Miss Clark was announcing some of the details of the Government's Schools Plus programme, which she outlined in general form for the first time in January.
Schools Plus is the Government's plan to have every youth in some form of training until the age of 18.
That would mean youths who left school would have to either go into other training, or if they took up a job would have to do that in conjunction with some form of apprenticeship or qualification.
As the initial phase of the programme, the Government has introduced legislation axing school leaving exemptions for those under 16.
Miss Clark today said under Schools Plus the school leaving age would remain at 16, but in 2011 an "education and training age" of 17 would be introduced.
That age would move to 18 in 2014.
Miss Clark announced $40 million in funding to support several associated measures.
The current school leaving age is 16, but large numbers of younger students have been granted exemptions in recent years so they could move into jobs or other training.
