Vocational Pathways

The Vocational Pathways provide a framework for students to show how their learning and achievement is valued in the workplace by aligning learning to the skills needed for industry. NCEA Levels 1 and 2 Vocational Pathways were launched in 2013. This was a result of government agencies, the industry training sector, secondary and tertiary representatives and industry and employer representatives working together. In 2015 NCEA Level 3 Vocational Pathways were also released.

The six Vocational Pathways improve the relevance of learning for students by indicating how their learning and achievement is valued by broad sectors of the workforce. Each has been colour-coded for ease of recognition to help students and teachers plan study programmes.

Level 2 Vocational Pathways Award

The Award enables employers to assess more easily whether potential employees’ skills align with their industry requirements.

To receive a Vocational Pathways Award, students must first gain NCEA Level 2, which is 60 credits from Level 2 and 20 credits from any other level; 80 credits in total. 10 of these credits must satisfy the literacy requirements, and 10 of these credits must satisfy the numeracy requirements. For more information about NCEA go to the NZQA website.

To get a Vocational Pathways Award, a minimum of 20 Level 2 credits must be from Sector-Related standards, with the remaining from Recommended standards to make up 60 pathway credits in total.

The following diagram shows this relationship:

The Vocational Pathways Award(s) will show on a student’s NZQA Record of Achievement. This is a real advantage when young people look for work and training opportunities in the sector. Students can view their Vocational Pathways progress on Kamar, under Pathways tab.

For more information on Vocational Pathways go to the Vocational Pathways website.