Education and Training Hub Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study

Details

Kāpiti Coast District Council has recently prepared the Kāpiti Workforce Plan to enhance workforce outcomes for the district’s communities and businesses. The Plan recognises that enhancing workforce outcomes is critical to improving the district’s overall wellbeing and prosperity. Residents need the skills, experience, and connections to secure quality jobs. Businesses in turn need access to workers with the skills and talent to meet their current and future needs.
Since the 2019 closure of Whitireia’s campus in Paraparaumu, learners have had reduced local education and training choices. While it was recognised that Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki was playing an important and growing role, many young people no longer have the required range of choices available to them.
It was also noted that many of the vocational routes open to young people, including many of the free apprenticeships available, are outside of the district, which makes it harder to retain these learners in the district, especially once they had built relationships with employers as part of any practical education component.
Initial work completed in the Kāpiti Workforce Plan outlined a high-level need for consideration of education and training provision within the Kāpiti Coast District. The Kāpiti Coast district sees current and projected growth in population, and an increase in businesses demand for workforce.
Through engagement completed for the Kāpiti Coast Workforce Plan, it was understood that young people are often leaving the district for education or training purposes; then securing employment in the location of their relevant education or training institute. This anecdotally links with the low level of the 20–35-year-old population group on the Kāpiti Coast and challenges businesses are facing when recruiting.
A key action from the Workforce Plan is to improve access and connections to education and training options by completing a needs assessment and feasibility study for local learning hub(s) to improve access to further vocational and tertiary training options by completing a needs assessment and feasibility study for local learning hub(s) to improve access to further vocational and tertiary training on the Kāpiti Coast.

It is expected that this piece of work will be in partnership with providers and not a Council owned and run delivery method. This will need to be considered when presenting options for consideration.