Catherine Lye: Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa on the new work experience programme for students

Waikato high schoolers can earn a qualification and a paycheque with a pilot programme supporting manufacturing. 

The Government's teamed up with Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa to give students three days work a week with a local business. 

Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk says the industry contributes about 8.4% of our GDP, but skill shortages are slowing productivity. 

Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa CEO Catherine Lye told Andrew Dickens the idea of the programme began a couple of years ago between Waikato manufacturers to address their biggest challenge: the attraction and development of the workforce.  

She says the students will gain experience and exposure to three different manufacturing businesses over the 30 week programme.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So hands on experience qualifications and they get a paycheck.
These are all on off as to high school students
under a new program directly connecting them with the manufacturing industry.
It's part of the effort to reduce our skills shortage.
And the pilot has launched in the White Cattle and
Advancing manufacturer. Our tail Row CEO Catherine lies with me
now Hello Catherine.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello, Hello Andrew. How are you?

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I'm very good. How does this work?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
So we yeah, So we launched the program yesterday. So
we welcomed twenty students into the thirty week program. And
so it really started. I'll sort of take a step back.
It really started as out as a seed of an
idea a couple of years ago between a group of

(00:46):
world class whitecaddow manufacturers to address their biggest challenge, as
you say, the attraction and development of the workforce. So
we quickly assembled a team to design and develop and
endorse the New Zealand Certificate of Manufacturing. So we brought
together Hunger A Thou, the Workforce Development Council for Manufacturing

(01:07):
and Engineering, because we need them to endorse the program
to ensure we get the NZQA approval. We brought together
wind Tech who would actually help assist industry with the
design and development of the program. We brought together WEKKA,
who are the Wykatto Engineering Careers Association, who would promote

(01:28):
and market this opportunity to twenty three high schools throughout
the why Cato region, and of course ourselves.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
So what do they learn? What do they learn, and
what do they earn? And how do they do this?
And who's payment?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yes? Yeah, So this is a thirty week program. They
will spend two days in the classroom at wind Tech
and then three days per week for ten weeks with
one manufacturer. Then for the next ten week block they
will move to a other manufacturer for experience, and then

(02:02):
for the final ten week block they'll have experience with
another So they'll each student will gain experience and exposure
into three different manufacturing businesses and they will earn that
the businesses have all agreed to commit to pay these
students that are our full time students with wind Tech

(02:26):
the minimum wage plus one dollar. Wow.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
That is so good, Catherine, thank you so much for
keeping our kids here. That's Catherine Lai from Advancing Manufacturing
ALTAI ROJ For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
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