On 21 February, Civil Contractors NZ, Water NZ, Electrical Networks Aotearoa, Electrical Engineers Associations, MinEx, AQA and Straterra made a joint submission on options for the future of work-based learning in response to targeted ministerial consultation.

Executive summary:

• The infrastructure sector supports industry led, in-work learning and employer managed workforce training.
• Option B, with a standalone infrastructure ISB, which includes the extractives industry, is our preferred model. This meets the needs of our employers and trainers and provides an assured ongoing pipeline of trainees and workforce at this critical time in New Zealand infrastructure growth.
• The infrastructure industry supports the independent learning model. We believe the complexities of the collaborative model could result in industry disengaging from training to a national standard within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) as there is no clear regulatory mandate, across the sector, to qualify staff. New Zealand Qualifications are portable across New Zealand which is key for cost management and rapid infrastructure response.
• The infrastructure sector has concerns that the cost and time to draw current industry based training into the polytechnic model (Option C) carries significant risk and will lead to gaps in training. Industry may disengage with a confusing service model. Will government manage these risks?
• Industry is prepared to work with government to support the set up and transition to a delivery model that meets the vocational educational needs of industry and trainees.

Read the full submission>>