Food and fibre industry employers, including those in agriculture and horticulture, are helping shape the future of work-based learning.

In 2025, the Government announced major changes to New Zealand’s vocational education system, giving industries direct control over training standards and work-based learning.

As a result, all industry training organisation (ITO) learners must move to a new provider before December 2027.

Primary ITO left the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (Te Pūkenga) to join the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board (ISB) as a standalone business unit on January 1.

Training will continue as normal through 2026, with enrolments remaining open.

While the ownership model is yet to be finalised, work is focused on transitioning Primary ITO out of Government into an all-of-primary-sector private training organisation delivering the same scope of work-based training as before.

Options include private training establishments (PTEs), institutes of technology or polytechnics, and wānanga.

Primary ITO has been engaging with industry and key stakeholders across sectors to explore options for delivering work-based learning in the primary sector.

“It has been heartening to see strong industry engagement, with employers and stakeholders considering the three options of current work-based learning delivery moving to polytechnics, wānanga or a private training entity,” chief executive Ginny Vincent says.

“Industry feedback has strongly supported the establishment of a new food and fibre private training entity, which will be owned by industry shareholders.”

Ginny says an interim board has been appointed to oversee the establishment process, with a permanent board to follow later this year.

“We appreciate there have been ongoing changes in the vocational education sector in recent years, and we want to reassure our learners and employers that our focus remains on providing quality training programmes that meet industry needs and support learner success.”

Industry input

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is part of a working group with DairyNZ, Horticulture New Zealand and Seafood New Zealand developing the legal structure, ownership and constitution of the new organisation.

“It is intended to operate largely independently; however, industry organisations such as B+LNZ will provide input on its strategic direction and ensure it meets expectations,” policy and communications general manager Rowena Hume says.

“Our view is that the new provider should cover the entire primary sector to save costs and enable collaboration where possible. It did not make sense, from a cost-effectiveness perspective, to have a solely sheep and beef-focused provider.

“We’re working hard to ensure continuity while the delivery model changes.”

For current learners, Rowena says things will remain the same for now and no action is required.

“Primary ITO currently delivers a significant proportion of work-based learning for sheep and beef farming, and it was important to ensure this remained an option going forward.”

While supportive of the move in principle, Federated Farmers says its ultimate outcome will determine its success.

Meat and wool chairman and employment and training spokesman Richard Dawkins says Federated Farmers is “broadly supportive of the direction of travel and appreciates the involvement we have had”.