Shaping the future of vocational education and training

Key points of Muka Tangata submission 

Our responses to consultation questions (from page 9) directly address the questions asked by the Government. 

Our submission addresses the issues and opportunities within vocational education and training (VET) for the food and fibre sector: 

• Funding of food and fibre VET needs to support sustainable delivery of programmes (especially low-volume but strategically important food and fibre programmes). 

• Food and fibre VET needs to be agile by recognising and accounting for technological advances, such as mechanisation and AI. 

• Stronger industry leadership and voice is needed in funding, commissioning, administration and delivery. VET must ultimately meet the industry’s skill needs. 

• More flexibility is needed in delivery and assessment to account for how, when and where the food and fibre sector works (the classroom-based delivery model is not always suitable). 

• Food and fibre VET needs to better recognise the diverse needs of employers and learners, especially Māori. 

The reforms proposed by the Minister provide an opportunity to address the identified problems, to make the most of the opportunities, and to future-proof the VET system so that it meets the needs of our sector. 

The food and fibre sector proposes the establishment of a dedicated, industry-led, standard-setting, commissioning and brokering organisation for the food and fibre sector. The organisation resembles the Minister’s proposal 2B, but with key additional responsibilities in commissioning and brokering food and fibre VET programmes. 

Under strong industry leadership, the proposed organisation would exercise standard-setting functions, with a clear mandate to increase efficiency, to improve the functioning of the VET system (especially workplace-based learning), and to ensure the availability of skills the food and fibre sector requires. 

The food and fibre sector seeks a leadership role in the further design and implementation of the government’s preferred options and offers its support.