STONEMASONRY NATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP (NAG) MEETING

This provides an excellent opportunity for industry leaders to work with BCITO | Te Pūkenga to cherry-pick ideas of what works best in their industries and what initiatives could benefit our trainees.

This was the second set of NAG meetings where Apprentice leaders attended. This group of apprentices have now developed to be a highly functioning group of industry leaders, able to guide other apprentices and give valuable learner-focused insights to National Advisory Groups.

General topics of discussion:

• Re-establishing Regional Advisory Groups in an effort to build industry relations at regional levels.
• “Unsettled” remains a dominant feature of apprenticeship training due to the changes set out by the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE). The industry requests further direction from the Government.
• Micro-credentials show promise; these bite-size qualifications recognise the skills and knowledge established for entry-level learners. Entry fees to micro-credentials are minimal, and they are building further acceptance from the industry.
• Removal of the Targeted Training Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF) is another hurdle the industry has faced regarding apprentice enrollment. Statistics show an undesirable rate of withdrawn apprentices still working for the same employer, which implies that funding their apprenticeship is a significant hurdle.
• Industry requests assistance from Training Providers to promote their trade to future learners.