Te ara whanake o Toi Mai, Toi Mai’s first operational plan, has a strong focus on building a skilled workforce to meet the needs of its sectors today and into the future. The plan outlines how the new Ohu Ahumahi - Workforce Development Council will start to impact vocational education and training in its first year of operation.

Toi Mai represents the creative, cultural, recreation and technology (CCRT) sectors, which contributed more than $24 billion (7.5%) to Aotearoa’s GDP in 2020. It is one of six new workforce development councils (WDCs) established in October 2021 as part of the government’s major Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE).

“Our mandate is to ensure that the CCRT industries are supported by a thriving and skilled workforce, and that other industries are supported to access the creative and technological skills they need for the future of work” says Dr Claire Robinson, Te Tumu o Toi – Chief Executive.

She explains that many of the sectors covered by Toi Mai have historically not had much engagement with the structured vocational education and training system and there is pent-up demand from industries such as the high wage, fast-growing technology screen and games sectors, where major skill shortages have been exacerbated by COVID-19.

Toi Mai’s sectors face significant challenges, which include lack of previous industry training organisation (ITO) coverage for many of its industries, skills mismatch with industry needs, global competition for skills, and a lack of clear vocational pathways for people wanting to enter the CCRT industries, particularly for Māori and Pacific rangatahi.

Toi Mai’s key priorities for 2022/23 include:

• Building an industry map that defines Toi Mai’s sectors and helps to develop priorities to determine which industries/occupations to focus on in the first three years.

• Publishing our first Skills and Workforce Development Plan, setting out high-level issues across our industries

• Completing four TEC funded Covid19 Response Projects to support the recovery of industry from the impacts of COVID-19.

• Developing a schedule of qualifications and standards projects which will identify gaps in the current provision, along with new product developments which ensure we respond effectively to industry’s needs and priorities.

• Developing clearly communicated vocational pathways for ākonga to navigate, along with auditing current pathway advice and gaps.

• Advice and reporting to Tertiary Education Commission on its investment and development of training products in our sectors

• Establishing how to perform our functions in a way that contributes to an education system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, supports Māori-Crown relations and ensures fair and equitable outcomes for all • Developing a taxonomy of occupations in the field of Ngā Toi Māori and measuring the size and potential of this critical workforce

Developing a taxonomy of occupations in the field of Ngā Toi Māori and measuring the size and potential of this critical workforce.

You can read Toi Mai’s Operational Plan here: Operational-Plan-Toi-Mai-2022-23.pdf (toimai.nz)

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