Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has announced a new code of practice for education providers that will strengthen the care of international students in New Zealand.

“There are more than 100,000 international students who come to New Zealand each year. New Zealand was one of the first countries to adopt a code of practice in 2002. This new code will ensure we remain a world leader in the pastoral care of international students,” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman today announced that the Government will invest $14 million over seven years in a $37.8 million public-private research partnership to promote precision-driven healthcare.

“The partnership will work on developing and conducting ground-breaking health data analysis and optimisation technologies for health assessment and management,” Mr Joyce says.

Eleven of New Zealand’s fifteen regions grew in the year to March 2015 according to Statistics New Zealand, while all fifteen have grown to varying degrees over the last five years, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says.

Strongest growing regions in the year to last March were Canterbury, Auckland and Wellington, while Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough and Otago all grew more than 2 per cent.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced appointments to the board of Callaghan Innovation – the government agency tasked with encouraging more research and development activity by New Zealand’s fast growing technology companies.

The new board members are Kate McGrath, Frances Valintine and Simon Botherway. Richard Janes has been reappointed to the Board, along with Sue Suckling, who has been reappointed as Chair.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced four Ministerial appointments to the Council of the new tertiary education institution that brings together the Waiariki Institute of Technology and the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

“I am pleased to welcome Catherine (Cathy) Cooney as Chair of the new Council. I have also appointed Ian Turner as Deputy Chair and Rahera Ohia QSM and Ngaroma Tahana as members,” Mr Joyce said.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced a call for proposals for three multi-institution New Zealand-China Research Collaboration Centres to be supported as part of the new Catalyst Fund international research programme.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell today announced the opening of the 2016 investment round for Te Pūnaha Hihiko - Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund.

“The Vision Matauranga Capability Fund, is designed to grow the skills and capacity of Māori researchers and organisations in science and innovation and support outcomes that benefit Māori and New Zealand," Mr Joyce says.

Up to $2 million per annum is available for investment in new programmes over the next two years.  

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today officially opened the Auckland ICT Graduate School at Auckland University.

“The Auckland ICT Graduate School is a collaboration between The University of Auckland and University of Waikato, which will develop post-graduate students who  will have the technical, communication, critical thinking, business, and enterprise skills that employers’ value,” says Mr Joyce.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today announced that the MBIE procurement team will return to market for the All-of-Government Air Travel contract, which has saved government agencies more than $37 million to date.

“This contract was initially signed in late 2011 and around 290 agencies and schools are now participating. The contract expires in December 2016 and a decision has been made by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to retender it, rather than exercise any renewal options,” Mr Joyce says.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced that New Zealand has joined Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF).

“The MRCF is an early-stage venture capital fund, which provides capital and hands-on expertise to support the development and commercialisation of promising biomedical discoveries. New Zealand’s research organisations can now sign up to gain access to the $200 million (AUD) investment fund to support the development of their biomedical innovations,” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley today announced up to $300,000 worth of funding to help people into work in the Buller District.

The Ministry of Social Development funding will be matched by a further $300,000 from the District and will be used to provide wage subsidies for up to 20 people impacted by recent business closures in the region to be hired by new employers.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has today announced $162,000 over two years for the implementation of Taranaki’s International Education Strategy, through Education New Zealand’s (ENZ) Regional Partnership Programme.

Mr Joyce was in New Plymouth to launch the strategy, making Taranaki the latest region to benefit from government investment in international education, both at the local and national levels. It formalises the existing cooperation between Taranaki education providers and Venture Taranaki.

The Canterbury economy is continuing to strengthen and its economic infrastructure continuing to develop as the region positions itself for long-term growth post the earthquake rebuild.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says Canterbury currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 3.9 per cent, compared with 5.3 per cent nationally. Since December 2011, employment in Canterbury has increased by 40,500 (14.1 per cent) compared with national growth of 8.1 per cent.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today launched “A Better Start” - E Tipu e Rea - New Zealand’s 10th National Science Challenge.

The “A Better Start” Challenge will receive funding of up to $34.7 million over 10 years for research aimed at solving some of the complex problems that are faced by New Zealand children and young people as they start out on life.

Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key, and Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce, today turned the first sod on construction of the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland.

“SkyCity has now started construction on what will be a world-standard facility,” Mr Joyce says. “It is a very significant investment for Auckland and New Zealand that will bring an additional $90 million in tourism expenditure annually.”

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has today announced $4.75 million will be invested through the Government’s new Catalyst Fund in 18 global strategic partnerships to support high-quality research in areas that will deliver a range of benefits to New Zealand.

The Catalyst Fund aims to strengthen international research collaboration by linking New Zealand with world-class international research groups, infrastructure and initiatives.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced a three-year investment of $2.8 million in the Australian Synchrotron, the largest piece of scientific infrastructure in the Southern Hemisphere, to secure preferential access for Kiwi scientists.

The Synchrotron is a source of intense light ranging from infra-red to hard x-rays, and is used for a variety of research purposes. The Government funding, along with co-investment from NZ research organisations, will support the operating costs of the leading-edge research facility.

The New Zealand Government today received two international awards for the mobile apps ‘Force Fit’ and ‘Occupation Outlook.’

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce congratulated staff at the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment who developed the apps, which received Best m-Government Service Awards at the annual World Government Summit in Dubai.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today released the 2016 Occupation Outlook report and mobile app which shows job prospects continue to be very good in highly skilled, fast growing industries such as high-tech manufacturing and ICT. 

“Software developers, ICT systems and business analysts, for example, are in high demand reflecting New Zealand’s growing technology software and services sector,” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today announced that the Government will contribute $4 million to the construction of the Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery in Whangarei.

The decision was announced as part of the launch of the Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan, which identifies 58 actions that will support and enable the growth of the Northland economy, Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have today announced a detailed action plan to invigorate Northland’s economy.

The Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan is part of the Government’s Regional Growth Programme, which is increasing jobs, income and investment in regional New Zealand.

Mr Joyce says the plan identifies 58 tangible actions that will contribute millions of dollars to the Northland economy.

The latest Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) shows unemployment has fallen to 5.3 per cent, the lowest since March 2009.

There were an additional 21,000 jobs in the December quarter, and 175,000 additional jobs over the past three years.

“It’s positive to see strong falls in unemployment in many regions, including Northland, Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu/Whanganui, Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough/West Coast, Taranaki and the Waikato,” says Mr Joyce.

Figures released today show the Government’s infrastructure programme is a significant contributor to jobs across New Zealand, Finance Minister Bill English and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steve

The Government will work with Auckland Council to bring forward the start date of the City Rail Link (CRL), Associate Finance Minister Steven Joyce and Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced today.

The Government is also working to formalise its funding commitment from 2020, which the Council has indicated would allow construction of the main works to start in 2018, at least two years sooner than currently envisaged.