NZQA certificates presentation,Timaru

Wes Davies, Barbara Johnsen, Neil Dickson, John Broadhead, Jean Tilleyshort, ladies and gentlemen: my colleague Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey is very sorry he is unable to be here today.

But I am delighted to be able to fill in for him.

This is an important event, both for South Canterbury and for the whole nation.

We are very good at knocking ourselves when we do badly – just ask the All Blacks or the Black Caps – but we’re not so good at celebrating our successes.

Today, we are here to celebrate success.

We have here today 31 team leaders and managers from Sanford Seafood Processing and New Zealand Light Leathers who have gained the National Certificate in First Line Management, at level 3. These are the first people in New Zealand to gain this national qualification off the National Qualifications framework.

I’m told that management of both Sanford and Light Leathers have reported that the application of skills learnt during the training for this certificate has been rewarding for those individual managers, their staff, and for the companies involved.

I am delighted to hear that it is having practical use!

Such good value is this training, that both companies will have more staff doing this certificate this year. And many of those here today who have completed the certificate at level 3 are aiming to complete the certificate at the next level up.

Ladies and Gentlemen: further training can improve not just the work of the staff member involved, but the whole organisation they work for. Our successful students here today demonstrate that.

By training staff and applying those new skills in the workplace, businesses are investing in their people and creating greater efficiencies.

I commend the two businesses – Sanford and Light Leathers – the two training organisations – New Zealand Seafood Industry Training Organisation and the Food and Engineering Industry training organisation – and Precision Training, the training provide, for their collaborative efforts.

Most of all, I congratulate those here today who have achieved such a learning milestone. The rest of the country can learn from your experience.

The Labour-Alliance Government is working hard to develop New Zealand as an innovative society. A key part of that involves us working to enable people such as yourselves to learn new skills and to apply them.

Thank you for all your hard work, and best of luck for your further education.