The Government has decided to disestablish the Workforce Development Councils and establish new Industry Skills Boards (ISBs).
On 20 December 2024 the Government announced their plans for a new vocational education system. You can read the Minister’s announcement here: Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions | Beehive.govt.nz
Last year we worked across the food and fibre sector during consultation on the Government’s proposed reforms to the vocational education and training system in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Muka Tangata made a submission on the Government’s proposals: Our submission.
Thank you to all who took the opportunity to advocate for the needs of our sector during the consultation period.
The Tertiary Education Commission has announced the members of the Establishment Advisory Group (EAG) for the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board (ISB).
This EAG has been formed to lead the foundational work required to ensure the Food and Fibre ISB is ready to operate from 1 January 2026.
The appointed members of the Food and Fibre EAG are:
The members of the EAG are expected to also form part of the membership of the new board of the ISB once it is formally established.
Each member brings valuable industry experience and expertise, and their leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future direction of the ISB.
We look forward to working closely with the Food and Fibre EAG over the coming months as they lead the important work of standing up the ISB and laying the groundwork for its long-term success.
Following the confirmation of EAG members, the TEC is now inviting industries to nominate representatives to be recommended as the two Ministerial appointees to the first ISBs. These boards will be in place from 1 January 2026.
For more information, visit the TEC website.
The ISBs will take on some of the WDC functions from January 2026. There will be differences between WDCs and ISBs. ISBs will have a role strongly focused on their standards setting function with a lower level of government funding available and we also expect that the number and coverage of ISBs could be different from the WDC model.
From 28 April to 20 May, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) conducted consultation on the number and coverage of Industry Skills Boards.
On Wednesday 2 July, the Minister announced that there will be eight new ISBs. These will begin operating from 1 January 2026 once the legislation is passed later this year.
All industries will be covered by ISBs. NZQA will not initially take over any industry coverage.
The food and fibre sector will be represented in a dedicated ISB. Read more on the TEC website: ISB coverage.
ISBs will have three primary funding sources. They will receive some core public funding, they can choose to charge fees to fund their quality assurance functions, and industries can also choose to support ISBs through a levy.
In the next few months, Establishment Advisory Groups will consult with industry regarding the detailed coverage areas of each ISB. This will then be set out in the Order in Council that will formally establish each ISB.
Today the Minister for Vocational Education Hon Penny Simmons announced the future transition arrangements for workplace learning out of Te Pūkenga.
The Minister’s announcement can be found here: A better path for apprentices and trainees
There is also further information on the TEC website: New work-based learning model
Key points
We’re committed to making the transition to ISBs as smooth as possible and will keep you up to date with any important updates or changes. WDCs will continue to operate in the interim.
Below is an indicative timeline as per the Minister for Vocational Education:
It is anticipated that the new system will come into effect in 2026. During the coming year, and over the transition period, our focus remains on delivering solutions to meet the needs of industry, Māori agribusiness, learners, and employees in the food and fibre sector. We will continue to undertake our functions and work plan as laid out in our 2024-2026 Operational Plan. Our qualifications development projects, quality assurance, and work on our Workforce Development Plan projects will continue until the end of June 2025 as planned.
To ensure timely processing of pre-moderation, consent to assess, microcredential support and programme endorsement applications before the disestablishment of Muka Tangata, we encourage providers to submit all relevant assessment materials and applications by October 3, 2025.
We will continue to process applications after this date, but we cannot guarantee they will be completed before Muka Tangata finishes operations on 19 December 2025. Any in-flight submissions will be handed over to the newly established Industry Skills Board for completion.
We encourage you to contact us at the earliest opportunity if you have any questions about this, or want to discuss any proposed submissions.
