March 2021
 Tēnā koutou katoa It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the first Board Chair Update for 2021. I trust that you all had a relaxing holiday season with your whānau, taking the time to rest and rejuvenate for the year ahead. 2021 has seen Auckland move into lockdown twice. During this time, our Auckland-based MITO team seamlessly transitioned to working from home, while keeping in close contact with employers and learners. I commend them, and the rest of the MITO team, for their ability to adapt to changing alert levels so quickly and efficiently. We are now well and truly into the swing of things and look forward to achieving some exceptional results this year. Please read on for a summary of some of MITO’s recent key achievements and important updates. ROVE UPDATE As you will be aware, MITO is currently working through the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) to support the Government’s ambition of creating a strong, unified and sustainable vocational education system that delivers the skills that learners, employers and communities need to thrive. It is legislated that MITO’s standard-setting responsibility (qualification and standards development and review) will transfer to the Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council for all industries, with the exception of the Gas industry which will transfer to the Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council. For MITO’s arranging training responsibilities we are required to identify the most appropriate destination by industry, with industry support and endorsement. Just recently we signed a Letter of Intent with Te Pūkenga to establish a due diligence process and gain assurance of a seamless transition for our customers, people and processes. Te Pūkenga is a new training provider, consolidating the 16 subsidiary polytechnics. Te Pūkenga will be establishing a work-based learning subsidiary which will enable MITO to transfer our arranging training business operations. We anticipate that this will be the destination for our traditional trade sectors. We are also engaging with other training providers for the transfer of arranging training functions for some of our smaller, specialised and bespoke industries. We will be engaging with our industry stakeholders and employers over April and May, to seek support for the proposed destination for each sector. Our timeframe is to complete the transfer of both the standard-setting and arranging training responsibilities before the end of the year. MITO CHIEF EXECUTIVE HONOURED  Earlier this year MITO’s Chief Executive Janet Lane was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZOM) for her services to tertiary education.I would once again like to extend my personal congratulations to Janet – your dedication to industry training is truly outstanding, and it is a privilege working in partnership with you enriching lives and inspiring futures. 2021 MITO SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED We were delighted to award MITO scholarships to 70 outstanding individuals. Our annual scholarship programme supports aspiring and successful graduate learners in furthering their education and training through apprenticeships, training programmes and business skills qualifications. The 2021 MITO scholarship recipients showed an inspiring dedication to their respective industries, and we look forward to supporting their career journeys! APPRENTICESHIP BOOST EXTENDED The Government has announced it has extended the Apprenticeship Boost scheme by four months to further support employers and trades training. The revised end date of the scheme is now August 2022. Apprenticeship Boost is a payment to employers of apprentices in their first or second year of training. Employers can access a subsidy of $1,000 per month for first year apprentices and $500 per month for second year apprentices. MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS DREAM BIG If anyone knows the importance of a well-trained apprentice in an automotive workshop, it’s Russell Josiah, CEO of Bike Torque in Taumarunui. Since establishing the business in 1986, Russell has trained almost twenty apprentices accumulating a long list of national titles in motorcycle racing, with many getting head-hunted and scoring top engineer roles around the world. “I’ve had a couple of guys that’ve done apprenticeships here and have worked their way up to become chief engineers for Grand Prix teams,” he says. CONNECTING JOBSEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS Looking for new staff? Why not take a look at the MITO Job Hub! Our Job Hub provides registered employers with access to profiles of jobseekers actively looking for work in your industry and region. As a result of our recent jobseeker marketing campaigns, we currently have over 450 jobseeker profiles listed, so it is the perfect opportunity to find new staff members! Ngā mihi nui  Andrew Clearwater MITO Board Chair |