Author :
Mission Ready
This week, 1News reported a sharp drop in the number of students taking tech subjects at school—down over 10% in just one year. It’s a sobering stat, especially when placed alongside the rising demand for digital talent in New Zealand. AI job listings alone have tripled on Seek and Trade Me.
To us, this isn’t a surprise. It’s the exact mismatch we’ve been working to solve.
At Mission Ready, we’ve built a new kind of pathway - one that actually connects young people to real-world tech careers. No four-year delay. No rigid lecture halls. Just hands-on projects, mentorship, and accelerated learning that leads directly to jobs in software, business and data analysis, UX and more.
We launched our Tech Career Launchpad at Papakura High because we knew the traditional pipeline wasn’t working - especially for Māori, Pacific, and first-in-family students who have long been excluded from the tech sector, not by lack of ability, but by lack of access.
We've seen some powerful results.
Students who had never imagined a career in tech are now coding, designing, building, and dreaming.
“Before this, I didn’t even think tech was something I could do,” said one Year 12 student.
“Now I know I can. I’ve built things I’m proud of—and I actually see a future for myself in this.”
New Zealand’s digital economy can’t grow on enthusiasm alone. It needs diverse, skilled, future-ready talent. The old pathway through university is not for everyone.
We believe there’s a better way forward.
That’s why Mission Ready exists. We’re building bridges into tech careers that reflect the world we live in now - flexible, supportive, skills-focused, AI-powered and inclusive by design. It’s faster. It’s more affordable. And, most importantly, it works.
We’re proud to have our efforts recognised in this week’s 1News story, but this is just the beginning.
Because the future won’t wait—and neither will we.