Gateway and STAR Programme NZ: Vocational Pathways for Disabled School Students

If your young person is still at secondary school and employment or vocational training is on the horizon, two programmes exist specifically to build work experience before they leave: Gateway and STAR. Both are available in most secondary schools, both are free to students, and both are significantly underutilized by families of disabled students who would benefit most from them.

Gateway: Real Work Experience While Still at School

The Gateway programme gives secondary school students the opportunity to undertake structured workplace learning. Students spend time in an actual workplace — not a simulated one — doing real tasks under the supervision of an employer, while simultaneously completing unit standards that contribute toward a formal qualification.

For disabled students approaching transition, Gateway has several specific advantages:

The school safety net remains in place. If a workplace placement is not working — if the environment is wrong, the employer is not accommodating, or the student is not coping — the school can end or adjust the placement without the financial or contractual implications of actual employment. This is a low-risk environment for trialing whether a particular industry, role type, or workplace setting suits the young person.

Accommodations can be built in from the start. The school's Learning Support team should be actively involved in finding a placement that fits the student's profile. For autistic students or those with sensory sensitivities, the school can specify requirements to the employer before placement begins.

It generates evidence for transition planning. A successful Gateway placement demonstrates real vocational capability that can inform a Workbridge referral, an NASC assessment's employment goals section, or an application for supported employment funding.

STAR: Short Courses in Vocational Training

The Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) fund pays for secondary school students to take short, vocational courses at a polytechnic, Private Training Establishment (PTE), or other provider while still enrolled at school. These courses provide industry training and lead to credits toward national qualifications.

STAR courses cover a wide range of trades and vocational areas: hospitality, construction, computing, retail, automotive, health support, and more. For students who know their general direction but want foundational qualifications before leaving school, STAR allows this without the student having to wait until they graduate.

For disabled students, STAR courses come with an important consideration: unlike Gateway, the student is attending a tertiary environment rather than a school environment. This means the pastoral support structure of school is less present. If the student needs accommodation at the provider, the school's Learning Support coordinator should liaise with the provider in advance to ensure this is in place before the first day.

How Vocational Education Has Changed: The End of Te Pūkenga

Families researching STAR and Gateway in 2026 will encounter references to Te Pūkenga, the overarching vocational education entity that unified polytechnics nationally. Te Pūkenga was disestablished by legislation in late 2025, and from January 1, 2026, the sector transitioned back to a network of regional polytechnics and Industry Skills Boards (ISBs).

The practical effect for families is that STAR and Gateway courses will now be delivered through the re-established regional polytechnics (such as Ara in Canterbury, Unitec in Auckland, or EIT in Hawke's Bay) rather than under the Te Pūkenga brand. The availability and structure of specific courses is still settling during this transition, so it is worth contacting your local polytechnic directly to understand current STAR offerings.

Using Gateway and STAR Strategically

The most effective approach is to treat Gateway and STAR not as standalone add-ons to the school timetable, but as deliberate steps in a longer transition plan.

Practically, this means:

1. Starting in Year 11 or 12 rather than leaving it to Year 13. If the first placement does not fit well, there is time to try a different sector.
2. Connecting Gateway experience to Workbridge or supported employment — a documented track record of completing real work builds the case for an employment pathway post-school.
3. Involving the SENCO and transition coordinator in identifying placements. They can negotiate accommodations with employers before placement begins.
4. Using a Gateway placement to clarify what does and does not work — a student who discovers they cannot tolerate an open-plan noisy office environment has learned something important that shapes every subsequent employment decision.

For ORS-funded students, Gateway and STAR participation should be documented in the Individual Transition Plan and linked to the employment goals discussed at IEP meetings. This creates a paper trail that NASC assessors can later reference when allocating employment-related support funding.

For families building a complete post-school plan that connects school-based vocational programmes with adult employment supports, NASC assessment, and financial entitlements, the New Zealand Post-School Transition Roadmap provides a year-by-year framework from Year 10 onwards.

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