Source: EMA
Creating qualifications that have buy-in from industry will set school leavers and the economy up for success, says the EMA.
Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Lead Joanna Hall says the proposed changes to replace the NCEA with new, internationally benchmarked qualifications are promising.
“The EMA is New Zealand’s largest employer association, representing thousands of businesses across sectors,” says Hall.
“We have consistent feedback from our members that school leavers are not work ready, citing low levels of communication, digital literacy, and fundamental reading and maths skills.
“The inability of some young people to follow instructions or communicate effectively in the workplace limits their prospects, and it’s limiting our productivity as a country.”
The government has proposed expanding the mandate of the Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) to shape vocational subjects for senior secondary qualifications.
“It’s great to see this cross-system approach linking secondary with tertiary learning, but the ISBs need to be fully funded for this work, and they also need to have genuine employer engagement with stronger governance and decision-making involvement from industry,” says Hall.
“In addition, we would like to see the government go further and develop a fully integrated workforce strategy across all industries and levels of education.”
The EMA is encouraging its members and the wider business community to engage in the government’s education consultation process to ensure the voices of industry are clearly heard.
