Te Pūkenga Begins Engagement On Draft Operating Model

Te Pūkenga is commencing engagement on its proposed Operating Model today.

Te Pūkenga Chair Murray Strong says the Operating Model provides a high-level view of the functions and services needed to meet the needs of learners, their whānau and employers – what we will do, and how we will create that future experience.

“The proposed Operating Model gives us a description of what the future experience will look like for learners, employers, staff and iwi, hapū, and Māori. It gives us a foundation for change so that we, as a network, can achieve the goals of the Reform of Vocational Education,” he says.

“The Operating Model breaks down the system into its core components and that’s what we’re talking about. Early next year we’ll talk about organisation design – how we put those core components together, and then organisation structure – how individual teams are inter-related and contribute to the whole organisation.”

The proposed operating model includes three key areas:

1. Strategic functions interact with and support other parts of the network and system to form strategic insights and embed the network’s strategic direction. They identify opportunities for innovation, measure the impact of initiatives and interventions, and the network’s performance.
2. Enabling functions sustain the other functions and information flows between them to enable quality, certainty and consistency across the network. Bringing together these core enabling functions also drives efficiencies and reduces duplication within the network.
3. Teaching, learning, support and navigation functions determine how we interact directly with our learners, their whānau, and employers to deliver high quality education and effective holistic wellbeing support and empowerment.

Ako networks will bring together teams to use their knowledge, skills and competencies to support learners. Some will align to specific industries, vocational pathways and Workforce Development Councils to deliver teaching and learning and support work-based skills across the motu. Other ako networks will cover aspects of delivery such as learner support and engagement, accessibility support, equity and Te Pae Tawhiti – Te Tiriti Excellence.

“All of this will be informed by Te Tiriti of Waitangi partnerships, learner and whānau wellbeing, employer and industry need, our people, equity and excellence,” Te Pūkenga Chief Executive Stephen Town says.

“We’ve been asked to deliver transformational change. We want to hear from our learners and their whānau, employers and industry, the education sector, our people and iwi. We want to test that this model moves us much closer to equity for Māori, Pacific and disabled learners. We want to see if we have found a balance between national consistency and regional and local responsiveness.

“This is a different system from the current vocational and applied learning system. It moves away from competition towards collaboration – not just across the network but through partnerships that acknowledge the role we all play in supporting learner success – not just on campus or in their workplace, but in all aspects of their lives,” he says.

Engagement begins today and runs until 8 November. People are encouraged to provide feedback via our online engagement platform at yourvoice.tepukenga.ac.nz. More detail can also be found on our website tepukenga.ac.nz/opmodel.

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