ManufacturingNZ says it welcomes the government’s decision to spend up to $20m for an extra 6000 apprenticeship places.

“Having a highly skilled and flexible workforce is essential to building workplace productivity and remaining competitive,” says ManufacturingNZ executive director Catherine Beard.

“New Zealand apprenticeships play a key role in boosting skills levels across the economy to meet industry needs, and help people get into satisfying careers. They combine technical skills, knowledge and behaviours that can be applied across many jobs and sectors.

 

“The extension of additional incentive payments for priority trades will help to get the skills needed for the Christchurch rebuild and importantly enable more firms to grow their own talent.

“A workforce that supports industry and workplace productivity and competitiveness will not be exclusively met by industry training.”

Bear says the business community would like to see the government take steps to ensure all vocational education and training meets the needs of both industry and employees.

“All young people need to understand the career options available to them. Things like improving the quality of careers advice in schools would help with this,” she says.

 

“We need to focus on the future issues like raising the status of apprenticeships and the role of work-based and vocational education.

“The success of the New Zealand Apprenticeships and the Reboot Scheme requires making businesses and individuals the customers of industry training. This will in turn help make New Zealand more productive and competitive.”