The Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board and Primary ITO

Consultation with Industry Begins

Nearly 100 employers and industry stakeholders recently joined our online session to hear more about upcoming changes to work-based learning and the vital role industry feedback will play in shaping what comes next.

The session was hosted by Primary ITO Chief Executive Ginny Vincent, with contributions from Gillian Dudgeon from the Tertiary Education Commission and Tracy Johnston, Chair of the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board.

We saw strong engagement from across our industries, with a wide range of thoughtful questions and discussion. The conversation reinforced a key message: employers must remain at the centre of the future work-based learning system.

A recording of the session is available below. Please note that due to technical connectivity issues, Tracy’s segment has been removed from the recording to ensure a smooth viewing experience.

History of the changes: Government decisions on the future of work-based learning - 24 April 2025

Following the targeted consultation with industry in early 2025, the Minister for Vocational Education announced on 24 April the government’s decision to introduce an industry-led independent work-based learning model.

The two key components of the independent model are:

• Work-based learning is able to be offered by any provider that meets the government’s quality and funding requirements: institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs), private training establishments (PTEs) and wānanga. Providers will manage all aspects of an apprenticeship or traineeship, including the pastoral care for learners.

• Industry Skills Boards will be established on 1 January 2026 to ensure the qualifications needed by employers across the country are available to all providers. 

Industry Skills Boards will be statutory standard-setting bodies, with majority industry governance. They will be responsible for developing qualifications, endorsing programmes and moderating assessments over key industry sectors. They will also have a workforce analysis function for their sectors, and provide investment advice to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

The industry-led independent model was consulted on earlier this year, but has a modified transition phase, designed to give industry a greater role in the future of the work-based learning system. 

To enable the transition to this new model, Te Pūkenga’s work-based learning divisions, including their existing apprentices and trainees, will transfer to an Industry Skills Board for up to two years.  It is expected that during this period industry-led private training enterprises will be established to take over delivery from the work-based learning divisions, and ITPs and wānanga will also establish new work-based learning programmes.

Employers, apprentices and trainees will be able to continue to work with and enrol the same people they currently work with. Although there will be changes to the reporting lines for the work-based learning divisions in Te Pūkenga, courses and qualifications will continue to be delivered, and every effort will be made to ensure that training is not disrupted.

More information

For further information please visit the TEC website.

If you have any questions, please contact us.