The fifteen Regional Skills Leadership Groups (RSLGs) continue to identify and support better ways of meeting future skills and workforce needs in our regions and cities. The work of the RSLGs builds on that undertaken by the interim groups which were in place between June 2020 and August 2021.

RSLGs are developing Regional Workforce Plans for use by employers, school leavers, training providers, industry bodies and government agencies to ensure the skills that regions need are developed and readily available.

The first iteration of Regional Workforce Plans are expected to be delivered by the end of June 2022.

Some of the key RSLG activities of the past three months include:

Handover packs facilitate shared understanding of regional profiles

A set of ‘handover packs’ which contain regional labour market and skills insights were developed to assist the transition between the interim and permanent RSLGs between June and September this year. These packs were compiled by the MBIE Secretariat for RSLGs and passed over on behalf of the interim groups.

MBIE has been facilitating the sharing of these packs at both the national and regional level, given that the insights they contain can provide value to a range of stakeholders and partners beyond just the permanent RSLGs. The latest step in this process has been making the handover packs available publicly. This will support RSLGs in building stakeholder buy-in as well as developing a shared understanding of the labour market, skills, education and welfare profiles of their region.

Handover packs for each RSLG region are available on the MBIE website. 

RSLG national co-chairs hui

Last month, the RSLG co-chairs held their first quarterly hui since the permanent groups were established in late August.

The RSLG co-chair led hui helped facilitate a greater understanding of labour market and skills opportunities, challenges and priorities in our regions and across the motu, particularly in relation to the development of the Groups’ Regional Workforce Plans. Supported by the MBIE Secretariat for RSLGs, the online hui featured a brief outline from each RSLG co-chair on the status of their Regional Workforce Plan and the development of regional workforce aspirations that underpin this.

The hui helped highlight a range of labour market and skills themes and insights that are common across all regions. Insights discussed at the hui will help shape discussions with interested partners and stakeholders, including Te Pūkenga, Workforce Development Councils (WDCs), the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), Kānoa and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). 

Engagement between RSLG co-chairs and Minister Sepuloni

Insights from the November co-chairs’ hui also formed the basis of discussions that a small group of co-chairs had when they met with Hon. Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, earlier this month.  The group provided the Minister with an update on how the RSLGs’ Regional Workforce Plans are progressing and outlined the different approaches RSLGs have taken to identify labour market and skills aspirations in their regions.

The group of co-chairs who met with the Minister included Erin Simpson, chair of Muku Tangata Workforce Development Council (WDC); Glenn Barclay, member of Toitū Te Waiora WDC; and Brendon Green, member of Taumata Aronui and Waihanga Ara Rau WDC.

The Minister expressed her delight at the progress the Groups were making, and encouraged them to continue to reach out and build relationships across the vocational education and employment systems.

The co-chairs are looking forward to the opportunity to engage further with the Minister, as the RSLGs move towards the next phase of Regional Workforce Plan development.