About this episode
The episode discusses why university is often seen as the default option for school leavers and explores potential changes in school qualifications.
For many school leavers, university seems to be the default option, and doing an apprenticeship or going into the workforce is often seen as a second-best choice. But why? Michael Johnston is a senior fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, and he thinks that the changes in school qualifications could be the opportunity to change that thinking. That's because what will replace the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) will include industry-led subjects. Michael discusses the issue with Jesse.
People in this episode
Host: Jesse
Guest: Michael Johnston
Topics covered
- education
- university
- apprenticeship
- school qualifications
- workforce
- societal expectations
Keywords
- university
- apprenticeship
- school leavers
- NCEA
- education reform
- workforce
- societal norms
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The New Zealand Initiative, NCEA
More episodes of Afternoons
- Critter of the Week: Orange Coral Fungus · June 12, 2026 · 16 min
- Weekend Stuff: Building a Deck · June 12, 2026 · 10 min
- Food: Spiced Chicken and Rice · June 12, 2026 · 5 min
- At The Movies for 12 June 2026 · June 12, 2026 · 12 min
- Freaky Friday: The unexplained and unusual · June 12, 2026 · 5 min
- What impact do international film productions have on tourism? · June 12, 2026 · 13 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Afternoons podcast page.