Training part of the big picture

The country’s largest union says that increased skills training should be part of a wider vision for New Zealand’s future.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little says that the Government’s announcement that it will spend millions more on workplace training is good news, but it should be linked to economic strategies and directions.

“We need to know, for example, what the Government’s vision is for manufacturing so that we know what skills will be needed in the future, and, therefore, where we should invest the training dollar.”

Mr Little, who is also a member of the Tertiary Education Commission, said that there needed to be a concerted effort to teach young people that trade training was a viable option to university.

“This is a huge gap in the Government’s policy,” he said.

He also urged employers to do their bit in up-skilling the workforce.

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