Better Public Services: Boosting skills and employment
Result 5: Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification
Lead Minister: Hon Hekia Parata
Lead CEO: Ministry of Education Acting Chief Executive Peter Hughes
Result 6: Increase the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at Level 4 or above)
Lead Minister: Hon Steven Joyce
Lead CEO: Ministry of Education Acting Chief Executive Peter Hughes
Result 5: Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification
Why is this important for New Zealand?
Success in education is essential to the Government’s goal of building a productive and competitive economy. It also helps New Zealanders develop the skills needed to reach their full potential and contribute to the economy and society.
A Level 2 qualification gives people opportunities in terms of further education, employment, health outcomes and a better quality of life.
How will we know we are achieving this result?
The Government’s target is:
-
85% of 18-year-olds will have achieved NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017.
Table 1: Percentage of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or higher, by ethnicity
|
2006 |
2010 |
|
|
Pākehā (non-Māori/Pasifika) |
69% |
73% |
|
Māori |
34% |
50% |
|
Pasifika |
40% |
57% |
|
Total population |
59% |
67% |
The charts below show actual achievement of NCEA Level 2 or equivalent by 18-year-olds from 2006-2010, and then projected achievement based on (1) a baseline projection that current trends in achievement over the past four years will be maintained in 2011 and continue through to 2017 and (2) the additional improvements that will be necessary to achieve the Better Public Services target of 85% by 2017.
Progress will be measured by the proportion of people turning 18 years of age (in the year indicated) with a qualification at NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification. Data is available annually in June.
What are we doing to achieve this result?
Through our strategy we will focus on a number of areas including:
- Ensuring young people in schools achieve NCEA Level 2 or equivalent by strengthening the relevance of learning for young people through the implementation of vocational pathways, skills-based learning and stronger linkages and networks between schools, other providers and employers.
- Ensuring young people in other educational settings achieve NCEA Level 2 or equivalent by increasing the supply of flexible provision through the expansion of secondary-tertiary programmes such as Trades Academies, Service Academies and fees-free tertiary places.
- Identifying and engaging learners at risk of leaving education, or who have already left education, and working with schools and communities to re-engage these learners in education.
- The NCEA Level 2 target results will be measured annually and will be available each year in May.
Evidence shows that to achieve significant improvements in attainment we need 'multi-level engagement with strong leadership'. Underpinning all our actions will be a strong community and sector engagement strategy which will build leadership capacity and capability, galvanise support, and empower the community to take action.
Read the Boosting Skills and Employment Action Plan at: www.minedu.govt.nz/BoostingSkillsAndEmployment
Result 6: Increase the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at Level 4 or above)
Why is this important for New Zealand?
We need to increase the level of skills available to workplaces, better contributing to New Zealand’s economic growth.
Lifting outcomes for individuals is important – given that those with higher qualifications tend to have better economic outcomes than those with low qualifications. Across developed countries, an extra year of education is associated with increased individual earnings of between 5 and 15%.
How will we know we are achieving this result?
The Government’s target is:
-
55% of 25 to 34-year-olds will have a qualification at Level 4 or above in 2017.
In 2011, 52% of 25 to 34-year-olds have an NZQF Level 4 qualification or above – up only marginally from 50% in 2006. The proportion of the 25 to 34-year-old population with qualifications at Level 4 or higher was growing steadily up until around 2007. Since then it has flattened off and is currently sitting around 52%. Much of the growth historically has come from an increase in the proportion of the population with degree level qualifications (bachelor level and above). Figure 1 below shows the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with qualifications at Level 4 or higher above.
Figure 1
Progress will be measured by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) and will be reported annually following the release of the December HLFS results. Growth in this indicator reflects a combination of the ability of New Zealand’s education system to develop the skills and qualifications of its own domestic population and our success in attracting and retaining highly skilled and talented migrants to our workforce.
What are we doing to achieve this result?
To achieve this target, it will be necessary to identify opportunities for increasing enrolments within the tertiary sector, to improve quality and completion rates, and to increase performance to support the target. This will draw together a range of existing work by the Ministry of Education and Tertiary Education Commission in the tertiary sector, and require close, ongoing, collaboration.
Our strategy will focus on:
- Increasing student enrolments at Level 4 and higher. Qualifications at Level 4 and above include advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees.
- This will involve working closely with education providers and communities to ensure that we are both attracting students, and providing them with the high quality education needed by industry.
- Improving quality and achievement. This will ensure that we are supporting education providers to lift the quality of tertiary education and focus on those who currently are not completing qualifications.
- Increasing transparency through information provision, better tracking of progress, and improved links between providers and work.We will provide information to ensure prospective students, their families and employers understand the qualifications on offer, their links to industry and the outcomes for graduates.
- Progress against the target will be measured quarterly through the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) and will be published on the Ministry of Education's website. First results will be available in May 2013.
Read the Boosting Skills and Employment Action Plan at: www.minedu.govt.nz/BoostingSkillsAndEmployment