Background
February 2019
Minister Chris Hipkins announced proposed sweeping reforms to the entire vocational education system, aimed at creating a stronger, more unified, and sustainable vocational education system.
August 2019
Following a period of public consultation, these reforms were largely confirmed to proceed.
- Industry Training Organisations (11) will be disestablished
- The 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) will be merged into a single NZ Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), and will assume responsibility for supporting both workplace-based (on-job) training, and classroom-based (off-job) training
- Between 4 – 7 Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) will be established, and will assume responsibility for skills leadership and standard setting*
- Unified funding system, that funds all provider-based education and all industry training (levels 2-7)
December 2019
*In December 2019 Education Minister, Chris Hipkins, announced that there will be six industry-led Workforce Development Councils, one of which will be for Health, Community & Social Services, which encompasses most of Careerforce’s current coverage. Careerforce currently also has cleaning within its coverage, but the changes announced will see this sector fall within a Service Industries Workforce Development Council.
April 2020 – legislation passed, NZIST created (with ITP’s becoming subsidiaries) Refer website
April 2020 – ITOs became Transitional ITOs (TITOs)
June 2020 – Industry-led interim Establishment Boards appointed. More information about the Health, Community and Social Services WDC iEB here
May 2020 – Expressions of Interest sought re the establishment of Workforce Development Councils
August 2020 – Te Pūkenga is new name for NZIST. Refer website
December 2020 – February 2021 – WDC Order in Council Consultation.
March 2021 – WDC Nominations and Appointment Committees – EOI sought – more information
Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITO’s)
Effective 1 April 2020, all ITOs, including Careerforce, became TITOs, or Transitional Industry Training Organisations. This change simply allows for the necessary transitions to take place, and has no other impact on our organisation or operations.
While the transition of the skills leadership and standard setting function within Careerforce (to a WDC) is expected to happen over Q3 2021, the transition of our arranging training function is not expected to be completed until December 2022
Our focus remains very much on supporting the immediate workforce development needs of our employers, and supporting our trainees and apprentices on their training journeys with us.