Education Minister Chris Hipkins has released wide-ranging proposals for strengthening vocational education so that school leavers get high quality training opportunities, employers get the skills they need, and New Zealanders are better equipped for the changing nature of work.

“The world around us is changing rapidly and our education system needs to keep up,” Hipkins said. “At a time when we‘re facing critical skill shortages, too many of our polytechnics and institutes of technology are going broke.”

Hipkins said the strong labour market was encouraging young people to move directly into the workforce rather than continuing in formal education, when it needs to be smarter and accommodate both. He said the system wasn‘t geared towards the future economy, where re-training and up-skilling will be the norm. Instead of institutes of technology retrenching, cutting programmes, and closing campuses, they needed to expand their course delivery in more locations around the country.

“The Coalition Government proposes to establish a unified, coordinated, national system of vocational education and training. The proposals are:

• Redefined roles for education providers and industry bodies (Industry Training Organisations (ITOs)) to extend the leadership role of industry and employers;

• Bringing together the 16 existing ITPs as a one entity with the working title of the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology with a robust regional network of provision; and

• A unified vocational education funding system.

“We would also ensure there‘s strong regional influence in the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology through the proposed formation of Regional Leadership Groups which would identify the needs of the local economy and become a key link between local government, employers, iwi and communities.

“The development of courses and programmes would be consolidated, improving consistency and freeing up resources to expand front-line delivery. There will be more sharing of expertise and best-practice, and more use of online, distance, and blended learning.”

Hipkins said the proposals were ambitious, but they had to be.

“We cannot continue to tweak the system knowing that the model is fundamentally broken, and isn‘t delivering our workforce the skills that they need to thrive.”

Public consultation is open until 27 March.