ACT proposes Industry Awards as trades path for school leavers

ACT would create a qualification known as Industry Awards as an alternative to University Entrance for school leavers going into trades training. University Entrance is the school-leaving qualification for entry to university. Under the ACT proposal, secondary students who complete two industry-led subjects and a related academic subject would qualify for trades training, and a student could earn an Industry Award and University Entrance in the same year.

The trades-training policy was launched at the Skills Institute in Wiri by ACT list candidate Paul Henry and education spokesperson Laura McClure, according to RNZ. At the launch Henry said trades were not a second-best option, according to NBR. He said: "Stop railroading children into thinking that university is the only path to success".

ACT proposes an uncapped per-student funding entitlement that would follow students doing approved vocational learning away from school. Schools would receive funding averaging $2000 for each student in an approved industry-led subject. The party also proposes merging STAR, Gateway, Trades Academies and Vocational Pathways into a single uncapped system with funding following enrolments, as set out in a party post on X. Uncapped in this context means total funding would move with student numbers.

Under the plan, Industry Skills Boards rather than the Education Ministry, the government department responsible for schooling, would have an ongoing role proposing and developing new industry-led subjects where there is employer demand. ACT published the policy on 20 October 2026 in a press release titled 'ACT will put trades on an equal footing with university' attributed to Henry, according to ACT.