Further step towards raising skills 1/2

14 March 2001

Rt Hon Helen Clark

Hon Steve Maharey

Further step towards raising skills

Prime Minister
Helen Clark and Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve
Maharey said today that a major review of industry training in New
Zealand would contribute further to the government's efforts to raise
skill levels in the New Zealand workforce and help our economy to
thrive in the twenty-first century.

At a function hosted
by the Port Nicholson Rotary Club this morning, Helen Clark and Steve
Maharey released a public consultation document on the future of
industry training in New Zealand, 'Skills for the Knowledge Economy:
Nga mohiotanga mo te kohanga whai matauranga'.

The review was
conducted by the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Education in
conjunction with Skill New Zealand. It was set up to identify ways of
making the existing industry training system more effective.

"A skilled workforce
is vital to our economic growth, our standard of living, and our
international competitiveness," Helen Clark and Steve Maharey said.

"For example, a
disturbing numbers of New Zealanders do not have a basic level of
literacy and numeracy essential for most jobs.

"Skills for a
Knowledge Economy presents a number of options for boosting foundation
skills training, including funding this area at a higher rate than
other training, setting up a separate fund for foundation skills
training and including a literacy / numeracy component in entry-level
qualifications.

"After years of
neglect by National-dominated governments, the Coalition introduced the
Modern Apprenticeships programme last year. However, we still do not
have the kind of integrated skills and employment strategy that is
required."

Helen Clark and Steve Maharey said Skills for the Knowledge Economy pointed out:

"Not all sectors of
the economy have ITOs or integrated industry skills and training
strategies. Even when there has been a strong uptake of structured
industry training, firms have limited ability to anticipate
economy-wide shortages, resulting in a restricted supply of skilled
workers in some sectors."

The review has accordingly focused on six areas:

• Improving access to and responsiveness to training;
• The funding of industry training;
• Developing the generic, transferable skills of New Zealand's workforce;
• Raising the level of foundation skills;
• Providing better information for decision-makers and planners;
• Exploring some of the implications for government agencies.

The review goes on to
discuss a number of strategies for addressing these six areas, which
are seen as the key to an integrated skills strategy.

The Industry Training
Review has been closely aligned with the work of the Tertiary Education
Advisory Commission, the second report from which, Shaping the System,
was released by the Commission last week.

Helen Clark and Steve
Maharey said the consultation document provided an opportunity for
interested groups and individuals to contribute to a process vital to
the prosperity of all New Zealanders.

An electronic copy of Skills for a Knowledge Economy can be downloaded from www.dol.govt.nz/itr.htm

Submissions can be sent by 11 April to Industry Training Review, PO Box 3705, Wellington, or emailed to itr@dol.govt.nz