Trade Training
Becoming an expert
Basic training and officer training provides the initial skills, knowledge and culture that comes with being in the Army. But each of our soldiers and officers has a specific job to do within their unit. With more than 40 trades for soldiers and eight trades for officers, the Army offers one of the highest choices of career options and ongoing training of any New Zealand employer.
Our people are part of an organisation that requires an enormous variety of specialists to function. The days of unskilled labour and limited skillsets are long gone. When our people are upskilled within their trade, they are provided with high quality training and education.
New members of our Army choose a particular trade prior to starting their career, and that trade will require professional development. Trade training is predominantly done within our Army, but it may also involve study outside of the military. Army trades and careers utilise a wide variety of tertiary education paths spanning across university, technology institutions and trade training.
When our people up-skill within their trade, they are provided a high standard of education. Today, much of the trade training in the military has achieved parity with civilian qualifications, meaning that the training our people complete will earn them the equivalent qualification for civilian life. In some instances, such as the chef and building trades, the qualification undertaken as part of trade training is the civilian industry qualification.
All full-time Army personnel can further upskill using the Voluntary Education Study Assistance programme, which provides financial assistance to undertake part-time study towards a Level 4 or higher qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.