Consultation with TITO and NZQA staff on proposed Workforce Development Council (WDC) organisational structures and roles has been completed, and feedback is being considered ahead of final decisions being made.

The establishment of six WDCs will mean qualification development, standard setting and moderation functions are separated from the provision of vocational education and training.  In future, the WDCs will set expectations around the skills industry requires, and education and training providers will be expected to respond to these. Industry will therefore have much greater influence.  

To deliver on this commitment, from 4 October this year, WDCs will take over responsibility for the qualification development, standard setting and moderation activities that are currently carried out by TITOs and NZQA.

As many TITO and NZQA employees will possess knowledge, experience, skills, relationships, and insights that will be critical to WDCs’ success, they have been consulted on proposed WDC organisational structures and roles. Their feedback will inform final decisions, to be made by incoming WDC Councils and Chief Executives.

Once final WDC organisational structures and roles have been confirmed, TITO and NZQA employees will be invited to participate in a closed recruitment process. All WDC recruitment will be led by WDC Councils and Chief Executives. 

The proposals in the consultation document reflect discussions and workshops held over several months with TITOs and NZQA, along with interim WDC Establishment Board (iEB) members and te Kāhui Ahumahi, a group of Māori representatives from each iEB.