Careerforce Transition Plan Into Te Pūkenga Approved

A further key milestone in the implementation of the Reforms of Vocational Education (RoVE) was achieved yesterday, with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) Board formally approving the transition plan of Transitional Industry Training Organisation (TITO), Careerforce.

Careerforce will transition its arranging training function, learners and employees to Te Pūkenga on 1 September 2022. It will join five other already transitioned ITO’s as a separate business division within Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning subsidiary. All current Careerforce staff, programmes, systems and processes will also transition across to Te Pūkenga.

Te Pūkenga brings together the existing 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), and most Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) into one organisation, and over time, will develop the capability to support work-based, campus-based and online learning as a unified system.

Toby Beaglehole, Chief Executive of the Work Based Learning subsidiary commented, “We’re excited to formally welcome Careerforce into our Work Based Learning whānau in September. Careerforce supports a wide range of industries, and they will be a great asset to our growing organisation.”

“We are delighted that Careerforce has submitted a plan that shows their commitment to the reform of vocational education and training for the benefit of learners and employers, and the whole of New Zealand” said TEC Deputy Chief Executive Gillian Dudgeon. “A lot of work has gone into progressing this transition and credit is due to those who worked tirelessly to achieve this.”

Careerforce Chief Executive Jane Wenman commented; “The approval of our transition plan into Te Pūkenga represents the culmination of significant work, since the reform was first announced back in February 2019, and since the formation of Te Pūkenga in April 2020. This TEC decision provides greater certainty for our employers, learners and staff, and our focus now shifts to ensuring as seamless a transition as possible into Te Pūkenga on 1 September. Our employers and learners are already under immense pressure due to ongoing systemic workforce shortages combined with the impacts of Covid-19 across the health and wellbeing sector, and it is critical that we minimise any further disruption.”

This decision follows closely on the heels of the release of the new Unified Funding System (UFS) funding rates, and which results in a significant increase in funding for work-based learning. According to Gillian Dudgeon, “The significant increases to rates for work-based learning will support education providers to better support learners to transition into work-based training as well as encourage more employers to participate in the VET system.”

These announcements are consistent with Minister Hipkins vision from RoVE of “a strong, unified, and sustainable system for vocational education and training”, and also where “we want to see more work- place learning, more apprentices and more opportunities for people to earn while they learn.”

Over 2021, Careerforce worked with a record number of over 2,000 employers nationwide, and supported nearly 20,000 learners.

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