Skilled for the Future

Good afternoon and thank you for this opportunity to speak at the National SkillEX Finals Awards Ceremony for 2006. I am a strong advocate for the trades and workplace learning. While this afternoon is about recognising individual excellence, it is also a celebration of the hard work and perseverance of every individual who have taken part in this competition.

New Zealand needs winners. We need young people who are experts in their fields – who stand out as fast, efficient and highly skilled. The great thing about this competition, and other forums that promote workplace skills, is that they actively encourage excellence. Setting the best against the best promotes and contributes to ensuring we have the skills we need for the future of work in New Zealand.
It is also an excellent opportunity for young people to find out more about the highly rewarding and exciting opportunities that the trades offer.

YOUTH AND SKILLS
While we have a high growth rate and low unemployment we are also faced with skills shortages. Young people are a resource crucial to the ongoing success of our economy and society and are not to be overlooked. The government is working to ensure we’ve got young people training in areas that will ease New Zealand’s current and future skill shortages and help our economy to continue growing.

I am not convinced that the general perception of workplace learning, particularly in terms of potential career opportunities, has kept pace with the diverse and exciting options now on offer in New Zealand. We need workers with high levels of skill, from generic skills such as literacy and numeracy, through to a high level of technical ability. Many traditional manufacturing and primary industries have been transformed by new technology into high-tech workplaces comparable to the best-equipped surgeries and laboratories.

They now allow for (and require) much greater levels of intellectual engagement. They offer greater scope for career progression. And in many cases they have wage levels that are comparable with, or attractive in comparison with, "white collar" jobs requiring similar levels of expertise.

I encourage young people to take up the highly rewarding and exciting opportunities that the trades offer. And I encourage employers to take a long-term view in addressing skills shortages – upskill your existing employees and take on young people to fill the gaps that will inevitably be left as the numbers of people moving into retirement increases.

We as a government are doing our part alongside employers, creating more workplace learning opportunities for all New Zealanders. Workplace learning is flexible, relevant and responsive and offers a range of options and assistance.

MAXIMISING THE CONTRIBUTION OF INDUSTRY TRAINING

The government has championed a range of activities to help address both immediate and future skills needs.

Industry Training has been highly successful in meeting the skill needs of employers. Modern Apprenticeships is a key part of the Industry Training Strategy and effectively provides young people with the opportunity to gain qualifications and skills for the real world of work. As we are witnessing here this afternoon, many of you have taken these opportunities and have excelled.

Our commitment to ensuring that we continue to create opportunities for all that wish to participate in an Apprenticeship or Industry is unrelenting.

We aimed to have 150,000 workers participate in the Industry Training system throughout 2005. Latest figures show we did far better than that with 161,000 in 2005. We are building on this success by further supporting Modern Apprenticeships by providing:
·A further $34.4 million over four years to expand the number of Modern Apprentices to 14,000 by December 2008. Over 1,400 Modern Apprentices have completed their qualifications since the scheme's inception in 2000. Total annual spending will rise to $51 million by 2009/10.
·$15.6 million more over four years in the Industry Training Fund to increase the number of people participating in structured workplace learning. This raises annual funding to $146.5 million in 2007, 150 percent more than in 2000.
·$8.1 million over the next four years to expand Gateway, to include all state and integrated secondary schools. Gateway was previously only available to Decile 1-6 schools. The scheme combines school-based learning with structured workplace learning for senior students. Gateway gives valuable workplace experience to guide students into considering a trades-based career. Once the rollout is completed Gateway will be available to over 13,000 students in 400 schools. By 2009/10, annual spending on Gateway will be over $20 million.

The funding boost to industry training and Modern Apprenticeships (and the positive reaction from industry, business and unions alike) confirms the quality of these programmes and their effectiveness in meeting skill and workforce needs.

Expanding Modern Apprenticeships will help address skill shortages, as industries will be able to plan for the future with a pool of highly qualified young people in the wider industry training system. It is a popular programme and awareness of it is continuing to grow. It is well on the way to re-establishing apprenticeships as a prestige option for a career choice for young people.

The industry training performance figures confirm that the investment made by employers, trainees and government in industry training is really paying off.

As at 31 March 2006, there were 8,838 Modern Apprentices, 14 per cent more than in March 2005.

Total industry trainees numbered 119,866, nearly 12 per cent up on March 2005.

The success of Modern Apprenticeships illustrates in a very clear way the tangible benefits that arise from working in partnership with others to maximise the results for everyone involved.

For growing numbers of New Zealanders it is clear that the workplace is a good classroom and a credible route to gaining the skills they need and industry needs.

The government’s commitment also demonstrates the value we place on the trades, and the importance of training and educating people (especially young people) to become experts in their trade. That’s why I am delighted to be here, as this ceremony also recognises and celebrates the real importance of these achievements.

SUCCESS STORIES
A number of successful New Zealand business people have been associated with SkillEX, including:
·Geoff Scott – who went on to be the youngest executive chef in New Zealand and owner of Vinnies Restaurant
·Andrew Turner – Managing Director of Nautech Electronics
·Wim De Bruin - Director of De Bruin-Judge Furniture Design and manufacturers; and
·Rob McLaren – Director of McLaren Stainless, a past SkillEX regional, national and international competitor, and current SkillEX National Skill Expert for Light Fabrication.
·Alex Vallings Director and owner of C-TECH Ltd
·Michael Lausten from Lausten Cabinetmakers Ltd
No doubt SkillEX had a key part to play in cementing their choice to take up a skills based career and contributed towards the creation of a competitive and innovative spirit essential to succeed in business today.
It is encouraging that a number of past SkillEX competitors return to be involved in supporting the competition.
I am also confident that SkillEX will play an important role in the careers of this year’s regional and national winners.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I’d like to congratulate all those people who have competed in the regional competitions throughout the country. Only one of you will take out the top prize this afternoon, but you are all successful and you should all be proud of your work and the skills you have gained and will continue to gain.
I would also like to acknowledge the colleagues, friends and families of the award winners, who have supported them along this path.
And I offer the award winners all the best for the future. I look forward to meeting you later this afternoon.