Industry Training taking off in Nelson

  • Maryan Street
Tertiary Education

Associate Tertiary Education Minister Maryan Street says a visit to a local Industry Training initiative in Nelson today has highlighted the government’s success in promoting job training.

"It is great to see the commitment of local businesses to trades training. Investment by industry and government in formal on-the-job training is achieving great results for Nelson businesses at the same time as setting local workers up for higher-skilled careers with better earning potential," said Maryan Street.

Maryan Street visited a construction site under development by Ian McCully Builders Ltd, a company which has engaged a number of modern apprentices, as part of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation’s commitment to promote trades training throughout the country.

"Last year saw more than 185,000 New Zealanders across the country earning while they're learning job skills. The latest quarterly statistics from the Tertiary Education Commission show that Nelson City has 204 Modern Apprentices and 3228 Industry Trainees."

The government's job training policy is producing a mix of skilled workers well-suited to the needs of regional business growth and productivity. In the Nelson-Marlborough-West Coast region, the most popular careers for Industry Training are seafood (with 1503 Industry Trainees), forestry (1015), road transport (760), and extractives (petrochemical, gas, energy & chemical plant, drilling, and galvanizing) (530).

"The Labour-led government’s investment in Industry Training will reach $180 million by 2010 – more than three times what it was in 2000," said Maryan Street.

"Last week the government and key industry groups launched the New Zealand Skills Strategy, aimed at increasing skill levels nationwide to future-proof the transforming economy. Industry Training is one of the tools we're using."

"Nelson communities and businesses should be involved in consultation on the New Zealand Skills Strategy, which begins throughout the country on Monday 12 May. More information is at www.skillsstrategy.govt.nz."