Have your say on how vocational education is funded in construction and infrastructure
ConCOVE Tūhura has funded a review of how vocational education and workforce development is funded in the construction and infrastructure sector.
The core question:
How can funding and incentives be improved to better meet the needs of learners, employers, and the sector overall?
The review, carried out by Mischewski Consulting, explored how the current system is working — and what could be done better. We looked at how funding aligns with workforce needs, how it supports partnerships between industry, education, and government, and whether it promotes equitable outcomes for all learners.
We spoke with 49 experts and stakeholders across the system and carried out in-depth analysis of the social and economic returns from vocational education. We also looked at how funding incentivises innovation, how Te Tiriti o Waitangi is reflected, and what’s needed to address long-standing inequities.
What we found
The current funding system does not work well for learners or employers. It lacks incentives for innovation and doesn’t support long-term workforce planning. We believe change is needed to help more learners succeed, to better connect training to industry needs, and to support a more sustainable, equitable system.