Labour market themes
On this page
In the last year, we’ve focused on labour market planning for 2 of the largest sectors in the Taranaki economy – health and construction. However, we’ve also identified 4 important cross cutting themes that impact that entire labour market. We’ve applied these lenses to the health and construction sectors and the themes below will be a continued focus of our mahi.
Embedding Te Ao Māori, tikanga and Mātauranga Māori into training provision
We continue to hear from many tangata whenua, kaimahi (workers) and enterprise of the benefits of embedding te ao Māori, tikanga and Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and sponsoring a Te Ao Māori approach to training provision.
We are a vibrant region that flourishes under our tupuna maunga (ancestral mountain), and the lessons we can all take from enhancing our training provision in this way will increase the ability for everyone in our region to see their brighter future in Taranaki. The concept of honouring tikanga and mātauranga Māori in training aims to affirm identity and supports holistic growth and validates ways of knowing and being.
Obtaining formal recognition for the skills kaimahi have learnt on-job
Formal training and qualifications remain the most effective way to demonstrate knowledge and competency. However, there are many kaimahi who have a wealth of experience and skills they have developed on the job. It is often challenging for them to demonstrate their capability and the transferability of their skills. The variability between enterprises’ own bespoke training can exacerbate these challenges.
Creating avenues for on-job training to be reliably and fairly transferred to the formal environment creates benefit for both kaimahi and employers; kaimahi are able to seamlessly move between industries and sectors, while employers are given confidence in the consistency of the workforce when recruiting. Moreover, employers can be assured all their kaimahi have the skills and knowledge that meets (or exceeds) industry standards.
Supporting sector involvement in training provision and pathway development
Tangible change starts from the ground-up. We support and applaud the involvement of sectors and industry in training provision and pathway development. Where our sectors have identified, developed and shared pathways for their kaimahi, we want to support the empowerment that this creates.
Appropriate training provision and pathway development provides greater transparency for kaimahi and ākonga (learners) to understand what is required of them to succeed in their roles and achieve growth.
Supporting exposure to careers and skills needs in the region
Our mahi is for our people. We support the exposure of future careers and skills needs in our region so that our people can take advantage of these opportunities.
Our taiohi (youth) are our future, and through career exposure we can have positive impact by working to give them the chance to succeed in careers of their choice. We know that early exposure to a range of careers allows taiohi to both discover new opportunities or begin pursuing their interests early and can increase educational motivation.
Career and skills exposure is also relevant for our kaimahi, through our support for just transitions, we must continue to look after our people regardless of circumstance and stage of life.