High training numbers will maintain skilled workforce

Business analysts are forecasting growth and report an increase in many areas including the receipt of new orders, employment, production and deliveries but the drive for increased efficiency will continue even as business conditions improve.

This is gratifying news and should be encouraging to employers who have maintained their commitment to training which has remained high and apprentice numbers have also remained high. The downturn is not going to last forever and we need to ensure that we keep training levels as high as possible so that we are not robbed of a skilled workforce. We are confident New Zealand industry will not suffer the same skills shortages that have constrained economic growth in the past as our economy climbs out of the recession in 2010.

However the Government is asking us for a greater return on training investment and future funding, which is frozen at the 2009 level, will be linked to successful outcomes.

For Competenz and many other ITOs, we are playing our part by being more efficient in the way we purchase training courses thereby improving the rate of apprentice and trainee completions while at the same time reducing our administrative expenditure.

Trades training is critical to the success of the country - these are the people with the skills that build the economy.

Competenz is committed to working together to maintain the momentum of providing and delivering quality training programmes and make 2010 a successful year for industry.