Canterbury leads Earn as You Learn interest as Open Day reaches capacity

_{Earn as You Learn will give young people exposure to world-class engineering, advanced technology and highly skilled teams. Photo:HamiltonJet}

Canterbury is leading the country in interest in the expanded Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa (AMA) Earn as You Learn manufacturing pathway, with registrations for the local open day showcasing the programme reaching capacity.

More than 130 people have registered to attend the Canterbury event, well ahead of Auckland, where registrations have closed at 83, while Waikato has 81 and Bay of Plenty 55, with registrations still open in both regions.

The strong response comes as Ara Institute of Canterbury and its industry partners prepare to open the doors at HamiltonJet this Saturday, 17 October, giving prospective learners and their whānau the chance to see modern manufacturing first-hand and find out more about the pathway.

Industry backing is also growing, with two more Canterbury manufacturers signing on to Earn as You Learn.

GPC Electronics and CustomPak have joined HamiltonJet, Argus Manutech, ENI Manufacturing, Enztec, Taurus Engineering and Taylors Manufacturing, bringing the number of participating Canterbury businesses to eight. A further four have expressed interest in joining.

Ara Institute of Canterbury has partnered with AMA, ChristchurchNZ and industry to deliver the New Zealand Certificate in Manufacturing (Level 3) through AMA’s Earn as You Learn model.

Ara Industry Based Learning Manager James Swailes said the Canterbury response was positive.

“We’ve got strong interest from young people and whānau, eight employers now confirmed and conversations continuing with other manufacturers keen to be part of it.

“Saturday is an opportunity to turn that interest into something tangible by letting young people and their whānau see behind the scenes, meet employers and understand what this pathway could look like for them.”

The 30-week programme combines three days of paid employment each week with two days of study. Learners complete three 10-week rotations with different employers, giving them experience across a range of manufacturing workplaces.

HamiltonJet Chief Operating Officer and Canterbury Regional Business Lead for Earn as You Learn Rob McKenzie-Carroll said the programme provided a way for employers to work together to grow the skilled workforce.

“Manufacturers across Canterbury are all competing for the same small pool of skilled people, and none of us can fix that on our own. Earn as You Learn lets us build that pipeline together and gives young people exposure to world-class engineering, advanced technology and highly skilled teams.”

Chief Operating Officer for both Taurus Engineering and Taylors Manufacturing Mark Weaver said the programme was a win for everyone.

“Giving young people the opportunity to see it, be part of it, learn from it and then decide on what pathway they want to go on is only going to be positive.”

Argus Manutech’s Nathan Hay said investing in training delivered benefits for businesses and their people.

“Investing in training simply works. That’s all there is to it. When you do that, more is brought to the table and gains are made which benefit the business and our people.”

Year 12 and 13 students, parents, whānau and schools can meet participating employers, explore a working manufacturing environment and learn more about Earn as You Learn, the application process and career pathways in the sector.

Those wanting to apply for the Earn as You Learn pathway will be asked to submit a CV and cover letter, with shortlisted applicants interviewed at Ara’s City campus in December.

Those interested can keep up to date with the application process here: Earn As You Learn with Ara.