More opportunities for Maori and Pasifika Trades Training   25 Nov 2015

Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Hon Te Ururoa Flavell
Minister for Maori Development

25 November 2015

More opportunities for Maori and Pasifika Trades Training

Changes to the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) programme from next year will open the door to trade careers for more Maori and Pasifika learners, Tertiary Education Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell announced today.

Maori and Pasifika Trades Training is one of the key programmes in the skills section of the Business Growth Agenda, to lift the participation of young Maori and Pasifika in meaningful employment, especially in regional New Zealand.

The changes will allow young people to progress directly to MPTT from school or other training at 16 or 17, rather than waiting until they turn 18. The maximum age for entry is also being raised from 34 to 40.

“Younger people who are not engaged in the classroom will have the opportunity to progress into a career that will set them up for life. Slightly older learners will gain skills they need for sustainable employment. Providers believe the older students will provide leadership within groups of MPTT learners and become advocates for trades training in their communities,” Mr Joyce says.

Brokerage funding will increase from $733 to $1,000 per student, with 30 per cent of this paid only when MPTT learners progress to workplace-based training such as a New Zealand Apprenticeship.

“Brokerage is used to connect learners with employers. It will also help providers tailor MPTT programmes to meet the needs and aspirations of learners, communities and potential employers.”

MPTT provides a $1,000 tools grant for learners who enter a New Zealand Apprenticeship. From 2016, the grant will be available immediately, without the current 90-day delay on entry to a New Zealand Apprenticeship or other approved forms of workplace-based training.

“Employers expect apprentices and trainees to bring their own tools. The earlier tools grant will help them to hit the ground running,” says Mr Joyce.

“MPTT is about helping provide proven pathways to sustainable employment for Maori and Pasifika people, while also meeting the needs of employers who require more skilled workers. The changes we’re making to MPTT will further help towards addressing skills shortages,” Mr Flavell says.

There are 14 MPTT consortia of employers, communities and tertiary education providers offering fees-free pre-trades training to young Maori and Pasifika. The number of places offered through MPTT reached 1,900 this year, and Government is setting aside funding to support more growth.

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