There are currently two CoVEs:

• ConCOVE, for construction and infrastructure
• FFCoVE, for the food and fibre sector.

Each CoVE addresses specific issues and opportunities and operates as part of the vocational education system, working closely with Workforce Development Councils, and vocational education providers. The Government allocated $25 million for 2020-2025, for the two CoVEs.

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) makes sure each CoVE is a genuine centre of excellence, bringing together the right people to identify opportunities, solve problems and drive innovation.

CoVE core functions and characteristics

CoVEs:

• support the growth of excellent vocational education with a focus on teaching, learning and research
• support the development and sharing of high-quality curriculum and programme design
• are a consortium with expert representation from industry, the wider sector, and a range of other areas, e.g., iwi and vocational education representatives
• have a national focus
• are hosted by a regional campus of Te Pūkenga or a wānanga
• address issues and opportunities with a significant strategic impact, ideally with wide-reaching benefits across the sector
• solve real problems and grasp viable opportunities.

 CoVEs may also:

• provide training support for employers to improve their skills-building ability
• share applied research with providers and industry to improve knowledge exchange
• improve pathways through vocational education including from school
• provide learning technologies across the network to minimise cost and duplication
• provide advice to providers and employers on best-practice pastoral care to support learners
• devise and implement other innovative solutions and opportunities as determined by the CoVE consortium.