Action plan: Waikato workforce
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Our Waikato Workforce Actions
Develop services that support transition to work
Action:
Develop mentoring programmes to make sure tertiary trained talent is work-ready
Outcomes
Short term:
An environmental scan of existing tertiary-transition mentoring programmes in place by sub-region and support type
Medium term:
Develop and deliver programmes that improve the work-readiness of tertiary trained talent in the region
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Pūkenga
- PTEs
- WDCs
- Universities
- Industry Leaders / Peak Bodies
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
- ICT
- Construction and Infrastructure
Action:
Expand on existing mentoring programmes that support young people entering education, training, or work
Outcomes
Short term:
Identify existing mentoring/work-ready programmes that support young people entering education, training or work programmes and reflect on successful models for potential expansion/replication or new programmes to fill identified gaps
Partners and stakeholders:
- Secondary Schools Industry Peak bodies
- MSD
- Youth Training and Employment Sub-committee/Waikato Plan (YTE)
- Smart Waikato
Action:
Foster stronger connections between key sector employers and learning institutes, and WDCs, to better understand the work-ready requirements for the sector then advocate for inclusion in the secondary school system.
Outcomes
Immediate:
Continue learning from industry about what work-ready skills are needed by those entering the industry
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Pukenga
- WDCs
Action:
Co-design, with local youth, community providers, employers and iwi/Māori, a shared framework for measuring the quality and impact of education to employment support services.
Outcomes
Short term:
Through co-design, the groups involved will dictate the underlying principles of good education to employment/training/higher education transition support services, what good employment looks like for young workers and what makes for good employment practice for young workers and their employers.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Youth Training and Employment Sub-committee/Waikato Plan (YTE)
- Waikato Plan
- External parties dedicated to youth mentoring-pastoral care-placement
- MSD
- Iwi Māori
Education, employment, and training services are tailored and culturally responsive.
Action:
Consider the findings from the Diversity Works/Construction Accord Diversity Roadmap project and Waihanga Ara Hau Equity in Industry workforce plan and identify actions and delivery mechanisms for the Waikato
Outcomes
Short term:
Increase support for workplaces and tools are apprenticeships that attract and reflect a diverse, inclusive and suitably skilled future workforce
Partners and stakeholders:
- Diversity Works
- Waihanga Ara Hau
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Action:
Develop a programme of corporate cultural capability/humility so that employers are better resourced to recruit and retain a rangatahi Māori/youth workforce
Outcomes
Medium term:
Completed environmental scan of existing cultural capability programmes and identification of potential models for expansion or replication into the Waikato
Partners and stakeholders:
- Iwi
- Te Pukenga
- WDCs
- External parties dedicated to youth mentoring-pastoral care-placement
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Action:
Increase support for workplaces and apprenticeships that attract and reflect a diverse, inclusive, and suitably skilled future workforce.
Outcomes
Short term:
Work with partners to identify and provide resources that support workplaces in their DEI journey.
Partners and stakeholders:
- WDCs
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Action:
Consider specific needs around neuro-diversity support in the workplace and identify potential in-work based programmes.
Outcomes
Medium term:
Consider research and findings around neuro-diversity challenges in the workplace through a Waikato workforce lens
Partners and stakeholders:
- WDCs
- External parties dedicated to youth mentoring-pastoral care-placement
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Training is easily accessible across the Waikato
Action:
Support the creation of flexible learning environments to encourage part-time on-the-job and off-the-job learning.
Outcomes
Short term:
Better understand the flexible learning requirements of the region’s workforce
Medium term:
Identify priority sectors and training partners to create pilot programme
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Pūkenga
- WDCs
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Action:
Remove Digital Connectivity (cost and access) as a barrier to allow full participation in training and education opportunities.
Outcomes
Short term:
Geo-map digital connectivity and activity to highlight digital inequality across the Waikato
Medium term:
Advocate for sub-regional solutions through public, private and iwi investment
Partners and stakeholders:
- MSD
- Digital.govt.nz
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
Sub-regional Waikato
Action:
Increase the provision and accessibility of drivers licencing services across Waikato.
Identify and advocate for delivery of actions from Driving Change Network/Waka Kotahi to increase pool of licenced workers in the Waikato region
Encourage wider provision and uptake of MSD Waikato licencing programmes
Outcomes
Immediate:
Build a stronger understanding of existing service provision and barriers (including cost of licencing as a barrier for worker compliance), with a rural / sub-regional focus.
Short term:
Advocate for enhanced visibility of the support mechanisms and services available to increase the numbers of licenced drivers across the Waikato.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Waka Kotahi
- MSD
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
Sub-Regional Waikato
Support local, national, and industry-led (peak body) initiatives to attract, train and retain workers in the Waikato region.
Action:
Identify industry-led existing programmes, including those that support employers to be better employers, that will be most impactful for attracting, training and retaining workers across the Waikato, and advocate for prioritised delivery into sub-regions.
Outcomes
Short term:
Create a matrix of existing/planned programmes
Medium term:
Identify priority actions and advocate for Waikato delivery/activity
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Waka
- MBIE
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors
Action:
Improve the quality of careers guidance for young people in the Waikato by increasing connections between industry and careers advisors to provide a greater understanding of future workforce needs and more industry pathway options for school leavers across the Waikato
Outcomes
Short term:
Create a matrix of existing / planned programmes enhancing awareness and promoting careers to young people in the key sectors in Waikato.
Identify national and sector promotion initiatives and local delivery partners to amplify the sector career opportunities across the Waikato (e.g., careers.govt.nz, Inspiring the Future, Go with Dairy, NZ Tech, et al)
Medium term:
Identify ways to deliver more comprehensive career guidance and engagement in sub-regional Waikato (e.g., Career Expo, FutureForce, et al).
Support the expansion of Smart Waikato’s Secondary School Employer Partnerships (SSEP) programme.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Smart Waikato
- TEC
- FutureForce
- External parties dedicated to youth mentoring-pastoral care-placement
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
- All sectors, with early priority on:
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- ICT/Digital
Action:
Partner with lead agencies to make sure programmes like Apprenticeship Support, FlexiWage, Mana in Mahi and Skills for Industry are being fully realised in sub-regional communities across the Waikato.
Outcomes
Immediate:
Create a matrix of existing / planned programmes of training and employment support programmes/ mechanisms and work with MSD to identify opportunities to increase visibility of these across the Waikato
Partners and stakeholders:
- MSD
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
All sectors