He mihi | Mihi from the co-chairs
Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā koutou katoa i runga i ngā āhuatanga o te wā!
I runga anō i te mana o te RSLG, nō māua hoki te whiwhi ki te tuku atu i tenei Te Akunga Houhare Mahere ā-Rohe ki Waitaha.
Ko tā mātou kaupapa, he whakahihiko i ngā kōrero ā-rohe, me pēhea tā tātou o Waitaha nei tautoko, whakawhanake hoki i tō tātou akunga houhare – i naia tonu nei, ki tua hoki.
He mahere tēnei mā te rohe, nā te rohe tonu.
Tēnā koutou katoa
On behalf of the Waitaha Canterbury Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG), we are delighted to introduce the 2022 Canterbury Regional Workforce Plan.
A plan for the region, by the region
Our kaupapa is to stimulate a region-wide conversation on how Canterbury can work collectively to change the way we develop and support our workforce – now and in the future.
We as a region are changing. Our people are becoming increasingly diverse, and our kete of values, ideas and aspirations is growing each day. The future of work is also fast approaching. We are becoming increasingly urbanised and globally connected – and we are amid a technological, environmental, and cultural wave of change.
These changes require us to disrupt how we think about work and learning. But responding to disruption is nothing new to Cantabrians. We have shown time and time again that we have the character and strength to adapt, which gives us, as a Regional Skills Leadership Group, the confidence that this workforce conversation will mark the beginning of our journey towards a thriving labour market. One where every person, community, business and sector is enabled to thrive.
Canterbury as a connected, coordinated labour market where everyone is enabled to thrive
This Regional Workforce Plan sets off by articulating a shared set of aspirations for our regional labour market – one that places people at the centre of everything that we do:
- We want to develop a workforce that has the right skills and capability to support Canterbury’s current and future labour market demands.
- We want to see everyone have equitable access to the support needed to grow and navigate within the labour market in all stages of a working life.
- We want to support all of our workplaces to be worker-friendly, safe, and inclusive, and so that both employees and employers can thrive.
These aspirations sit on a foundation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and have an emphasis on achieving equity for the groups of people that have traditionally struggled to get a fair chance in the workforce.
We will take this kaupapa and support our education, welfare and immigration agencies to be better connected through regional labour market planning and delivery, reflecting partnership, equity and kaupapa Māori. Critical to achieving this will be the development of regional education, training and upskilling that is responsive to the needs of learners and employers at all stages. We also see significant scope to provide greater ease for businesses to employ New Zealanders with the skills required for current and future jobs.
Our partners and vision
The process of developing this strategy has been one of partnership and collaboration. We are extremely grateful to the many colleagues from industry, the education and training sector, rangatahi, intermediaries, and enterprises who have participated in the development of our areas of focus.
We would like to express our gratitude to our fellow board members and secretariat, whose guidance was invaluable, and for their continued passion and energy throughout the entire process.
This Regional Workforce Plan provides the first iteration of ‘what needs to change to fill job vacancies in the Canterbury region’, highlighting key enablers and recommendations for how the RSLG can continue to work with government, industry and regional stakeholders, to enact change that delivers jobs and economic growth.
Liz Brown
Karena Brown
