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Iwi Strategic Reference Group

About the Iwi Strategic Reference Group

Established in February 2025, the aim of the Iwi Strategic Reference Group is to provide direction to help transform the Vocational Education System for better workforce outcomes for Iwi. 

The group are engaging in strategic kōrero about the range of complex issues, barriers, inequities, gaps, opportunities, and trends often impacting Iwi.

Waihanga Ara Rau Videos

Latest News

Changes to Consent and Moderation: what’s new in 2025
08/04/25

Changes to Consent and Moderation: what’s new in 2025

Waihanga Ara Rau is responsible for the development and maintenance of Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) documents as a standard-setting body for Construction and Infrastructure....
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NZ Facing long-term engineering skills shortage
03/04/25

NZ Facing long-term engineering skills shortage

New Zealand is facing a shortfall of about 2,300 new engineers each year – and the problem is getting worse. Waihanga Ara Rau, the Workforce...
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Future skills spotlight: A career in infrastructure
01/04/25

Future skills spotlight: A career in infrastructure

Major investments in infrastructure are creating exciting career opportunities in Aotearoa. The government’s 2024 announcement of a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan includes over $120 billion...
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Good assessment practice – the importance of comments
26/03/25

Good assessment practice – the importance of comments

Do your Assessors ask: What is the point of writing Assessor comments, when ākonga are provided verbal feedback and the assessments are filed away? Are...
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New insights on Workforce, Industry, and Training
26/03/25

New insights on Workforce, Industry, and Training

The latest updates to the Workforce Insights Platform (WIP.org.nz) are now live, bringing fresh data and enhanced analysis to help you better understand workforce trends,...
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Skill Standards Good Practice Guides now available
24/03/25

Skill Standards Good Practice Guides now available

The introduction of skill standards as the building blocks of qualifications allows us to reset how the vocational education system delivers the skills industry needs....
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Laisa lays it on the line
24/03/25

Laisa lays it on the line

We spoke to Laisa Pickering at the Line Mechanic Competition. This competition was part of the Annual Connection 2024 event in Te Awamutu. Laisa is...
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New Building Pathways initiative to strengthen industry training
11/03/25

New Building Pathways initiative to strengthen industry training

Waihanga Ara Rau is making changes to improve how building qualifications work for learners and employers. The Building Pathways Project proposes the introduction of micro-credentials...
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Backflow device testing micro-credential
06/03/25

Backflow device testing micro-credential

We’re excited to announce that we have begun the development of a micro-credential for backflow device testing. Why is this important? Drinking water protection with...
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Our plans for the next six months
19/02/25

Our plans for the next six months

We’re committed to supporting our sectors and ensuring that industry voices continue to shape the future. We’re rolling out Workforce Development Plans for different sectors,...
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Strengthening Short Course Training
18/02/25

Strengthening Short Course Training

Progress Update Addressing training gaps in high-risk work Short courses play a vital role in ensuring workers in high-risk environments—such as cranes, scaffolding, working at...
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Infrastructure Site Supervision qualification reviewed to address industry recommendations
14/02/25

Infrastructure Site Supervision qualification reviewed to address industry recommendations

Meeting industry needs The demand for skilled site supervisors is growing as New Zealand continues to invest in infrastructure projects. Through nationwide consultation, we engaged...
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Supporting industry through change
13/02/25

Supporting industry through change

As New Zealand’s vocational education system transitions, Waihanga Ara Rau remains committed to supporting the construction and infrastructure industry, our key stakeholders, and our people....
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Last Date for Assessment
05/02/25

Last Date for Assessment

One area that education providers need to be aware of is ensuring that standards are assessed against a current version of that standard. A programme...
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Cross Agency Collaboration for Better Outcomes
27/01/25

Cross Agency Collaboration for Better Outcomes

Qualifications and quality assurance leaders from government education bodies have committed to collaborate more strongly in 2025 to ensure industry and learner needs are met...
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Update on the vocational education system
20/12/24

Update on the vocational education system

Today, we learnt that the Minister of Tertiary Education and the government have released their decisions regarding the redesign of the vocational education and training system –...
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Building better pathways
05/12/24

Building better pathways

We’ve been consulting with the building industry to understand how micro-credentials or smaller qualifications could be useful to help businesses and the workforce thrive. We’re dedicated...
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Let’s level up: realising the potential of the disabled workforce
11/11/24

Let’s level up: realising the potential of the disabled workforce

We are proud to launch this groundbreaking research, which reveals the hidden potential of Aotearoa, New Zealand’s disabled workforce. Commissioned from All is for All...
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Keeping Building Construction & Allied Trade Skills relevant
07/11/24

Keeping Building Construction & Allied Trade Skills relevant

We are reviewing Building Construction and Allied Trade Skills (BCATS) qualifications and standards to ensure they are fit for purpose. New Zealand Certificate in Building, Construction, and...
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Showcasing Kaiapoi High School’s building course
31/10/24

Showcasing Kaiapoi High School’s building course

Supporting schools is an important part of our mahi. We do this by visiting schools, organising and running cluster moderation events, and carrying out desk-top...
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Is the grass really greener?
24/10/24

Is the grass really greener?

