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General Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry in Aotearoa is large and diverse. Utilising the skills of their workforce, technology and innovation, the sector is dedicated to manufacturing a wide range of products for the domestic and international markets.

Due to the diverse nature of manufacturing in New Zealand, this NIAG has representation from across a range of industries’ sub-sectors. The focus, however, of this NIAG is on education and workforce opportunities which go right across the manufacturing sector.

The General Manufacturing NIAG is made up of:

  • General manufacturing
  • Chemical manufacturing
  • Competitive systems and practices (qualification)
  • Plastics, polymer and rubber product manufacturing
  • Pharmaceutical and medicinal product manufacturing
  • Aluminium joinery
  • Solid wood manufacturing
  • Wood panel and plywood
  • Metal manufacturing
  • Furniture manufacturing
  • Glass processing
  • Print/Packaging
  • Tissue converting
  • Pulp and paper
  • Binding and finishing.

The following sectors are covered by the Manufacturing NIAG, but do not have specific representation:

  • Apparel manufacturing
  • Offsite manufacturing (cross-over with the Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Council Sector Reference Group)
  • Joinery (cross-over with the Waihanga Ara Rau Sector Reference Group)
  • Textiles manufacturing
  • Fibreboard and packaging

Manufacturing NIAG’s priority areas:  

  • Improve vocational education system agility and speed 
  • Sustainability skills and knowledge for manufacturing 
  • Quality assurance (QA) skills and knowledge manufacturing 
  • Flexible work-based and blended training for the manufacturing industry, for example, through the exploration of stackable micro-credentials and apprenticeship models. 
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) systems, and other opportunities to improve the alignment of formal education to training, practice and experience in industry.

Hanga-Aro-Rau will be working through these priorities to identify action plans that align with the functions and operations of Hanga-Aro-Rau and will develop an action plan for 2024. Some of these actions require a vocational education system response and support with partners outside of Hanga-Aro-Rau, such as providers – this will be published in more detail in upcoming workforce development planning.  

  • Co-chair Rachel Barker
  • Co-chair Dion Orbell​
  • Adrian Greig​
  • Brett Francis​
  • Dieter Adam​
  • Kristen Nash​
  • Matewai Roberts
  • Rebecca Phillips​
  • Ricki Tauroa​
  • Rose Powell​
  • Ruth Cobb​
  • Shantanu Verma
  • Simon Williams-Fry​