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.

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​
• Cheyne Lesa
• Dieter Adam​
• Kristen Nash​
• Matewai Roberts
• Rebecca Phillips​
• Ricki Tauroa​
• Rose Powell​
• Ruth Cobb​
• Shantanu Verma
• Simon Williams-Fry​

The next General Manufacturing NIAG meeting will be held in March 2024, date TBC.