Advice to the Tertiary Education Commission

Regional Skills Leadership Groups (RSLGs) are part of a joined-up approach to labour market planning that will see our workforce, education and immigration systems working together to better meet the differing skills needs across the motu. They are a fundamental part of the drive to build productive, inclusive, sustainable and resilient regions.

RSLGs have the ability to inform the TEC investment of tertiary education organisations in 2024 through the provision of specific regional advice. This document is the vehicle for this advice.

About this advice 

Broadly, the advice in this document will include:

• key labour shortages in Taranaki and the 3 districts within
• an overview of current engagements with relevant Workforce Development Councils, Tertiary Education Organisations, industry, and regional partners around tertiary education related needs and activities
• tertiary education specific advice for TEC as it relates to direct investment.

This document is in support of Taranaki’s Regional Workforce Plan, which includes a wealth of qualitative data as it relates to the first areas of focus for the Taranaki RSLG: Energy and Food, Fibre and Whenua.

Taranaki Regional Workforce Plan

The release of the 2022/23 Regional Workforce Plan will cover the additional areas of the Kaiāwhina Health Workforce and hauora (health) and wellbeing in the Construction Sector. This release is expected in July 2023.

Taranaki as a region, enjoys relatively stable employment levels, hovering around 67% of the total working age population, although the productivity levels typically trail that of national levels (0.9% annual growth vs 2.3% respectively). 

Through our mahi (work), we seek to support fair, equitable and inclusive employment and training opportunities for all who call, or seek to call, Taranaki home. Compared to other regions, Taranaki has high youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) rates of over 10% annually, meaning that many young people have periods in their life where they are not engaged in mahi, school or training. Studies [1] show that those with longer terms as ‘NEET’ often struggle to re-join the workforce or education system.

Download the document 

This document draws on relevant labour market statistics and projections, paired with knowledge and advice from employers, iwi, unions, local and central government, Workforce Development Councils and other labour market influencers.

While the primary purpose is to inform the TEC on the RSLGs recommended investment in the region, the RSLG welcomes training providers, industry and kaimahi to use this information to make informed decisions around training pathways and skills attainment.

Footnotes

1. Such as:

A rapid review of evidence on what works for youth at risk of limited employment [PDF, 843 KB](external link) — Ministry of Education (2019) [Back to text]