Understanding Industry-Based Training in the Construction Sector Across the Pacific
The Situation
A significant infrastructure gap exists throughout the Pacific region that is slowing the rate of development and the region’s ability to meet global and local goals. To address this, a significant pipeline of infrastructure investment is planned and currently being implemented throughout many Pacific countries. Meeting the labour demands of these infrastructure projects is, however, a challenge. The Pacific needs skilled workers to deliver these projects, but some implementing agencies have experienced that both the number and skill-level of these workers is currently insufficient. There is, therefore, a need to scope the skills development pipelines in the region to determine if the skills to deliver these infrastructure projects currently exists and whether the skills supply mechanisms are able to deliver to requirements over time.
Recognising that industry-based training is one of the most effective skills delivery models, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade wished to use this mode of learning as a frame of reference to understanding the current, and potential, skills supply pipelines in the Pacific. With extensive experience working across the Pacific, our consultants were contracted to undertake research to document the current state of industry training in a set of Pacific countries as well as any barriers and opportunities for industry training implementation in different Pacific contexts. This research included the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, and Tonga.
Our Approach
The project had three phases:
Design and development of appropriate research methodology and tools. The design of tools was informed by consultation with local partners and our consultant’s Pacific experiences and expertise.
Organising and implementing local research within the six Pacific Island countries accompanied by desk research to strengthen and provide context to the findings. An adaptive methodology was used with local partners identifying stakeholders and having the flexibility to record information that was relevant to local stakeholders. Data was also sought from diverse sources.
Reporting on the findings and developing communications products to summarise the findings for Pacific stakeholders. Regional conclusions and implications were a key outcome along with development priorities.
Findings
The research developed a generic model of industry training which identified five key functions and the foundational processes and capacities required for successful delivery. A range of key resource restraints and geographical factors which provide the core challenges for implementation of industry training in the small pacific island nations were also identified. These provide the basis for a range of local and regional strategies for implementing industry training in this part of the Pacific and identified the longer-term implications for regional and local aid for the successful implementation of some or all parts of industry training in the South Pacific.
The full report can be found here.
The Outcomes Achieved
The outcomes of this research are intended to be used by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as Pacific governments and local agencies to inform the design of industry training systems and models in the region, both within the construction sector and more generally. These systems and models can then be utilised to generate skilled workforces to deliver infrastructure outcomes and utilise the employment and training opportunities that result from these activities.