Moves announced by the Government today to modernise New Zealand’s universities will ensure graduates leave with the skills to better innovate and boost our economy, BusinessNZ says. Education, Skills and Immigration Director Rachel Simpson says BusinessNZ supports the introduction of a new tertiary education strategy that places economic growth at the centre of higher...
Legislation aimed at improving NZ’s vocational education and training system needs to focus on delivering the right skills needed for business and employment growth, BusinessNZ says. BusinessNZ says New Zealand’s new vocational education system should not be dominated by polytechnics to the detriment of work-based training and should focus on...
Workforce Development Councils a key development BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope welcomes further clarification on the Government’s decision to establish six industry-led Workforce Development Councils (WDCs). Mr Hope says the move will need to be carefully managed to ensure that impacts on businesses offering apprenticeships and other industry training programmes...
Immigration changes a boost for regional New Zealand Regional New Zealand will benefit most from changes to employer-assisted visa settings, BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says. Immigration policy changes that will introduce a pre-assessment for employers, improve access to immigration for regions with low unemployment and put in place sector...
Businesses set to benefit from training investment Additional funding to support employer-led training initiatives in literacy and numeracy is welcomed by BusinessNZ, Chief Executive Kirk Hope says. “It is great to see the Government partnering with industry to provide much-needed skill development for those in the workplace.” Mr Hope says...
Smooth transition key to successful vocational education reform The reform of vocational education will need to be carefully managed to ensure there continues to be a skills pipeline for industry, BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope says. The changes to vocational training – the creation of a New Zealand Institute of...
BusinessNZ welcomes NCEA focus on literacy and numeracy Strengthening literacy and numeracy and the introduction of a vocational education award are welcomed by BusinessNZ, says Chief Executive Kirk Hope. “It is vital that we ensure young people are leaving school with a good foundation to undertake further training and study. With...
Partnership approach to immigration Proposals for new requirements for work visas need fine-tuning, says BusinessNZ. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has been consulting on plans to improve the system for employer-assisted work visas – the process by which employers can hire skills from overseas if they are unavailable...
Vocational education needs to serve learners and businesses Vocational education needs to serve learners and businesses We need to make sure vocational education is serving the needs of learners and businesses, says Business NZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope. The Reform of Vocational Education, announced today by Minister of Education Chris...
Employment Bill brings long-sought clarity