What’s in the workforce development plan?

Last week I wrote a post on the shocking insights the Toi Mai Workforce Development Council's May 2024 Workforce Development Plan, titled "Te Wao Toi Whānui," highlighted. Spoiler on those - our investment in digital technology education has fallen steadily, we’re not training as many people in digital tech and 45% of our 120,000 workforce hold a work visa.

Nothing in that blog talked about the recommendations from the plan itself so here goes.

The digital revolution is upon us, and it's not just for tech companies anymore. From mechanics to nurses (and yes, I've seen firsthand in hospitals how much tech they rely on!), every industry is being transformed by technology. This is a wake-up call.

As Toi Mai rightly points out, the way we work and learn has fundamentally changed. Yet, our education system often assumes a one-size-fits-all approach, catering to full-time students and neglecting the need for continuous learning and adaptation. This simply won't suffice in the face of rapid technological advancements, especially in digital fields.

We need a paradigm shift. Upskilling our workforce across all levels and sectors is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. We must offer flexible learning opportunities that cater to busy professionals and the ever-evolving needs of the digital age. The time to act is now!

Recommendations in the plan

Micro-Credentials: The plan emphasizes the creation of micro-credentials tailored to specific needs within the technology sector. These micro-credentials would provide targeted, flexible learning opportunities that can quickly address skill gaps and make training more accessible to a wider range of learners​.

I have spoken at length to Toi Mai and education providers about mapping the microcredential ecosystem to find where the gaps are, overlay the insights from various reports on skills shortages and future needs - our challenge is who should pay for this?

We have also discussed the need for industry supported, not vendor created, micro-credentials. Toi Mai does a good job of reflecting the importance of collaboration with industry in this report.

Inclusion of Cultural Perspectives: By embedding Māori and Pacific cultural perspectives into training, the plan not only addresses skill gaps but also fosters a more inclusive environment. This can enhance participation from diverse groups, leading to a richer talent pool and more innovative solutions within the industry.

Efforts to integrate cultural perspectives into vocational training should be accelerated. There have been tiny fragmented efforts to date but these are underfunded and are not well recognised in mainstream education systems.

Equally - Initiatives to reach underrepresented communities should be scaled up. Providing access to training and career opportunities in tech for Māori, Pacific peoples, those with disabilities and other underrepresented groups can help address workforce shortages and drive innovation.

Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement: The plan calls for extensive engagement with industry leaders, education providers, and community groups to ensure that the training programs are aligned with actual industry needs. This collaborative approach is designed to create a more responsive and adaptive education system.

As I have written before there are aspects of the massive education reform programme called ROVE that went well and others that did not. Toi Mai and the workforce development councils (WDCs) worked well for the purpose of improving industry engagement. This will be lost when the WDC’s are abolished later this year. Sadly rumors are that industry engagement functions have been cut in the Ministry of Education and TEC restructures as well so this aspiration may not have an implementation pathway on the government education policy setting side moving forward.

Conclusion?

While the disbanding of Toi Mai and Te Pūkenga presents a hurdle, the valuable insights within this report shouldn't be lost. These findings confirm what many of us in the industry have been advocating for – a comprehensive strategy for digital upskilling across our workforce.

The potential for this report lies not just in its content, but in uniting industry and government efforts. We can leverage these recommendations to create a collaborative approach, even amidst restructuring. Industry can't go it alone, and a funding environment lacking in digital tech focus requires strategic partnerships.

Let's use this report as a springboard for dialogue. By working together, we can identify key stakeholders within the government who can champion these recommendations and navigate the restructuring landscape. We can also explore innovative funding models that prioritize digital tech education, potentially through public-private partnerships.