Support to make your submission
We have developed the following points for submissions. Please feel free to adapt to your own industry circumstances and interests.
The Government has released its proposed legislation to reform the VET system to ensure it provides industries with a skilled workforce.
The draft Bill focuses on strengthening industry involvement in qualification design and improving regional qualification delivery. A key part of the proposed legislation is replacing Workforce Development Councils with new Industry Skills Boards (ISBs). (Note, this Bill is not about the number and configuration of ISBs. We are waiting on the outcome of that consultation).
The proposed legislation is unlikely to achieve its goals
The proposed legislation will not achieve its goals as it is currently drafted, especially for the creative and digital technology industries – high growth industries that are likely to underpin the next phases of New Zealand’s economic growth.
The Bill entrenches a broken VET system
The structural changes proposed in the Bill risk entrenching a broken VET system with misaligned incentives, fragmentation and a ‘one size fits all’ approach to skill development.
Aotearoa urgently needs a coordinated and responsive skills system to unleash the economic and productive potential of the creative and digital technology industries.
We need to act now to ensure the VET system is ready for the future
The skills system is slow, but it could be faster and more responsive if we act now.
There is a lag effect to the skills system. Changes to skill development now take years to manifest as skills in industry, so we need to make sure it’s ready for our future economy and industries now.
Industries likely to underpin our future economy will continue be hamstrung if we keep relying on old approaches to qualifications and credentials that take years to develop and deliver.
The reforms are an opportunity to strengthen our VET system
These reforms present an opportunity to strengthen our VET system and deliver skills our economy needs.
We should seize the opportunity presented by these reforms to create an industry-responsive and internationally competitive skills system.
We propose the Government take a three-pronged approach to refreshing the skills system:
- Develop a national skills strategy to ensure our system delivers skills our industries and economy needs.
- Develop a deliberate approach to supporting and investing in innovative and future high-growth industries.
- Establish a national skills agency with responsibility for coordinating, developing and funding the new approach to building skills in the VET system.
Further changes to strengthen the Bill for creative and digital industries
We have additional recommendations to improve specific provisions within the Bill to better support the creative and digital technology industries:
- Ensure all models of employment and work can access work-based learning in the new system (i.e., go beyond traditional employer / employee models and include self-employed and other workers).
- Reconsider the requirement for ISBs to have eight members to a smaller, less-top-heavy governance model – while recognising ISBs can access a range of industry expertise.
