Workforce Development Councils open for business

Workforce Development Councils open for business

Last updated 4 October 2021
Last updated 4 October 2021

The lights are on, and the six new Workforce Development Councils are ready to get down to business.

“Creating six new legal entities at the same time, each with their own governing councils and incoming leaders, staff and functions, was always going to be ambitious,” said Acting Chief Executive, Gillian Dudgeon.

“There is still lots to do before they will be operating at full speed but they are established and will grow from here.”

Creation of the WDCs is a key feature of the reform of vocational education (RoVE), which is aimed at creating a strong, unified, sustainable vocational education system.

About 70 employees, and qualifications and standards-setting functions, have transitioned into the WDCs from the 11 Transitional Industry Training Organisations and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

The WDCs are responsible for developing industry qualifications and setting standards. They will assess training provision against those standards to ensure they are applied consistently across Aotearoa New Zealand and across all learning, whether on-the-job, in-classroom or online.

Each WDC represents a set of related industries, and will work with their industries to develop and maintain a strategic view of the skills and training needed now and in the future. In turn, they will translate those needs into expectations of what education and training providers must deliver. This includes facilitating greater diversity among those seeking careers in trades and technical roles.

The WDCs will also work closely with the 15 new Regional Skills Leadership Groups to ensure regional economic needs and priorities are met.

For more information on each WDC, the industries they represent and their governing councils and management teams, please see: