On Tuesday 7 September, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) facilitated the Regional Skills Leadership Groups (RSLG) Nau Mai RSLGs Induction Hui for the recently appointed co-chairs and members of the 15 permanent groups.

Over 250 people attended the virtual Hui, which included Minister Stuart Nash, Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Minister Willie Jackson. Carolyn Tremain (MBIE CE) and the CE’s from Te Puni Kōkori, the Tertiary Education Commission NZQA, and the DCE from Te Pūkenga also spoke to the group.

Feedback from attendees was positive. Several mentioning that they like the consistent and joined up messages from EET ministers and agencies around labour and skills matters. They also found the Workforce Development Council session helpful to understand how WDCs and RSLG will work together. The session was led by RSLG members that are also WDC members. Groups had breakout sessions that discussed what success looked like for them, and the implications of Te Tiriti in how the group works and what they produce.

The Hui is part of the broader Nau Mai RSLGs induction programme, designed to support a smooth transition from the interim groups to the permanent RSLGs and to ensure that the members have a strong foundation for success. The content of Nau mai was developed collaboratively with a range of RSLG co-chairs, members, secretariat staff and other stakeholders with an interest in the work of RSLGs, including the Tertiary Education Commission, Te Pūkenga and Regional Public Service Commissioners.

In June 2020 interim RSLGs were established to provide regional and local insights to inform the immediate COVID-19 response. Permanent RSLGs have now been appointed with the primary focus of the groups on identifying and supporting better ways of meeting future skills and workforce needs in our regions and cities.

The RSLGs comprise of a mix of individuals from the demand (business, industry) and supply (community, workers, key population groups) sides of the labour market, along with iwi Māori, local and central government representatives from within each region. Collectively, the RSLGs have the right mix of skills, experience and ability to ensure that their work represents the full range of workforce challenges and opportunities in their region.

To fulfil their functions, the RSLGs will develop Regional Workforce Plans (RWPs). RWPs will highlight labour supply and demand trends for the region, and identify where change is needed from regional and national actors to achieve a high-skill regional labour market. The first RWPs will be produced by June 2022. For more information go to the MBIE website.