Submission to Vocational Education and Training Reforms Consultation 2024

Summary

• The Salvation Army Te Ope Whakaora welcomes this opportunity to comment on the reforms of vocational education and training (VET).
• These brief comments view this reform from the perspective of those on the margins of education, training and employment, who should be a priority target group to benefit from this reform. We ask the question, will the proposed structures improve access and affordability of vocational training for those on the margins?
• Among the people most affected by the changes are those on the margins of employment and training system. Younger people (aged 15- 24 years) – particularly those who are not in employment education or training (NEET), Māori, Pacific peoples, as well as people living with a disability are among those whose training and employment outcomes are disproportionately more impacted by the planned changes.
• Among key concerns about the proposed reforms are the emphasis on re-allocating existing equity-based funding towards general training and apparent assumptions about financial sustainability that government funding which underpins the entire education and training system will not increase significantly beyond current levels.