The long-held belief that Australia offers better financial opportunities for New Zealanders in the construction and infrastructure sectors may no longer hold true, according to...
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Building skills for life
23/10/24

Building skills for life

Rolleston Prison Construction Yard staff hosted Tracy-Lee Burkhart, Qualification Developer, in September.  Tracy-Lee was keen to learn about the construction industry training programme and the methodology...
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Call for Māori workforce to get upskilled to address the construction and building skills crisis
09/10/24

Call for Māori workforce to get upskilled to address the construction and building skills crisis

With New Zealand facing a critical shortage of 375,000 skilled construction workers over the next three years, a new plan aimed at boosting Māori participation...
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Temporary Traffic Management Credentials Framework – what it means for providers
20/09/24

Temporary Traffic Management Credentials Framework – what it means for providers

The Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) sector has developed a TTM Credentials Framework to reflect the requirements of New Zealand’s new risk-based approach to TTM. This...
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Leading the way in workforce development with outstanding support from education providers
19/08/24

Leading the way in workforce development with outstanding support from education providers

In a resounding endorsement of our efforts, we’ve received a vote of confidence from education providers across New Zealand. According to a survey conducted by...
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Supporting good assessor practice
15/08/24

Supporting good assessor practice

We recently hosted a successful series of webinars on Assessor Practice, with over 150 people attending from a number of schools, ITPs and PTEs. The...
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Young Kiwis doubt strength and smarts for Construction jobs
09/07/24

Young Kiwis doubt strength and smarts for Construction jobs

According to our latest research, many young New Zealanders are steering clear of careers in construction, engineering, and infrastructure, viewing them as too physical and...
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BCATS skill standards to be graded
17/06/24

BCATS skill standards to be graded

As part of the development of Building Construction and Allied Trades Skills, BCATS skill standards to replace the current unit standards, the decision was made...
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Unlocking potential: What the research tells us about the current enablers of employment for disabled people
24/05/24

Unlocking potential: What the research tells us about the current enablers of employment for disabled people

What are the untapped economic and social impacts of empowering disabled people in the workforce, and how can we unlock that potential? This is especially...
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From overlooked to in demand: making the trades more tempting
23/05/24

From overlooked to in demand: making the trades more tempting

The construction and infrastructure workforce is facing many challenges right now. Skilled people are starting to leave the industry, either to move to other industries...
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Building the future
18/05/24

Building the future

How Waihanga Ara Rau is working with the construction & infrastructure sector. Waihanga Ara Rau, the Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council, is poised to...
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The sky’s the limit for businesses that retain good people
21/03/24

The sky’s the limit for businesses that retain good people

Using Māori concepts to lift workplace culture. It’s no secret that keeping good people is key to getting the job done and done well. With...
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Identifying skills needs in the regions
21/03/24

Identifying skills needs in the regions

We help the construction and infrastructure industry on a regional basis by identifying the skills a region needs; and ensuring qualifications suit industry needs and...
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Reducing barriers for the future workforce
18/03/24

Reducing barriers for the future workforce

Waihanga Ara Rau and Hanga-Aro-Rau join forces with All is for All. “Employment outcomes haven’t substantially improved for Disabled people in at least 30 years,”...
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Waihanga Ara Rau charts the course for 2025
29/02/24

Waihanga Ara Rau charts the course for 2025

Empowering the construction and infrastructure Workforce As New Zealand’s construction and infrastructure sectors continue navigating through a landscape marked by challenges and opportunities, Waihanga Ara...
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Joint WDC approach to maximise potential within the disabled community
24/01/24

Joint WDC approach to maximise potential within the disabled community

One significant resource that has been historically overlooked is the estimated twenty-four per cent of New Zealanders who are living with a disability. Waihanga Ara...
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New micro-credentials for Temporary Traffic Management
06/12/23

New micro-credentials for Temporary Traffic Management

Two new micro-credentials for Temporary Traffic Management have been approved by New Zealand Qualifications Authority | Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa (NZQA). These are: Temporary...
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New micro-credential for Underground Utility Location
06/12/23

New micro-credential for Underground Utility Location

A new micro-credential for Underground Utility Location has been approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority | Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa (NZQA). This is...
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Digging deep to keep the people who have the skills to build
05/12/23

Digging deep to keep the people who have the skills to build

With increasing work to be done and projects that need completing across construction and infrastructure, we’ve started to dig deeper into why people leave the...
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Building tomorrow’s workforce
05/12/23

Building tomorrow’s workforce

Trades Essentials in action We’re working alongside Workforce Central Dunedin to address workforce needs now and for the future. In collaboration with Hanga-Aro-Rau, we’ve developed...
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