MEDIA RELEASE
Real budget for industry training in June
“Today’s Budget announcements of an additional $10m a year for industry training foreshadow larger announcements the
Minister has promised in June, said Pieter Burghout Chair of the Industry Training Federation (ITF).
The real budget for Industry Training will be in June once the outcome of the tertiary sector spending reviews is known.
“Today’s Budget announcement is less than a quarter of what is needed on the way to the Government’s target of 250,000
industry trainees in 2007. We’re on target to meet the first milestone of 150,000 trainees during 2005 as per the Skill
New Zealand partnership with Business New Zealand, the Council of Trade Unions and the Government. The industry training
sector looks forward to certainty on the Government’s approach to solving skill shortages. With that certainty, ITOs and
the industries they service will achieve the full potential they are capable of – and the contribution they make to the
Government’s skills and economic objectives will not be placed at risk.
“The announcement of higher funding rates for trades training for Polytechnics is welcome because the ITF supports the
principle of the government paying the true costs of provision no matter what the area – and therefore trade training
completed in Polytechnics which requires expensive buildings, equipment and staff needs to be suitably funded.
Correspondingly, Polytechnics deploying education pathways with lower input costs – such as on-site/employer imparted
learning – should receive lower levels of funding support.
“The ITF is reserving its judgment on this May Budget until we see the real budget in June”, said Pieter Burghout.
ENDS
Formed in 1996, the Industry Training Federation (ITF) is a membership-based organisation representing all 41 Industry
Training Organisations (ITOs). The ITF advocates on behalf of its member ITOs to government and works with agencies and
sector groups to improve the policy for and delivery of Industry Training.