James McDowell: MTA Head of Advocacy on changes to apprenticeship training schemes

Industry owned and industry-led apprenticeships are on their way back.

The Government's announced an overhaul of vocational training after widespread criticism of Te Pūkenga's attempt, with some labelling it a disaster. 

Motor Trade Association head of advocacy, James McDowell, talks to Tim Beveridge about the change. 

LISTEN ABOVE. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk ZEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Industry owned and industry led apprenticeships are on their way back.
The government's announced in overhaul of vocational training after widespread's
criticism of tapooking as attempt, with some labeled as a disaster.
While the announcements being welcomed, this criticism that the plan
lacks detail and motive, TRADD Association head of Advocacy, James
mcdale joins me this morning, Good morning.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
How are you good so overall? What are your thoughts
so far? So good? Are we on the right track?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
I think we are on the right track. This has
been a long process, a drawn out process of consultation
really the core of it's been going for about six
months now that we've had multiple options presented to industry
and we've brought together over city organizations for transport and
automotive to put our view forward. And as I understand it,

(01:08):
the two main options that were emerging were one of
more sort of central state control and the other one
was an independent model. An industry has overwhelmingly supported the
independent model, which is what the government is going so
quite pleased.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Having this up and running by January one optimistic, I.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Think it can be done. There is a two year
buffer built into this, so from January one, twenty twenty six,
entities like in our case MITO that obviously the others
are the bciit O to the builders and so on,
that there's a two year process for standing those up
as private entities and also figuring out what the industries

(01:51):
will look like in terms of other providers, because there
will be scope for new providers and amongst all of us.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
What can industry lead training do that Tapookinger couldn't.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, well, it's a tiny bit of history. MITO in
our case kind of out in nineteen ninety three and
operated very well and closely with employers and was responsive
to industry needs and likewise for the other entities, the
other work based learning entities TIPUK came about twenty twenty
and then ITOS like MITO went in twenty twenty two

(02:26):
following some reforms, and it's been stuck in a bit
of a holding pattern since then. And I'm hearing that
from a lot of the organizations that did get sort
of drawn into tepeking and industries have just felt that
it hasn't been responsive to technological change, to the skills changes.
A lot has evolved in our industry in particular, and

(02:48):
it's just not been that successful.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
The tertiary education unions they've said it's they're appalled saying
it all cripple polytechnics in favor of private training providers.
You got to take on that.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
I don't agree with that at all. If anything, it
opens it up for competent right. So the intellectual property
that each of the our former io is, that's MITO,
b C I, t O, ETCTERA. The intellectual property is
going to be shared and open and polytechnics around the
country Juananger. And of course new PTEs private training establishments,

(03:25):
they will be able to offer courses and have access
to that pool of knowledge as well. So, if anything,
I think it will increase choice and that will only
benefit the regions and.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
For associations like yourselves. I guess sir, you're well on
the way to drawing up programs re to go A.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, we've got a destination and important sight and that
has been to transition MITO to becoming a PTE, because
that is the option that's in front of us. That's
been given to industry. It's not going to become a
politic or a wanger. So we're currently in talks with

(04:05):
the government about how to make that happen. But there's
a bit of a process. They've got to figure out
the makeup of the ib S. It's the Industry Skills
Boards that will do the standard setting. So we've been
told the motive will beginning one, So they've got to
figure all that out over the coming months and then
legislation will be around the middle of the year and

(04:26):
then implementation will be basically the last half of the
year in time for jan one.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Good stuff, excellent, repreciate time this morning, James. That's James mcdoell.
He's might have Trade Association Head of Advocacy.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
For more from News Talk sed B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.