Canterbury is set to become the first South Island region to offer the proven ‘Earn As You Learn’ pathway into manufacturing, providing school leavers with the opportunity to earn a wage, gain a nationally recognised qualificationand develop the skills needed for a career in one of New Zealand’s most advanced and innovative industries.

Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa (AMA), Ara Institute of Canterbury and ChristchurchNZ have joined forces with six leading Christchurch manufacturers, HamiltonJet, Argus Manutech, ENI Manufacturing, Enztec, Taurus Engineering and Taylors Manufacturing, to deliver the New Zealand Certificate in Manufacturing (Level 3) through the industry-led employment and training programme.

AMA CEO Catherine Lye said the Canterbury programme builds on a successful Waikato pilot and will give local students a unique opportunity to experience three different manufacturing environments.

“This is much more than a traditional manufacturing qualification. Earn as You Learn gives young people a direct pathway into a manufacturing career. Learners are paid from day one, gain an industry-recognised qualification and build real-world experience across multiple workplaces while developing the skills employers are looking for.”

The programme was first launched in the Waikato in 2025, and is ready to begin being offered in the Bay of Plenty, Hutt Valley and Auckland, as well as being introduced in Canterbury. Further regional growth across Aotearoa is planned as AMA works with manufacturers, education providers and regional partners to strengthen pathways into manufacturing careers.

The three-rotation model allows school leavers to spend time with different employers, gaining exposure to a range of manufacturing processes, technologies and workplace cultures. With places for up to 20 learners in the inaugural South Island cohort, participants will benefit from a highly personalised work-based learning experience.

Rob McKenzie-Carroll, Chief Operating Officer at HamiltonJet and Regional Business Lead for Earn As You Learn in Canterbury, said the programme addresses a challenge no single manufacturer can solve alone.

“Like many regions, Canterbury manufacturers face ongoing skills shortages. Earn As You Learn allows us to work together to develop the next generation of talent rather than competing for the same small pool of skilled workers. It gets young people onto the floor, alongside the robotics, the machining and the engineers designing products that are exported around the world. A lot of people still picture manufacturing as it was 30 years ago. When they see what it looks like today, the conversation about manufacturing as a career option changes completely.”

Ara Institute of Canterbury will deliver the educational component of the qualification, working closely with participating manufacturers to connect learning with workplace experience. Chief Executive Darren Mitchell said the programme reflects the role vocational education should play in connecting learning directly with industry.

"This is exactly the kind of partnership Canterbury needs. By combining high-quality skills-based learning with paid experience across leading local manufacturers, we’re giving young people a clear and supported pathway into rewarding careers while helping industry build the workforce it needs for the future. Ara is proud to work alongside employers and regional partners to turn learning into career opportunities for the people of Canterbury.”

ChristchurchNZ is supporting the initiative as part of the region's focus on developing a skilled future workforce.

“Manufacturing is a cornerstone of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s economy and underpins some of our fastest-growing sectors, such as aerospace, cleantech, healthtech and the bioeconomy, and those all depend on skilled people working in advanced manufacturing" said ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Innovation and Business Growth Martin Cudd. "The city is fortunate to have a deep bench of advanced manufacturers and growing the pipeline of talent for them through this programme is a win for both students and employers.”

Lye said one of the programme's greatest strengths is the breadth of experience available to learners across the participating businesses.

“One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturing is helping young people see what a career in the sector can look like. The best way to change perceptions is to get them inside the businesses, working alongside people who are designing, making and exporting products to the world.”

“For manufacturers, this is about building the talent pipeline. For students, it’s about opening the door to a sector full of opportunities. And for New Zealand, it’s about ensuring our young people and our manufacturing businesses can grow together. It’s a model that benefits learners, employers and our regional economies. I encourage anyone who’s interested in taking part in the programme to attend the upcoming Earn As You Learn Open Day’s Saturday, 17 October hosted by HamiltonJet, Trimax Mowing Systems and APL Manufacturing where you’ll be able to find out more about the programme and the companies taking part”.

Manufacturing Open Day

Year 12 and 13 students, parents, whānau and schools are invited to learn more about Earn As You Learn at a Manufacturing Open Day hosted by Manufacturers on Saturday 17 October. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet participating Earn As You Learn manufacturers, tour a factory, and find out more about the programme.

For more information and to register, visit:

EARN AS YOU LEARN: Manufacturing Open Day I Canterbury - hosted by HamiltonJet

EARN AS YOU LEARN: Manufacturing Open Day I Waikato - hosted by APL Manufacturing

EARN AS YOU LEARN: Manufacturing Open Day I Bay of Plenty - hosted by Trimax Mowing Systems

EARN AS YOU LEARN: Manufacturing Open Day I Auckland

Earn As You Learn:

  • Earn As You Learn is an industry-led approach to the NZ Certificate in Manufacturing (Level 3), combining formal education with paid workplace experience.
  • The model has been successfully piloted in Waikato since 2025 and enables students to rotate through three manufacturing businesses, gaining exposure to different workplaces and manufacturing disciplines while completing their qualification.
  • The programme is being expanded to other regions as AMA works with education providers, manufacturers and regional partners to create stronger pathways into manufacturing careers.

Businesses supporting the programme in Canterbury:

HamiltonJet, Argus Manutech, ENI Manufacturing, Enztec, Taurus Engineering and Taylors Manufacturing

Businesses supporting the programme in Bay of Plenty:

Bakels Edible Oils, Bluelab, Oasis Engineering, Syos Aerospace, Trimax Mowing Systems

Businesses supporting the programme in Waikato:

APL Manufacturing, ES Plastics, Fosters, Gallagher Group, Hansa Products, Laminex, PPL Plastics, Stafford Engineering, Stainless Design

Businesses supporting the programme in Auckland:

Advanced Plastics & Design, Dodson Group, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Howick Group, Vitaco Health Group