To keep New Zealand moving roads need replacing, leaky water pipes upgrading, power lines maintaining and faster broadband technology installing – and the skills required to deliver the future face of infrastructure continues to grow. Connexis Chief Executive Kaarin Gaukrodger says, “New Zealand’s infrastructure industry is booming with an estimated 44,000 additional workers needed over the next five years. This …
Trades training is getting the support it needs as the Government commits $279.5 million to vocational education and training (VET) in its latest Budget, says Kaarin Gaukrodger, Chief Executive of Connexis, the infrastructure industry training organisation. “Apprenticeships in the infrastructure sector are seeing unprecedented growth right now and this funding will enable us to take advantage of demand and support both our employers and learners.” She adds the Budget provides the required funding to allow vocational education organisations to build towards …
Kia ora koutou, As one of the early mover Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITOs), planning to transition our Arranging Training functions this year, we continue to stay at the forefront of decision-making around the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). This week we will be submitting our transition plan for our Arranging Training and Standard Setting functions to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for …
Kia ora koutou, Much is changing around us as the once-in-a-generation Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) reaches its zenith this year. When change arrives it often appears to be inconvenient timing, even when it is addressing issues that we have long searched for better solutions for. This year we are faced with significant changes to industry training, coinciding with unprecedented …
The highlight of Katareina Kaiwai’s four-year journey to achieve her Civil Infrastructure Apprenticeship was getting it finished. That is not to say that Kat, who now runs her own roading firm, Tairāwhiti Contractors, did not enjoy her training. In fact, one of the first things she did after completing her Apprenticeship was to ask her Connexis Customer Service Account Manager (CSAM) what qualification she could do next. However, she says it was only once she got to the end of her training that she …
Kia ora koutou, The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) is gathering pace and key developments and announcements are arising with greater frequency and tighter deadlines. Decisions made now will have long-lasting impacts for Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITOs) and our subsidiary staff, employers, learners, and everyone else involved in vocational learning. While this is a significant change to how industry training …
Great news for our employers and trainees this week. The Government has extended the Apprenticeship Boost fund by four months so it now runs until August 2022. This means employers can gain an extra four months of wage subsidies for apprentices in their first two years of training. It also means employers who take on new apprentices during those four …
Kia ora koutou, The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) continues to ramp up, with plans this year to set up the Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and have the first Transitional Industry Training Organisations transfer their Arranging Training functions to another entity. In MARCH, this month, there are two opportunities to get involved and have your say in the: governance of the WDCs; design …
Kia ora kōutou, We’ve hit the ground running in 2021 with continued growth in trainee numbers, the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) workstreams ramping up and a reminder that we’re not out of the woods yet with regards to COVID-19. Change brings opportunity and we have seen that with the boost in apprentice numbers by 28% thanks to Free Trades Training, the Apprenticeship …
At the end of last year, we were happy to have our new CE, Kaarin Gaukrodger, take up the reins. After six years at Connexis in a variety of senior management roles, Kaarin is perfectly placed to lead the company and the infrastructure industry, through this period of transition as the government continues to roll out its vocational education reforms. Over …
