Academy offers options for college kids keen on trades
Learning a trade changed Evan Hoskin’s life.
Now the carpenter and high school teacher hopes the new Taranaki Trades Academy at WITT will do the same for young people in the region.
If there are teenagers out there thinking of leaving school without qualifications, but like tinkering with cars or in a workshop, they should consider getting a trade.
“I would tell them my experience of going from school where I was looked at as the person least likely to succeed to where I am now,” he says.
Evan left school to train as a carpenter and it laid the foundations for his career pathway. “It’s totally changed my life.”
For the past 10 years he has been a technology teacher and is now based at New Plymouth Boys’ High School.
However, recently he has been working for WITT to help set up the Taranaki Trades Academy and introduce the idea to the region’s high schools.
“The schools are really positive about it,” Evan says. “Now it’s gone from concept to reality the schools can really see there’s merit in trades now.”
Previously, high schools were more focused on getting students to university.
This coming year, students keen on trade training can apply for the academy to undertake training towards Level 2 National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering or the National Certificate in Motor Industry.
“We are looking at a select of engaged pupils who want to be tradespeople and who can get the expertise that WITT has to offer,” Evan says.
To be part of the academy, students must stay at school full-time for two years. During that time, they will come to the polytech every second Thursday over 14-20 weeks so they can learn to learn to operate the machines and equipment used in industry andwork towards industry-recognised unit standards.
“We have developed a programme to run parallel with the school programmes, so some of the theory and practical will be doneat school.”
Evan says the academy is a strong three-way partnership between the student, school and WITT.
After gaining their units, the academy students can continue their tertiary studies or get an apprenticeship in the industry.
“Not everyone wants to go to university, but there was no career path to go into the trades – this (the academy) is the first step.”