Real budget for industry training in June

MEDIA RELEASE

Real budget for industry training in June

“Today’s Budget announcements of an additional $10m a year for industry training foreshadow larger announcements the Minister has promised in June, said Pieter Burghout Chair of the Industry Training Federation (ITF).

The real budget for Industry Training will be in June once the outcome of the tertiary sector spending reviews is known.

“Today’s Budget announcement is less than a quarter of what is needed on the way to the Government’s target of 250,000 industry trainees in 2007. We’re on target to meet the first milestone of 150,000 trainees during 2005 as per the Skill New Zealand partnership with Business New Zealand, the Council of Trade Unions and the Government. The industry training sector looks forward to certainty on the Government’s approach to solving skill shortages. With that certainty, ITOs and the industries they service will achieve the full potential they are capable of – and the contribution they make to the Government’s skills and economic objectives will not be placed at risk.

“The announcement of higher funding rates for trades training for Polytechnics is welcome because the ITF supports the principle of the government paying the true costs of provision no matter what the area – and therefore trade training completed in Polytechnics which requires expensive buildings, equipment and staff needs to be suitably funded. Correspondingly, Polytechnics deploying education pathways with lower input costs – such as on-site/employer imparted learning – should receive lower levels of funding support.

“The ITF is reserving its judgment on this May Budget until we see the real budget in June”, said Pieter Burghout.

ENDS

Formed in 1996, the Industry Training Federation (ITF) is a membership-based organisation representing all 41 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). The ITF advocates on behalf of its member ITOs to government and works with agencies and sector groups to improve the policy for and delivery of Industry Training.

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