The New Zealand Tech Alliance is a group of independent technology associations from across New Zealand that work together to ensure a strong voice for technology.
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Tech Sector Wins: IT Secures Place in Industry Skills Board Structure
The New Zealand tech sector has achieved a significant victory in shaping the future of vocational education. Following the Tertiary Education Commission’s latest announcement, information technology is now officially included within an Industry Skills Board (ISB), marking a crucial milestone for our industry’s voice in education policy.
A Hard-Fought Victory
This outcome didn’t happen by accident. After a robust consultation process where the tech sector made its voice heard loud and clear, IT has secured its rightful place in the “Electrotechnology and information technology” ISB – one of eight boards that will shape New Zealand’s vocational education landscape.
The victory is particularly sweet considering the initial proposal suggested no dedicated ISB coverage for IT. Our community responded with compelling arguments about why information technology deserved dedicated industry representation as a critical skill for all future New Zealanders. The sector’s united advocacy during the consultation phase clearly demonstrated that when we engage constructively with policy processes, we can achieve meaningful outcomes.
What This Means for Our Industry
The establishment of this ISB represents far more than administrative restructuring – it provides our sector with direct influence over the development of New Zealand’s tech workforce. The ISB will play a crucial role in identifying skills needs, developing qualifications, and ensuring our vocational training pathways align with real industry demands.
Having IT represented at this level means we’ll have direct input into shaping the next generation of tech talent, from apprenticeships through to specialized technical qualifications. This is particularly important as we continue to manage the complex relationship between digital skills supply and demand, ensuring New Zealand maintains the workforce capability needed to compete globally.
The tech sector’s continued growth depends fundamentally on having robust pathways that connect education with industry needs. This ISB structure provides exactly that framework, creating a direct channel between industry requirements and educational outcomes.
Your Role in Shaping the Future
While celebrating this victory, the real work is just beginning. We need your help to ensure this ISB has the strongest possible foundation of data and industry insight to guide its decisions.
We’re currently updating the Digital Skills Report and need as many tech employers as possible to complete the Toi Mai Digital Skills Survey. This data will be crucial for informing the new ISB about our sector’s real skills needs, workforce challenges, and future requirements.
The survey takes just a few minutes to complete but will make a significant impact on policy decisions that affect our industry’s future. The more voices we capture, the stronger the evidence base we can provide to guide the ISB’s work in developing qualifications and training pathways that truly serve industry needs.
Looking Forward
This achievement reflects the power of collective industry advocacy. Thank you to everyone who participated in the consultation process – your submissions clearly demonstrated the value and unique requirements of our sector.
As Establishment Advisory Groups now begin consulting with industry on detailed coverage areas, we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape vocational education in ways that will benefit the tech sector for years to come. Your continued engagement, starting with completing the skills survey, ensures our voice remains strong throughout this critical phase.
The tech sector’s voice matters, and this result proves that when we engage constructively with policy processes, we can achieve outcomes that genuinely support our industry’s continued growth and New Zealand’s digital future.
