Complementing and guiding on-the-job learning
Competenz account managers regularly visit employers and their apprentices to ensure they are on track to succeed, she says. They also help find apprentices and support employees through their qualifications.
With the digital landscape influencing the way businesses operate, the world of work, education and learning is changing faster than many industries can keep up.
Kingsford explains that a new range of bite-sized, micro-learning, online course and hands-on workshops has been developed so learners can upskill quickly and businesses can remain competitive.
Competenz collaborates with employers to understand their needs and challenges, gaining insight to develop qualifications and resources, she says.
‘‘We work hard to ensure our apprentices gain the skills they need to make a valuable contribution to the workforce. We’re proud to recognise and
ServiceIQ is New Zealand’s official ITO for the tourism, travel, retail and retail supply chain, hospitality, aviation and museum service sectors, says the ITO’s Taranaki sector adviser Tim Waite.
‘‘Our experts set the national qualification standards, write and design on-job training programmes and the learning material that helps businesses develop and upskill talented people working in hundreds of different roles and at different levels right across our sectors.
‘‘We offer a full range of short courses and on-job training programmes, from entry to management and diploma level. This includes apprenticeships for chefs, caterers and aviation engineers.’’
Among many benefits, ServiceIQ’s flexible workplace training programmes enable businesses to upskill employees with the know-how they need to succeed and boost business performance, says Waite. ‘‘With ServiceIQ, it’s possible to upskill your talented employees for free when you have your own in-house assessor.’’
ServiceIQ training programmes are used by many of New Zealand’s leading brands, he adds, to help their people learn the required skills, advance their knowledge and take on greater responsibility. They include businesses of all sizes from all sectors, all over the country.
Some of the companies for which ServiceIQ provides on-job qualification training programmes and apprenticeship programmes are: Air New Zealand, BP, Flight Centre, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Heritage Hotels, HobbitonTM Movie Set Tours, InterContinental Hotels, McDonald’s, New Zealand Maritime Museum, Nga¯i Tahu Tourism Agrodome, Noel Leeming, Mitre
WITT runs training courses for the region’s ITO (industry training organisation) apprentices, providing a service which removes the need for companies to send staff out of the province for training, says Witt faculty leader Angela Ferguson.
‘‘Witt holds night and block courses for all levels of Taranaki apprentices and is now training up 50 automotive Mito apprentices, 26 electrical SkillsOrg apprentices and 60 engineering Competenz apprentices.’’
Aside from the formal teaching, Ferguson says Witt also supports other ITOs by providing a free space for carpentry and plumbing/drainlaying/ gasfitting/roofing apprentices to meet with an ITO representative from training organisations BCITO and SkillsOrg.
At weekly night classes, those apprentices can get tutorial support with their paperwork. ‘‘Apprentices are taught on the job and are required to complete a large amount of self-directed paperwork. The weekly sessions encourages and supports them.’’
Witt also hosts the EWRB (Electrical Workers Registration Board) regulations examinations for the region in June and November each year. A total of 28 electricians this year sat the June theory examination and 31 sat the regulations examination.
In the lead up to each of these exams, Witt holds week-long exam preparation courses.
Taranaki Futures works in the gap between education and employment, says general manager Warwick Foy. ‘‘This gap exists because the worlds of education and employment are constantly evolving, so it is often hard for educators and employers to understand how their worlds can most effectively work together.’’
Thirty per cent of high school students go to university, but 99 per cent of people eventually go to work, Warwick points out. ‘‘We need to work with schools, education providers and the Ministry of Education to move the emphasis away from content and assessment to work readiness, job-seeker skills, health and safety, mental health and financial literacy.’’
TF goals define how that can improve. To advocate for equality between academic and employment based pathways.
To inspire employers to think about, and articulate, the type of workforce they will need for their futures.
To support educators and employers to develop new ways of highlighting available pathways to young people.
Support educators to develop initiatives that ensure young people are work ready.
Support employers to develop their understanding of young employees so they can be more effective.
Ensure all young people are effectively engaged beyond high school education.