Source: BusinessNZ
Government announcements on work-based learning appear to recognise the importance of industry leadership in vocational training, but the timeframe for standing up a new system is very tight and more clarity is needed to ensure a smooth transition, says BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich.
“As the system is pivoted back toward having more industry involvement in qualifications and quality assurance, it is important the Government works with industry closely to ensure that both businesses, apprentices, parents and training providers can have confidence in what the future system will look like.
“We need to ensure that in the transition, employers can work with the training provider that delivers best for their company.
“The new system is due to stand up on 1 January 2026, and we need clarity on the number of organisations, functions of the new organisations and funding to support businesses delivering industry training.
“Countries with high productivity have gold standard training and apprenticeship systems. Industry training is the most efficient and effective way to train with high employment rates post-graduation. With the significant outflow of skills over the last year, we need to build the skills pipeline and make it easy for employers to develop a highly skilled workforce to support economic recovery and growth,” Mrs Rich said.
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
