Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills & Employment
Hon Tariana Turia
Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills & Employment

9 May 2013
Media Statement

Budget 2013: Expansion of Māori and Pasifika trades training

A major expansion of Māori and Pasifika Trades Training to 3,000 places as part of Budget 2013 was announced today by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce, and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Tariana Turia.

There are currently 600 places spread across the existing He Toki ki te Rika and Pasifika Trades schemes, which were set up by the current Government in 2011.

“Educational achievement is the single most important way to achieve the Government’s ambitious goals around raising living standards through a more productive and competitive economy,” Mr Joyce says.

“This is a unique opportunity to leverage the need for trades training around the country to boost the skills and earning levels of many young Maori and Pasifika.

“Budget 2013 has committed $43 million over the next four years, comprising $35 million reprioritised from the Industry Training Fund and $8 million from Vote Employment, to allow more Māori and Pasifika learners to have the opportunity to pursue a trades career, gain vital foundation skills for trades qualifications, and access a pathway into employment and a New Zealand Apprenticeship.”

“The initiative responds to the urgent need to enhance skills for young Maori and Pasifika in order to best improve their participation in the labour market, and in doing so to strengthen employment outcomes for Maori and Pasifika communities,” Mrs Turia says.

“We have seen some great results emerge from the new approaches trialled in the He Toki ki te Rika and Pasifika Trades schemes to improve opportunities in education and employment for young Māori and Pasifika; and this initiative builds on that success.”

“The extra training places will come from innovative partnerships between Māori and Pasifika organisations, tertiary training providers, and employers. Government agencies, complemented by social support organisations, will provide support and funding,” Mrs Turia says. “This partnership model is flexible and responsive to meet the needs of Māori and Pasifika communities as well as delivering outcomes which are useful and relevant for employers.”

“The Government has set some ambitious goals to focus public services on achieving better outcomes for New Zealanders, particularly around boosting skills and employment. The extra training places will be provided from innovative partnerships between Māori and Pasifika organisations, tertiary training providers, ITOS and employers. Government agencies, complemented by social support organisations, will provide support and funding.”

“There is a big opportunity over the next few years – particularly with the rebuilding of Christchurch – for anyone interested in trades careers to train and take up New Zealand Apprenticeship places. Making better links into a trades career is better for Māori and Pasifika people and will be of great benefit to their families and the economy,” Mr Joyce says.

ENDS

He Toki ki te Rika and the Pasifika Trades Training Initiative
He Toki ki te Rika - a Māori Trade Training Centre – has provided an opportunity for Māori to share in meaningful training and job opportunities arising from both the Canterbury Recovery and wider workforce development. The real strength of this initiative is the partnership approach of The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), Te Tapuae o Rēhua, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tahu Property Company and the BETA cluster of ITOs. The scheme involves supporting Māori to complete a pre-trades qualification at CPIT and then move into an apprenticeship. This is an initiative not only to raise Māori participation in the trades, but also to contribute to the Christchurch rebuild.
The Pasifika Trades Training Initiative is a nationwide scheme that provides fees-free places to participants in full-year programmes at level 3 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). It provides funding of $4,000 per learner for the fees subsidy and for additional pastoral care. A key feature of this initiative is the involvement of Pacific Island churches and community organisations to recruit and support trainees. In 2012, approximately 260 places were funded in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
New Zealand Apprenticeships – Fact File
From 1 January 2014, the Government will:
• Combine Modern Apprenticeships and other apprenticeship-type training under an expanded and improved scheme called New Zealand Apprenticeships. These new apprenticeships will provide the same level of support, and the same level of subsidy, for all apprentices, regardless of their age. Fewer than half the people doing apprenticeship-type training are actually funded as proper apprentices, through the Modern Apprenticeship scheme, and we are going to change that.
• Boost overall funding for apprenticeships. The current top-up for Modern Apprentices will be redistributed across all apprentices, regardless of age, as an extension to their learning subsidy. In addition, overall subsidy payments will be increased by around $12 million in the first year, rising over time. Increased funding for apprenticeships will allow industry training organisations to invest in the quality of education for apprentices, lower fees for employers and encourage growth in the uptake of apprenticeships.
• Boost the educational content of apprenticeships. At a minimum they will require a programme of at least 120 credits that results in a level four qualification.
• Set clearer roles and performance expectations for ITOs, and give employers other options if their ITOs don’t perform.
• Lift the profile of, and participation in, apprenticeships. We are going to give the first 10,000 new apprentices who enrol after 6 March this year $1,000 towards their tools and off-job course costs, or $2,000 if they are in priority construction trades. The same amount will also be paid to their employers.
• Increase competition by allowing employers direct access to industry training funding.
Further information is available at: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-apprenticeships-boost-skills-amp-support-jobs

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