Changes for ITAB Apprenticeship Programme

In February 2019, the New Zealand Government announced the Review of Vocational Education, commonly referred to as RoVE. The changes that have occurred due to RoVE will have a significant impact on carpentry and apprenticeship training nationwide, including the future of the Industry Training Association Building (ITAB).

Employers

If you employ or supervise an existing ITAB apprentice, our support and commitment to you and your apprentice will continue unchanged (conditions* apply) until they have either: • completed their training and graduated from the ITAB

Programme, or, • elected to withdraw, or transferred to an alternative training programme.

Please note: the withdrawal of ITAB does not mean that your apprentice’s training will cease. They will continue to be supported for the duration of their apprenticeship by the Institute of Technology or Polytechnic that they are currently enrolled with. If you have any concerns, please contact your Training Provider in the first instance.

Apprentices

Regretfully, ITAB will no longer be available to new apprentices enrolling after 31 December 2022. It will be phased out over the next 2 to 3 years while existing apprentices complete their apprenticeship training. If you are an existing ITAB apprentice, this will not affect you. Even if your Training Provider has elected to withdraw from ITAB, as an existing apprentice, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB), under the ITAB Apprenticeship Programme, will continue its support and commitment to you and your apprenticeship training (conditions* apply) until either you have: • completed your training and graduated from the ITAB, or, • elected to withdraw, or transferred to an alternative training programme. The reasons for ITAB’s withdrawal

The decision to withdraw ITAB was not made lightly. ITAB’s Board of Directors and Management sought consultation with their affected Institutes of Technology and Polytechnic partners, and from ITAB’s Industry Advisory Group. All agreed, on balance, due to RoVE reforms, that ITAB would struggle to remain an effective mechanism to support apprentices and employers alike.

What’s next?

ITAB is an industry partnership between NZCB and Industry Training Providers nationwide. While ITAB will no longer be available from 1 January 2023, NZCB remains committed to quality training and support of carpentry apprentices and will be launching a new membership service, the Apprenticeship Support Programme, to replace ITAB. The Apprenticeship Support Programme will be exclusively available to NZCB Business Members.

If you would like to know more, please contact me on nick@nzcb.nz.

*Apprentices must remain financial members of ITAB.

Nick Matthews NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager