Myth Busting

Myth Busting

Last updated 18 December 2019
Last updated 18 December 2019

With a lot of change underway and on the horizon with the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE), there is plenty to digest and make sense of. Each newsletter, we’ll provide you with some quick-fire Q&As, crack common misconceptions about the programme, and bust some of the myths on the radar to help keep the facts straight and ensure you’re up to date with the latest info.

Two men with hard hats and safety gear on talking

Do changes to the vocational education system mean that international students will no longer be able to study at institutes of technology and polytechnics?

International students will continue to be able to study at Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics (ITPs) post 1 April 2020. The only change is that each ITP will become a subsidiary of the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology (NZIST).

Do changes to the vocational education system mean that international students will not be able to choose where they study?

International students will still be able to choose their place of study. The Reform of Vocational Education will allow learners, including international students, greater flexibility to study for qualifications delivered throughout New Zealand, in both vocational and degree study.

Do changes to the vocational education system mean that non-vocational courses will no longer be taught at institutes of technology and polytechnics?

Institutes of technology and polytechnics will continue to offer a wide range of non-vocational courses such as foundation and degree-level study for domestic and international students.

The Workforce Development Councils and Centres of Vocational Excellence sound similar. Will there be any duplication in what they do?

While Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) may seem similar, each will play an important and different role in the vocational education and training system.

There will be six WDCs that will enable industry to take a lead in making New Zealand’s workforce fit for today and the future. These WDCs will have a fundamental skills leadership and standard setting role, working with both industry and providers to ensure qualifications delivered to learners meet the needs of industry. WDCs will be enduring organisations and will provide advice to Government on the skills mix desired by industry, supporting TEC to invest in training and education that is relevant to what New Zealand really needs.

CoVEs will have a far more specific purpose. CoVEs will be based at a site of the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology, or wananga, and will involve consortia made up of industry, providers and other relevant groups working together to share best practice and knowledge to address specific issues and ideas led by industry. They will be a catalyst for driving forward initiatives to support training in vocational education.

There is $5 million of funding available per year, for up to five years, for the first two pilot CoVEs. They are intended to be an enduring part of the vocational education system, but their purpose, deliverables and membership may change over time.  

What say has industry had in the Reform of Vocational Education and how will industry remain involved in the new vocational education system?

When New Zealanders were invited to have their say on the proposed reforms for vocational education in April, 35 meetings and events were held specifically for staff and management at the 11 industry training organisations to discuss the opportunities and challenges. Public written and oral submissions on the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill were then invited in October, while extensive engagement with industry continues into next year and beyond.

As part of the new vocational education and training system, six Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) – industry-governed bodies – will enable industry to take a lead in making New Zealand’s workforce fit for today and the future. Each WDC will be responsible for different industry areas and employers will advise their WDC on what skills their industry and workers need.

In September and October 2019, TEC undertook engagement around potential coverage areas and governance arrangements for WDCs. Our engagement also sought to provide an overview of the aims of the Workforce Development Council and Industry Training Organisation transitions project, as well as the overarching RoVE programme. Engagement included five public workshops/meetings attended by representatives of more than 200 organisations.

Six workshops and two webinars were also recently held to discuss the potential scope and functions of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). About 170 stakeholders from primary and construction sectors were involved. These included industry representatives, peak bodies, iwi, education and training organisations (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics, Industry Training Organisations, wānanga, Private Training Establishments, schools and universities), employers, unions, the Institute’s establishment board, and government agencies.