Kia ora koutou, This month, while we have been forging ahead with our transition plans and resourcing up to meet our increased trainee and apprentice numbers, we have also been reflecting on 2020 in the run up to the Annual General Meeting. The past 18 months have been marked by unprecedented change for both Connexis and the industries we serve. First Covid, …
Connexis has been given the green light to transfer its core functions into other entities as part of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). Connexis Chief Executive Kaarin Gaukrodger says there was widespread confidence, from within the organisation, the industry and TEC, that the transition plan puts Infrastructure in the best position to benefit from the reforms. “It provides for …
Girls with Hi-Vis® is well underway and has been getting national attention with an article in the New Zealand Herald. On Friday 11 June, the NZ Herald ran a feature on the Girls with Hi-Vis® (GWHV) initiative and the value women can bring to the infrastructure industries. Read the article here, including a profile of Ultimit Ambassador Kat Kaiwai of Tairāwhiti …
Kia ora koutou, The year is racing by and while the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) has been keeping us busy, we are very happy with the direction of current developments, both in terms of the reforms and the continued growth of Infrastructure trainees and apprentices. Our Transition Plan was submitted to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) last month following …
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 …
