Ross PreeceAshburton College’s Year 12 student numbers might be dropping, but they’re dropping for all the right reasons, says principal Ross Preece.

The school year had been marked by a steady outflow of Year 12 students who had gained level 2 NCEA and who had managed to secure jobs, he said.

Those were students who had no intention of returning for level three and were actively in the job market.

And the good news for those students was that they were finding meaningful employment.

Most who left for employment did so from August on, but a few had achieved level two and found jobs as early as the end of term one, Preece said.

“There seem to be heaps of jobs around. Every day in our notices there are job offers  – we had three really good jobs on one day last week – and there’s good competition for those jobs among students and it’s good to see there’s also competition among employers for good employees.”

Preece said he was pleased with the way employers were coming to the college looking for students.

“They’re cottoning on to the idea that the best place to come for employees is to schools.”

The school was also being proactive in working with students to find work opportunities, he said, because every young person who gained a job in the district was a young person kept in the community. It was also part of the college’s drive to keep every young person in education, training, or in work, he said.

The growth in Year 12 students keen to move into the workforce was part of a growing trend where young people were becoming less willing to take on debt or huge student loans.

“They recognise you can make a really good living with a trade. If you’re bright and capable you don’t necessarily need to go to uni and get a big student loan.”

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 17 November 2018