Today the Minister of Education, Hon Chris Hipkins, formally announced the outcomes of the proposed Reform of Vocational Education. The objective of the new system is to create a strong, unified, sustainable vocational education system that delivers the skills that learners, employers and communities need to thrive. The outcomes have a significant impact on how vocational education will be managed and delivered in the coming years, and your ongoing interaction with MITO.
In summary: The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) will be formed on 1 April 2020, with each of the 16 polytechnics becoming a subsidiary of the Institute for up to two years, before full consolidation. Commencing on 1 April 2020, four to seven Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) will be formed. The standard-setting role will move from ITOs to the WDCs over the period of 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021.ITO apprentices and learners will transition to the NZIST by 31 December 2022. Transition arrangements are likely to be phased.
It is yet unknown when MITO’s transition will occur. We have set up a page on our website with the Government’s documentation relating to today’s announcement. We encourage you to email any questions you may have to [email protected].
The Minister has emphasised that the reforms will take time and the transition will be carefully managed. So, it’s business as usual for the MITO team! We will continue to promote our training programmes and career pathways to ensure our industries gain new talent and qualified people, and we will remain totally focused on supporting our learners, employers, secondary schools and other stakeholders. You will remain our top priority as we move through the transition to the new vocational education system.
Kind regards
Janet Lane, CEO and
Andrew Clearwater, Chair
MITO
1.8.2019.