Local insights report: December 2023

Regional highlights

Jobs for Partners pilot is underway

The Marlborough RSLG identified that the availability of jobs and career opportunities for partners is a barrier to attraction, recruitment and retention of talent in Marlborough. The RSLG partnered with Connected and industry to launch the Jobs for Partner project, which assists partners of new hires to connect with potential job opportunities and support networking. The project will connect into #WELOVEITHERE, a skills attraction campaign to support Marlborough business fill current >$70K job vacancies and bring new talent to our region.

Increased tertiary provision in the region

We are seeing increased tertiary provision in the region. Vertical Horizons has expanded its training to Marlborough and Etco is opening a training facility in Te Tauihu based in Tasman, which means electrical apprentices will have shorter travel times for block courses. Te Pūkenga - Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) will offer the Bachelor of Nursing programme in Blenheim for a new intake of Year 1 students and continue to provide programme for Year 2 students including clinical placements in Marlborough. Increased provision of training is a focus for the RSLG.

National wine industry skills survey has been completed

Wine Marlborough – supported by the industry-led workforce steering group – has recently completed a national wine industry skills survey. The survey received responses from 199 wine industry businesses around New Zealand, including 125 businesses in Marlborough. The research aims to:

• define and quantify the roles and skills that make up the wine sector (from vineyard to market)
• to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the current wine sector workforce
• to forecast the future skills needed in the industry.

This work was supported by MBIE’s Sector Workforce Engagement Programme, and New Zealand Winegrowers. The RSLG will review the results of the survey when they are available next year, and this will feed into our future labour market planning and advice around training in the region.

Recently published reports

The RSLG recently published 2 reports to its website that support key actions from the regional workforce plan.

Career and learning pathways

• Te whai mahi me ngā huarahi ako | Career and learning pathways
• E mārama ana te katoa ki ngā āheninga ahumahi, whakangūngū hoki | Everyone in the region is aware of career and training opportunities

The report supports our region to understand what careers advice is and the type of information career changers need, as well as the different operating and funding models. It also explores 2 areas of careers guidance: connections between students and employers, and career pathways.

You can read the report here:

Career guidance and pathways

Marlborough as an attractive place to live and work

• He wāhi mahi Te Tauihu o te Waka e tino whāia ana | Marlborough as an attractive place to live and work

The report summarises qualitative research into the key considerations for people moving into the region, and what concerns new arrivals have. Connectivity (both flights and digital) as well as the natural environment were important factors for people looking to move to the region. Housing, the need for quality schooling, access to health services and perceptions around the vibrancy of the region were the main concerns.

You can read the report here:

Marlborough as an attractive place to live and work

Advice to the Tertiary Education Commission

In November 2023, the RSLG provided advice to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for 2025 investment. You can view a summary of the advice here:

Advice to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for 2025 investment

The advice highlighted that there is significant under investment in tertiary
education in our region and there is a need to ensure we have training locally to meet the local demand for skilled workers. This is especially critical in our health sector.

This is the third set of investment advice provided to TEC. The RSLG provided investment advice for 2024 in May of 2023. Te Mahere AhumahiAhumahiā-Rohe o Te Tauihu o Te Waka Waka-a-Māui | Marlborough Regional Workforce Plan 2022 included investment advice for 2023.

TEC is in the process of analysing advice for investment in 2025. It will communicate the highlighted industry and skill gaps to providers in early 2024 who will then submit their investment plans to TEC.

1 area where the RSLG and the Workforce Development Councils has had influence is in respect to skippers training. A local provider has been approved to receive TEC funding for the first time from 1 January 2024.

In 2022 TEC funded more than 6,000 learner enrolments in the Marlborough region excluding extramural. 2023 is on track to be a similar number. These enrolments are connected to the region’s needs with study in:

• horticulture
• viticulture
• engineering
• te reo
• seafood industry
• construction
• aviation
• leadership/management
• health and wellbeing/community support.

Insights from the labour market

Unemployment in the region continues its downward trend

Low unemployment poses a challenge for employers looking to fill available roles. We have also heard that young people can easily find jobs, which makes them less likely to go into study when they leave school.

Labour force participation remains static

At the same time, the national rate has increased. This may be due to our older population. It suggests that there are still pockets of our community that could be better engaged with the labour market.