First micro-credentials for secondary school students
Secondary school students keen to gain experience in the automotive industry while at school can now achieve micro-credentials.
MITO’s secondary school programme for the automotive industry, called StartUp®, has been approved as three micro-credentials by NZQA.
In August 2018 NZQA launched a micro-credential system as part of New Zealand’s regulated education and training system. Micro-credentials are smaller than qualifications and focus on a specific set of skills and knowledge.
These are the first micro-credentials specifically for secondary school students.
StartUp® offers students in year 11, 12 and 13 a mix of eLearning theory and practical experience in an automotive workshop, with the credits earned leading into an apprenticeship.
“We’re thrilled that StartUp® has been registered as three micro-credentials by NZQA. There are significant benefits for the students as their NZQA Record of Achievement will capture their micro-credential achievements.” says Janet Lane, MITO Chief Executive.
“Since StartUp® launched in 2007, 2,500 secondary school students have participated in the programme with nearly 25% progressing to an apprenticeship” says Ms Lane. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to gain first-hand knowledge of the industry, and for employers to offer work experience, ideally securing their next MITO apprentice. By providing a pipeline from school to industry, StartUp® is helping address skills shortages in the automotive engineering and collision repair industries.”
The three micro-credentials are:
- StartUp® Ignition – Automotive Micro-credential (Level 2, 20 credits)
- StartUp® Accelerate – Automotive Engineering Micro-credential (Level 3, 21 credits)
- StartUp® Accelerate – Collision Repair and Refinishing Micro-credential (Level 3, 21 credits)