Share your thoughts! Contribute to the development of new core construction skill standards to help define the skills needed for construction industries. These skill standards will help to shape the future of qualifications across construction trades. Let’s build them together. Waihanga Ara Rau is developing new core construction “building blocks” (skill standards) that reflect valuable skills shared across the construction trades.  Draft skill standards have been identified at Levels 2, 3 and 4 that are relevant across construction trades. Benefits for industry The skill standards refle ..read more

Join our Te Manu Arataki Leadership Project webinars New Zealand has diverse enterprises, including numerous small and micro businesses and a thriving Māori business ecosystem. For these enterprises to succeed, growing and nurturing future leaders at all business levels is crucial. But is there more room to improve the leadership skills that the economy needs? “Te Manu Arataki i te kāhui” is a Māori metaphor that acknowledges one’s leadership qualities and compares them to a bird leading a flock, often seen when birds fly in a ‘Skein’ or ‘V’ formation. Te Manu Arataki Leadership Project is a ..read more

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 more building – and rebuilding – to be done following natural disasters and not enough people to do the work, attracting and retaining good people is crucial. We know that recruiting and holding onto new employees is expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, turnover negatively affects the productivity and morale of your employees. But it’s not doom and gloom. The construction and infrastructure sector has become more inclusive over the years. More Māori and ..read more

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 the roles required well ahead of big infrastructure projects like the new Dunedin Hospital. Watch this short video to find out more. https://www.waihangaararau.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dunedin-Hospital-w-subs_small-for-website.mp4 The post Identifying skills needs in the regions appeared first on Waihanga Ara Rau ..read more

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,” says Grace Stratton, Founder and Director of All is for All. “Our communities constantly face immense barriers to obtaining meaningful work.” As part of their ongoing commitment to reducing workforce inequities, addressing labour shortages, and improving business productivity, Waihanga Ara Rau and Hanga-Aro-Rau Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) have engaged All is for All as the research partner for a project seeking to better un ..read more

Ensuring qualifications meet industry needs We’re developing skill standards and reviewing qualifications for infrastructure site supervision pathways. Skill standards will become the ‘building blocks’ that support the recognition of skills valued by industry and enable qualification pathways with the right balance between flexibility and consistency. We need your feedback Your feedback is crucial to the success of this review and development work. It will help establish recognised qualification pathways for site supervisors to cover the many infrastructure projects and contexts around New Zea ..read more

How Waihanga Ara Rau is working with the Construction & Infrastructure sector. Waihanga Ara Rau, the Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council, is poised to positively impact the construction and infrastructure industries this year. With a pressing need to address skill shortages and grow the workforce’s capability and capacity, the organisation’s role has never been more critical. Addressing skills shortages Skills shortages are the most significant constraint on the growth of the construction and infrastructure sector. They lead to fewer houses built, less investment ..read more

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 Rau stands at the forefront, guiding strategic investments in education and training. With an unwavering commitment to shaping a skilled, resilient workforce, we have submitted our comprehensive investment advice to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for the 2025 delivery year. Understanding the unique demands of our industries—from housing shortages to large-scale infrastructure proje ..read more

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 Rau and Hanga-Aro-Rau Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) recognise the considerable opportunity that is presented by reducing learning and workforce inequities for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori. These organisations are working collaboratively to support this community to create better outcomes for industry, employees and the New Zealand economy. “This work is about shifting views of what people can and can’t do, un ..read more

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 Traffic Management Design, Level 4 (128362) Temporary Traffic Management Risk Assessment, Level 4 (128363) These micro-credentials include skills and knowledge for risk assessment and temporary traffic management design. We have led this project, working with technical advisors from industry. Representatives from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, WorkSafe New Zealand, Civil Contractors New Zealand, the TTM Industry ..read more