New qualification to upskill talented technicians

New qualification to upskill the talented technicians driving Kiwi entertainment and events

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The technical experts who create magical performances and events have a new qualification to harness their skills, through Skills Active Aotearoa, the industry training organisation for the performing arts.

At a launch party at the Auckland Arts Festival Spiegeltent last night, Skills Active and its key development partner Entertainment Technology New Zealand celebrated the introduction of the New Zealand Certificate in Entertainment and Event Technology (Level 4), with invited guests.

This 120-credit qualification is the first of its kind. Not only does it provide a professional pathway for aspiring technicians in the early years of their careers, but it also enables seasoned industry veterans to have their skills and experience formally recognised with an NZQA qualification.

The Entertainment and Event Technology qualification is designed for working professionals in real-life industry settings. The trainee chooses two out of seven areas of specialty: Entertainment Rigging, Lighting, Live Sound, Video, Stage Management, Stage Mechanics and Scenic Construction.

Skills Active chief executive Dr Grant Davidson says the Skills Active on-job training framework gives entertainment and event companies access to consistent training that meets national standards set by industry.

“Industry training by its nature is ideally suited to the entertainment and events sector, where technical professionals have historically learned their crafts on the job, in real-life, real-time settings,” Dr Davidson says.

“We are thrilled to have been cast in a supporting role that will allow those professionals to shine.”

ETNZ president Vicki Cooksley says that after a number of years of collaboration with Skills Active Aotearoa and other key partners, ETNZ was proud to be part of the new Entertainment and Event Technology qualification.

“Our goal in developing this qualification is to provide a legitimate career pathway for new technicians, and help develop a standardised benchmark for knowledge within the entertainment industry,” Ms Cooksley says.

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