But since they've come into this environment, their attitude has really changed," she says.

"Just participating in their academic subjects is a big achievement. Their attendance and punctuality have remained excellent throughout the semester so it's obvious their confidence has increased a lot as well."

Unitec chief executive Dr Rick Ede has welcomed the scheme and says Unitec is supportive of initiatives that give students a sense of achievement.

"New Zealand is too small a country to waste the talent and energy that is represented in our young people," he says.

"This initiative will help them both develop and achieve their aspirations, and provide the talented workforce that our businesses and country need," Mr Ede says.

Up to 2000 fulltime student places are available through New Zealand tertiary education providers until next year, at a cost of $52.7 million.

- © Fairfax NZ News