Modern Apprenticeships are a work-based education initiative for young people. They combine the best of the apprenticeship tradition with additional features designed to assist more young people to access employment-based training towards national qualifications.

To be a Modern Apprentice, students must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and aged between 16 and 21 years. Companies advertise apprenticeships throughout the year. You can directly contact companies you are interested in to find out if they have apprenticeship opportunities and also keep checking the careers pages on their website regularly.

ESITO is currently funding Modern Apprenticeships for:

• Office Staff (studying business administration)
• Electricians
• Telecommunications Technicians
• Operators
• Line Mechanics
• Cable Jointers
• Electrical Fitters
• Mechanical Fitters

Entry into apprenticeships is open. It is important to have a good understanding of written and oral English and science and mathematics for the electrical fields. For people wishing to go into the electrical fields, a colour blindness test is advisable.  English and information technology/computing are recommended for office administration. Most employers prefer students to have completed Year 12 (NCEA Level 2).  Attending an ESITO Taster Course is a useful step for those considering an apprenticeship in the future.

Once you have an apprenticeship you spend some of your time learning on block courses with a training provider and the rest of your time working for your employer learning  and being assessed on the job.  You will receive a salary, gain valuable skills and experience and a national qualification! 

So if you’re aged between 16 and 21 years, a Modern Apprenticeship will launch your career in the best way possible. You’ll be paid to learn from the experts for two to four years, depending on the qualification you are enrolled in. To find out more information, check out the Modern Apprenticeships web site or contact an ESITO Customer Service Manager.

Companies also offer apprenticeships for people older than 21 years. You would be best to approach companies directly about these to register your interest.  Also keep a close watch on companies’ websites, job vacancy sections of newspapers and internet job sites.  To find out more about adult apprenticeships, contact an ESITO Customer Service Manager.