Academy poised to fulfil govt wish

Performing drills at the Opihi Services Academy's base at Sir Basil Arthur Park in Washdyke are students (bottom, from left) Reece Senelali (18), Hannah Howarth (17) and Daniel Johnstone (18), (middle, from left) Raymond Turner (15) and Shea Swalley (16) and (top) Steven Armstrong (16).

With $19.1 million of the package earmarked for 1250 more places in sixweek military style training programmes, the Washdyke-based academy's director Shane Kereama says it has the expertise and facilities to run the programmes and would look at applying for money as soon as details about the scheme emerge.

‘‘The foundation is already here. I think South Canterbury is really blessed to have an established agency like ours - other regions are trying to set up their own academies, but we've been running for four years.''

The academy runs a one-year programme five days a week that combines physical fitness, outdoor survival skills, team building, community service work, and classroom study. This year's intake has 31 students aged from 15 to 20.

Mr Kereama said the programme aimed to improve the mental outlook and physical fitness of its students in order to make them better citizens and to boost their employment prospects.

The prospect of funding for shortterm courses made him optimistic about the future of the academy, which had its funding through the Tertiary Education Commission (Tec) reviewed each year.

Because of Tec criteria, the academy had to survive on funding for only 22 of its 31 students. He had reluctantly turned down 15 applicants in the past three months and there was already a waiting list for next year's course, he said.

Mr Kereama said he had received an email from the Tec about a month ago saying the academy would receive no funding next year under the Tec's ‘‘indicative allocation''.

Although it had been alarming to receive the email, he remained confident about the academy's future.

During a visit to the academy last Friday, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett had told him the academy's programme was ‘‘exactly what the government was looking for'', Mr Kereama said.

‘‘She said programmes like ours are what the government wants to support in the future. We've also had strong backing from [Rangitata MP] Jo Goodhew, who's been a great ambassador for us, so there's some assurance there.''

Mrs Goodhew said she accompanied Prime Minister John Key to the academy while on the campaign trail last year, and returned there with Ms Bennett last week because, ‘‘I really wanted them to know that these programmes do work''.

The academy and Aoraki Polytechnic could benefit from the government's package, and it provided an opportunity for South Canterbury businesses and community groups to apply for subsidies for private job and community project work placements, she said.

‘‘If you've got businesses that are really struggling to have a worker on the ground, but are not able to pay someone full-time, it may be that this will tide them over,'' Mrs Goodhew said.

She hoped to organise a meeting for next week with mayors in the Rangitata electorate, Aoraki Development Trust chief executive Wendy Smith and other interested parties to discuss the package.

The government's Youth Opportunities package aims to tackle youth unemployment by putting 16,900 people aged 16 to 24 into jobs, training, or study in the next 18 months.

About 17,000 young people are now registered for the unemployment benefit, up from 4000 a year ago.