Action plan: Primary industries, manufacturing and engineering, construction and freight
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Primary Industries Actions
Fully leverage the Waikato’s position as the agriculture backbone of Aotearoa.
Action:
Establish the Waikato Futures Academy that supports both current and future skills needs of the primary industries and added value manufacturing sectors, including Agritech, Biotech, Agribusiness, Environmental and Future Foods capabilities.
Outcomes
Short term:
Identify project partners (including academia and industry); prepare MOU and programme plan.
Medium term:
Undertake ideation and produce business case for the Academy.
Long term:
Secure funding and establish the Academy.
Partners and stakeholders:
- University of Waikato
- Te Pūkenga
- Muka Tangata WDC
- Fed Farmers
- Callaghan Innovation
- Dairy NZ
- MBIE
- TEC
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
- Digital / ICT
- Services
- Sciences
Manufacturing and Engineering Actions
Waikato Wisdom Project: practical skills plus industry/workplace knowledge transfer
Action:
Develop a pilot Tuakana-teina reciprocal skills transfer programme to support years of work experience, practical skills, and sector knowledge transfer from older/retiring workers to new/youth workers; and digital/ICT skills from younger workers to older workers.
Outcomes
Immediate:
Finalise business case and pilot partners.
Short term:
Secure funding and implementation partners.
Medium term:
Deliver pilot, evaluate learnings and refine/replicate across other sectors.
Partners and stakeholders:
- WECA
- MSD
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
Extend pilot to other sectors once tested in Manufacturing and Engineering
Construction and Infrastructure Actions
Develop broader professional standards for the industry that build capability and capacity and support a career in construction.
Action:
Work with industry partners to identify critical skills (e.g., literacy and numeracy); skills in contracts, risk and business management; and life skills and make sure the Waihanga Ara Rau micro-credential programme aligns with real sector needs.
Outcomes
Short term:
Support existing work in this space that aims to better understand skills required by the sector.
Medium term:
Advocate to Waihanga Ara Rau to make sure programmes are responsive to real need.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Industry leaders/Peak Bodies
- Waihanga Ara Rau
- Te Waka
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
- Te Ao Māori
- Expand model to all sectors in the future
Improve the connection between the construction industry and secondary schools to effectively connect school leavers with industry pathways.
Action:
Advocate for increased support for Te Waharoa - Gateway to the Trades programme and explore potential to extend the model to other iwi/industries in the Waikato region.
Outcomes
Short term:
Support Te Waharoa and industry leads with existing work in this space.
Medium term:
Engage with other iwi and industries to see if potential to expand
Partners and stakeholders:
- Waikato Tainui
- Te Waka
- Waihanga Ara Rau
- Te Pūkenga
- Industry
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
- Te Ao Māori
- Expand model to all sectors in the future
Action:
Research the opportunity to develop Trades Training Centres in sub-regional communities across the Waikato, using the South Waikato Trades Training Centre as an exemplar; combining on-job and off-job components to make sure participants are work-ready.
Outcomes
Short term:
Review SWTTC model
Medium term:
Develop a detailed business case for development of additional centres.
Partners and stakeholders:
- South Waikato Trades Training Centre
- Kanoa
- MSD
- Iwi/Māori
Freight and Logistics Actions
Fully leverage the freight and logistics workforce opportunities provided within the Golden Triangle
Action:
Support Road to Success Programme for the Waikato region which focuses on growing the pipeline of truck drivers, including exploring opportunities to increase the pipeline of female drivers.
Outcomes
Short term:
Support Road to Success to prioritise rapidly developing local talent.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Waka
- Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ
- Freight Action Plan Industry Group
Action:
Support the inclusion of truck drivers on the New Zealand immigration skills shortage list for the Waikato region.
Outcomes
Immediate:
Address current gaps in supply and licencing time constraints through Freight and Logistics migrant labour.
Partners and stakeholders:
- Te Waka
- Freight Action Plan Industry Group
- Immigration NZ
Action:
Support the inclusion of truck drivers on the New Zealand immigration skills shortage list for the Waikato regionWork with industry leaders in the Freight and Logistics sector to explore the growing intersection between traditional roles in the sector, and the growing digital/ICT capability needs for the sector; with a view to proactively transition low skilled to highly skilled roles.
Outcomes
Medium term:
Explore the freight and logistics sector through a future of work lens, and identify actions to support workforce attraction, retention, and transition to higher skilled roles.
Partners and stakeholders:
Industry leaders
Cross-cutting sector or theme:
ICT