National Industry Advisory Groups

Industry was at the centre of what we did, and how we did it. When we said, “What matters to industry matters to us,” we meant it. Hanga-Aro-Rau was uniquely placed to ensure industry voice influenced training provision, investment advice, and the future of workforce development. Like us, our industry stakeholders knew that a strong and productive workforce relied on strong, accessible, and relevant career and education pathways. 

That is why we worked across our industries to create nine National Industry Advisory Groups (NIAGs), comprised of industry leaders from around the country. We valued these partnerships and worked together to support the transformation of the vocational education and training system for learners, businesses, and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Role of the NIAGs 

The role of the NIAGs was to advise Hanga-Aro-Rau about skills and training issues within their specific industry sector, with a particular focus on lifting the skill levels of the Māori workforce and other traditionally under-served groups. 

NIAGs provided a way for specified industries to give Hanga-Aro-Rau input about the performance of its functions and to raise sector issues and concerns. 

The NIAGs did this by: 

• providing advice and feedback on strategic direction, trends, and performance within their sectors 

• providing advice on the current and future skills and knowledge requirements of their sector, informing the development and maintenance of quality, fit-for-purpose qualifications, and informing Hanga-Aro-Rau’s potential funding advice to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) 

• providing a forum through which Hanga-Aro-Rau could obtain informed advice on issues or developments relevant to their sector, and where appropriate, test new initiatives prior to launch 

• providing guidance on, and input into, arrangements for managing the consistency of qualifications 

• advocating for and promoting industry training within their sector 

• supporting the coordination of activities to improve performance within the industry 

• ensuring that Māori and Pacific people in the workforce were appropriately supported 

• providing a mechanism for the specified industry to provide input into the performance of the WDC’s functions 

Check out the NIAG’s terms of reference. 

Click on the industry below to find out more about that sector’s NIAG and its mahi.