Philip Alexander-Crawford.
June 18, 2024
Chief Executive, Hanga-Aro-Rau
Te Whiu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāpuhi
Hiwa-i-te-rangi brings hope to our industries for a vocational system that can help us successfully navigate our current economic times and elevate our ākonga, kaimahi, businesses, and hapori for long-term success.
With change comes the opportunity for improvement. From industry feedback, we've identified key elements crucial for a vocational system that supports prosperity for all:
A Strong Workforce Pipeline
- Ensure stability and enable sustainable growth.
- Address chronic skills and labour shortages.
- Build and maintain a diverse workforce.
- Support learners to succeed.
- Tap into the talent of previously under-served groups.
- Ensure robust and sustainable career pathways for all our ākonga.
Recognising and Embracing Diversity
- Develop a strong and connected vocational education system.
- Anticipate and respond to the changing needs of our demography, workplaces, and industries.
- Flexibly prioritise on-the-job training designed around industry capability and capacity.
- Aspire to help our people become highly skilled, better paid, and experience a sense of well-being.
Understanding Local and Regional Nuances
- Cater to the specific needs of employers and the workforce, whether rural or metropolitan.
- Ensure a nationally consistent approach to training and qualification outcomes.
- Meet local needs while enabling portability and transferability of skills and knowledge.
- Enhance our country's productivity through these tailored approaches.
Delivering Value for Money
- Align the vocational education system with industry needs.
- Ensure provision directly links to the needs of learners, employers, hapori, and our evolving workforces.
- Having structures that recognise the value of maintaining the independence of standard setting and skills leadership.
- A smooth transition to the new system.
So, as we contemplate spending time or having a celebratory kai with our whānau and friends, let's return with ambition and advocate for what we see is needed in OUR vocational system.