September 27, 2017 at 02:30 pm
On behalf of the industry training and apprenticeship sector, the Industry Training Federation (ITF) endorses the NZTalent message that internships, apprenticeships, micro-credentials and on-the-job training are effective ways to learn - but also to get qualified.
Some of New Zealand's best-known companies have confirmed they will not require job applicants to hold tertiary qualifications to be recruited for a range of skilled roles in their businesses.
"The ITF agrees that too much focus has been placed on pre-employment tertiary qualifications which do not necessarily deliver employability or match industry needs," says ITF Chief Executive Josh Williams.
New Zealand's employers are already the largest provider of formal tertiary qualifications through the industry training and apprenticeship system. Last year, 148,000 industry trainees and apprentices were engaged in on-the-job training and assessment leading to NZQA qualifications. They got paid while they got qualified, gained employability and job skills in real companies, and took on no student debt.
"The NZTalent message is especially important for young Kiwis and their mums and dads. There is more than one way to launch a successful career. Work-based learning is also going to be increasingly important at a time of rapid technological change, when people will need to upskill and retrain throughout their working lives." Mr Williams says.