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Result 5: Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification
Video: Open Polytechnic - "NCEA Top Up"
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:
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85% of 18-year-olds will have achieved NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017.
Projected 2016 NCEA Level 2 Achievement Rate for 18 year olds
Ministry of Education provisional data suggests that the number of 18 year olds with NCEA Level 2, or an equivalent, is projected to be around 85.2 percent for 2016. This suggests that achievement is on track to reach the Government’s target of 85 percent of 18 year olds holding NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017.
The chart below shows progress towards the NCEA Level 2 for 18 year olds from 2011-2016.
2016 NCEA Level 2 Achievement Rate for 18 year olds
The table below shows progress towards the NCEA Level 2 for 18-year-olds from 2011-2015.
Table 1: Percentage of 18-year-olds with NCEA L2 2011-2015
% 2011 |
% 2014 |
% 2015 |
2016 id="result5-section7"> What are we doing to achieve this result?
Read what the Ministry of Education is doing to achieve Result 5. Case Studies Result 5Result 6: Increase the proportion of 25 - 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 in our workforce to support New Zealand’s economic growth. A higher skilled workforce supports better innovation and productivity. Individuals with higher qualifications tend to have better economic and social outcomes than those with low qualifications. People who gain higher level qualifications, especially at degree level and above, are more likely to be employed, have higher earnings, and less likely to be receiving a benefit. How will we know we are achieving this result?The Government's target relates to the percentage of 25–34-year-olds who have a qualification at Level 4 or above. In 2012, the Government set a target that 55% of 25-34 year-olds would hold a qualification of level 4 or above in 2017. In 2014, the Government updated the target to be 60% of 25-34-year-olds in 2018. The target was revised as it was expected that the 55% target would be met before 2017, given recent trends in the measure and for other positive trends in tertiary completion rates. The annual average to June 2016 was 56.5%, up from 55.8% for the year to March 2016, and 53.5% for the year to June 2015. The annual average to June 2016 is the highest result reported to date, and is the second quarter in a row that the result has exceeded 55%.
You can see the datasets at data.govt.nz. Progress towards the Result Area 6 target is measured by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) and is reported as a rolling annual average each quarter. Quarterly results in the HLFS tend to fluctuate for the target, with small sample sizes for 25–34-year-olds. Annual average data provides a more robust measure. Growth in this indicator reflects the ability of New Zealand's education system to develop the skills and qualifications of our domestic population, our ability to retain domestic talent, and our success in attracting highly skilled and talented people to New Zealand’s workforce. Monitoring the performance of the tertiary education system, in terms of higher participation and completion rates for young people helps track progress towards the target. The proportion of 19 year olds who were, or had been, enrolled in a qualification at Level 4 or above, was steady at 47% over 2010 to 2015. There have been improvements in qualification completion rates at Level 4 and above for 22-year-olds. The proportion of 22-year-olds completing Level 4 or above qualifications increased from 33% in 2010 to 36% in 2014. These completion rates indicate that by 2018, the proportion of skilled graduates from the New Zealand tertiary system will have increased and will provide a solid base for meeting the target. However, the level of skills within New Zealand’s workforce is also influenced by migration trends. Changes to the skill mix of inward and outward migration tend to have different impacts on the proportion with Level 4 or above qualifications. Overall, those aged 25–34-years immigrating to New Zealand add to the skilled workforce as they have higher rates of qualifications at Level 4 or above than the domestic population. The outward migration of New Zealand graduates decreases New Zealand’s skilled workforce. In the year to June 2016, the net migration rate for those aged 25-34 year olds was 2.7%, up from 2.3% in year to June 2015. The net migration rate relates to permanent and long term arrivals and departures for more than 12 months, and excludes those on a student visa. A strengthening economy may be helping retain and attract skilled workers. What are we doing to achieve this result?To achieve this target, it is necessary to identify opportunities for increasing enrolments within the tertiary sector, continue to improve quality provision, completion rates, and the tertiary system performance. This will draw together a range of existing work by the Ministry of Education, the Tertiary Education Commission and the wider tertiary sector, and will require ongoing collaboration. Increase participation in higher-level study Education provision needs to have progression pathways linked to industry needs that support more young people to transition into study at Level 4 or above, and into careers. We are improving pathways for progression, by:
Improving quality and achievement at Level 4 or higher-study There is a strong focus on improving the overall quality of higher level tertiary education and increasing achievement at Level 4 or higher through tertiary provision at providers and through industry training. There has been an increase in overall course and qualification completion rates in provider-based study, and in credit completion rates for industry training. Improvements in the industry training system, following the policy review of 2012/2013, and an improving labour market, have led to an increase in the take-up of apprenticeships. In 2015 the number of people in apprenticeship training was up by 12% on 2013. Strengthening information available for students New initiatives have focussed on supporting students to make more informed study and career decisions by providing accessible information on the employment and earnings outcomes of study choices. Innovative ways to engage with students to provide information on study options and careers include:
Government is also strengthening the careers information and education available to students. An effective careers system is focused on what students need and provides high quality and easy-to-find information and advice in one place. High quality careers education needs to show students how their learning links to work and study options. The Government is proposing to transfer Careers New Zealand's functions into the TEC. This would make use of the TEC's ability to work with tertiary providers and employers so they can provide better careers information to schools, and coordinate with schools and employers on the skill needs of the labour market. Improving connections between educators and employers will support students to successfully transition to further study and employment. Case Studies Result 6 |