A New Zealand company has adapted an American model of testing, aimed at measuring skills that employers find most useful.

ACT-Tessera is a unique questioning model which looks at skills that work places prioritise - tenacity, leadership curiosity and teamwork.

Now the model has been taken up by new Auckland based company 21C Skills Lab which has so far run trials on 4,000 students in Auckland and Wellington - with glowing reports by principals and teachers.

Director of 21C, Justine Munro told Mike Hosking these skills are just as important as academic studies.

"Our aspiration is that by 2021 all New Zealand intermediate and secondary schools are using Tessera."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JUSTINE MUNRO SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING