EIT has been selected to host one of two government-created Food and Fibre Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).
The CoVE will deliver an industry-led approach to vocational education for the primary sector and is a key feature of the government’s vocational education reforms.
While hosted at EIT, the initiative is led by the Food and Fibre CoVE consortium including education providers and industry leaders from Beef+Lamb, Dairy NZ, Federated Farmers, The Forestry and Wood Processing Workforce Council, NZ Apples and Pears, Seafood NZ and NZ Winegrowers.
NZ Apples and Pears head Alan Pollard says the industry is “delighted” EIT has been selected as the organisation has a long history of contributing to primary sector education.
“Hawke’s Bay is also a significant primary sector region and the country’s largest apple producing region. NZ’s post-Covid recovery will be led by the primary sector, with the horticulture sector having developed a recovery plan in partnership with government. A key part of that is having education providers with programmes of study that deliver what industry needs, with the right skills across a range of disciplines. We need to attract people to the industry, retain them and develop them through high quality and relevant education pathways.”
Key outcomes of the Food and Fibre CoVE include a focus on strengthening the collaboration within the primary sector to produce well-trained and work-ready graduates; and provide better upskilling and re-skilling opportunities. The CoVE will also support the development of workplace-based learning models that are better suited to industry needs and consolidate the connection between industry and the education providers to create a better understanding of the industry and employment contexts.
EIT CEO Chris Collins says that the CoVE will bring together all relevant people and bodies needed to grow excellent vocational education provision and share high-quality curriculum and programme design across the system.
“We fully support a stronger focus on vocational and applied education in order to help industry, businesses and communities thrive.”
An idea has come to me after reading in the local Press that a local shearing contractor was doomed to failure if unable to obtain the services of “Foreign Shearers ” To alleviate this sad situation has EIT considered a shearing and wool handling Academy ?
A suitable qualification once recognised would ensure the skills gained would provide year round employment in NZ and overseas in our OFF season.