Scrapping NCEA is seen as a chance to highlight the importance of the trades.

A New Zealand Initiative report argues replacing the main secondary school qualification could be a chance to help ease skills shortages in construction and healthcare.

Its calling for subjects to be designed with industry boards and students in mind.

NZI Senior Research Fellow Dr Michael Johnston says there's hundreds of apprenticeships available, and more students should be given 'industry training' for the trades.

"It could be electrical engineering, it could be mechanical engineering, it could be construction, animal husbandry, these kinds of things." 

LISTEN ABOVE