Skip to content

Labour’s plan to boost skills development refreshing

The future of work needs to be one where working people have good, satisfying jobs with decent incomes, and Labour’s announcements today on boosting skills are welcome, the CTU said today.

Andrew Little today announced that a Labour-led government would ensure all schools have dedicated careers advisory staff, and that major government procurement projects would have apprenticeship requirements.

“Both of these moves are sensible and much needed. Improving access to skills and career development is a tangible way to improve the lives of working Kiwis”, CTU Secretary Sam Huggard said.

“Currently, not all secondary students have access to careers advisors. Students and their parents will welcome the move to ensure this is available to everyone.”

Sam Huggard said that Government has significant purchasing power through its procurement, and significant reform was needed in this area to better support local jobs and industries.

“Working people in union have been calling for apprenticeship requirements for some time – this needs to be part of the government procurement mix, alongside beefed up whole-of-life economic analysis and Australian-style Industry Participation Plans.”