Our action points - Hei mahinga ake mā mātou

What’s needed is time for development of people, along with the right training at the right time with the right support.
Mā te roa me te tika o te wā, te whakangungu tika me te tautoko e tutuki ai

— Fiona Ewing: Deputy Chair, Forestry and Wood processing Workforce Council & National Safety Director for Forest Industry Safety Council

The following Action Points support better access to appropriate skills and training provision in Taranaki. Through collaboration, we are aiming to create prosperous outcomes for our people, whether they be taiohi (youth), kaimahi (workers) or those wanting to re-enter the workforce.

The Taranaki Regional Skills Leadership Group will:

1. Work with Feats, Ngāti Maru and Te Pūkenga to adapt Te Hiringa o te Taiao - NZ Certificate in Māori Environment Practices (Level 4), to reflect mātauranga Māori content, practices, knowledge and projects specific to Taranaki. This course will be ready for delivery in 2024 although this is contingent upon securing the support of Iwi in the region in the adaptation and development of courses that have te ao Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori at the centre.
2. Work with Muka Tangata (Food and Fibre Workforce Development Council) and Hanga-Aro-Rau (Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council) to ensure that informal, in-house training executed by Taranaki companies is linked back to New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) credentials and formal recognition of skills. This is to ensure that, where possible, local workers can obtain formal recognition for the skills that they have developed on-the-job.
3. Assist the formation of a partnership between the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence and Taranaki Catchment Communities. This will ensure that the collective regional voice of Taranaki farmers and growers is considered when sector-related vocational education decisions are made that will affect our Region.
   Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (FFCoVE)(external link) — Food & Fibre CoVE
4. Work with Taranaki Catchment Communities, Parininihi ki Waitōtara and Ngā Iwi o Taranaki to embed te ao Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori into the AgriKids Programme delivered in Taranaki kura (schools). This will ensure exposure to meaningful work within the Food, Fibre & Whenua Sector and the importance of kaitiakitanga (stewardship) is seeded in early years.
   Taranaki Catchment Communities(external link) — taranakicc.nz
5. Work with philanthropic organisations, such as the L.A. Alexander Trust and Bashford Nicholls Trust, to provide support and opportunities for teachers to undergo professional development within the Food, Fibre & Whenua space. This provision of training will filter down to information provision for students. This respects the life course learning approach supported by the RSLG.
6. Coordinate interested parties such as Venture Taranaki, kura, and L.A. Alexander Trust, to consider opportunities relating to agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness teacher attraction in Taranaki. The provision of confirmed support and/or funding, will increase the likelihood of teachers considering teaching placements and careers in the region.
7. Work with Muka Tangata, Te Pūkenga, ngā iwi o Taranaki, and local government to review the environmental science and hydrology qualifications available in Taranaki. This will ensure they are appropriate to regional need and have mātauranga Māori at the centre.
8. Explore the need for a paid technology internship programme to be delivered in Taranaki which will reflect the changing nature of work. This programme will upskill taiohi in the areas of app development, networking/cyber security, big data, game design and machine learning/ Artificial Intelligence relevant to the Food, Fibre & Whenua and Energy sectors initially.
9. Keep interested parties such as Rangatahi HQ, ngā iwi o Taranaki and Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, updated on the progress of Driver’s Licencing challenges within the Taranaki Region. Driver Licence testing constraints have been identified as having a large impact on taiohi and those looking to re-enter the workforce.
10. Facilitate the uptake of the Inspiring the Future Programme in Taranaki by working with kaimahi, kura (schools) and industry. Having representatives from the Food, Fibre & Whenua and Energy Sectors will help promote the longevity of meaningful careers within these sectors.
11. Continue to support and participate in the development of the Energy Industry Skills Action Plan in partnership with Energy Resources Aotearoa.
12. Partner with the Skills Action Plan Governing Board, led by Energy Resources Aotearoa, to convene regional education (secondary and tertiary) providers to ensure regular information flows, insights and opportunities are shared, with the goal of strengthening training provision and information for students. This will allow for collaboration to support the provision of training around Maunga Taranaki (Mount Taranaki).
13. Support and encourage exposure to careers and skills within the Energy Sector to tamariki (children) and taiohi within the region. Through information and opportunities, our tamariki and taiohi will be positioned to appreciate the breadth of the Energy Sector.
14. Support the development and creation of a ‘Talent Pipeline’ for training taiohi within the Energy Sector. The Talent Pipeline will include commitment from Taranaki-based energy companies, local stakeholders, and training providers such as the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT) and Wood Training, to train and provide industry exposure to taiohi seeking roles within the sector. Employers involved in this initiative will play a critical role in developing taiohi with the entry-level skills to be successful in the sector.
15. Continue to work with the Energy Sector in Taranaki to determine the extent of the need for the development of an Instrument Technician and Limited Electrical Qualification. This qualification is offered internationally and would reduce the time needed to be qualified as an Instrument Technician, without first needing to complete an Electrical Registration.
16. Work with WITT, Waihanga Ara Rau (Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council), Hanga-Aro-Rau and the Process Operations Training Programme Governance Group to ensure a specific focus on transferable skills is included within the delivery of the Certificate in Energy Process Operations (Level 3).
17. Continue to work with Energy Resources Aotearoa, Waihanga Ara Rau, Hanga-Aro-Rau and the Process Operations Training Programme Governance Group to review the pathway to and availability of Asset Integrity Qualifications. This review would ensure that qualifications include ‘new’ energy developments and are delivered in short-course style to minimise time off site for kaimahi.
18. Work with Waihanga Ara Rau and Hanga-AroRau and training providers across Taranaki to ensure that bespoke courses such as SSPC Train The Painter, for industrial coating, blasting and painting, gain formal recognition for the skills that have developed on-the-job.
19. Work with Venture Taranaki, E tū, and interested energy companies to build on research by E tū on what practical supports help energy workers in transition, including what protections are currently in place and what additional supports are needed. It will also consider future skills pathways and transferability, and wider attraction of the energy industry

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