Preferred name for new national Institute to be discussed

Re-imagining vocational learning: Preferred name for new national Institute to be discussed

Learners, vocational education training providers, and the wider public will get their say on the name for the new national institute of skills and technology next month. The national institute is a cornerstone of the Reform of Vocational Education programme announced in August last year.

The Minister of Education has asked the IST Establishment Board to make a recommendation on a name for the new Institute once the Board has completed thorough stakeholder engagement.

Representatives of the IST Establishment Unit and Board are currently visiting 15 locations around the country, hosted by Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) as part of their regular contact with key stakeholders.

The Board is taking this opportunity to signal an upcoming online public consultation on name options, and has today released a video which outlines the vision for the new national Institute and identifies a preferred name.

The scheduled meetings provide an opportunity for face to face discussion ahead of the formal consultation process which opens at the conclusion of the visits on 14 February.

IST Establishment Unit executive director Murray Strong says the video encapsulates what the new Institute needs to deliver in the new world of learning.

"We’re pleased to be able to share this video with New Zealand, which captures the essence of the journey to date," says Strong.

"Having now reached the point where we have a preferred name, we want to stop and ask what people think. The first part of that is having a conversation in person with those who are most affected by the change, followed by online consultation where everyone is invited to participate."

Name options were guided by a group of distinguished te reo Māori experts, with input from learning providers that included research into learner profiles and insights.

At the conclusion of the online public consultation on 8 March, the IST Establishment Board will consider public feedback on their preferred name and finalise their recommendation to Education Minister Chris Hipkins.

Editor's notes

The video is available on the IST Establishment Unit website homepage at:

https://www.istestablishment.ac.nz/

ENDS

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