The Services Academy programme was established at Northland College in 2017, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and New Zealand Defence Force. The aim of the academy is to provide an opportunity for the students to push individual boundaries, find new physical and mental limits, to encourage teamwork, discipline, and competitiveness and to develop confident, self-initiating, motivated, physically fit potential leaders and role models.

The programme is designed to give students a first hand taste of the careers that are on offer through the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, and the Fire Service. Each term has a different focus: Term one is establishing teamwork and leadership skills. Term two is camping, tramping and map reading. Term three is Adventure based learning and adventure challenge race. Term four is graduation and external exams.

Throughout the year the students to get experience first hand what life in the Services is like through the attendance on courses that are run by the New Zealand Defence Force.  The first of these courses is a two week Induction course where the students live in barracks, learn marching and drill, team dynamics, leadership fundamentals, physical requirements, and the rules and expectations of service personnel.

From the induction course, five students are selected to attend a one week Basic Leadership course.  The students learn and put into practice different leadership styles while developing their own leadership style further.  Two students from this course are selected to attend the Advanced Leadership course later in the year.

During term two the students spend a week with the Defence Force navigating their way through different rural terrain, utilising the map reading, camping and tramping theory skills they have been taught.

Term three is a highlight for the students, where they get to use all the skills they have learnt through out the year, and pit them against the other Academies in a week long Adventure Race.

The students wind the year up with a Graduation Parade, being recognised for their achievements in front of all their friends and family.