The quality of education was again recognised at the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington the award was presented to Ashburton College for showing “a remarkable dedication to vocational education and industry training through well-resourced pathways in automotive, mechanical engineering, building, and trades. Its automotive students consistently achieve near 100% pass rates in MITO’s StartUp micro-credentials, supported by passionate teachers, regular MITO Training Advisor visits, digital tools, and close progress monitoring”.
The College’s expanded Gateway programme ensures meaningful work placements with strong local employer connections.
One local business who partners with the College is Gluyas Motors where Service Manager, former Ashburton College student Joe Brown (2009-2013), sees the placements that the firm offers as giving students practical industry exposure. He recalls in his day that there wasn’t a clear pathway to the automotive trade and indeed the industry has struggled for apprentices over the last decade. The Gateway programme at College, according to Joe, ensures “more students are exposed to opportunities” with students having ten week placements in the workshop.
Ashburton College’s Gateway programme was awarded the 2026 MITO Secondary School of the Year for “actively celebrating student achievement, helping raise the profile of vocational learning as a valued pathway”.