About us
The role of Toi Mai Workforce Development Council is to ensure the vocational education system meets industry needs and gives a stronger voice to Māori business and iwi development. We will give our sectors, employers, independent earners and volunteers greater leadership and influence across vocational education.
Although Toi Mai sectors make a massive contribution to the economy and culture of Aotearoa, they don’t all currently have a strong voice in the vocational education system.
Success for us is establishing and nurturing meaningful connections with entrepreneurial, independent earners and employers - including Māori business owners - as well as volunteers, to bring the benefits of vocational education to life for them.
Find out more about vocational education and training or watch the following video 'Strengthening Vocational Education and Training' courtesy of the Tertiary Education Commission.
Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Toi Mai Workforce Development Council (WDC) is transformational and building an organisation that contributes to a diverse, skilled workforce that is based on truly honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa.
Our ongoing commitment is built around the vision of our Māori learners and their whānau seeing a limitless future for themselves in their chosen vocation and having a clear pathway to achieving that future.
We acknowledge that Māori make up a growing share of our workforce and that the iwi and hapū economy will continue to increase its contribution to Aotearoa. These two facts provide the impetus to act now, to inform ourselves about what that looks like for Māori, iwi, hapū, learners and their whānau and to work with them to design the future of vocational education in Aotearoa.
Find out more about our commitment in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The sectors we represent
Toi Mai WDC represents sectors including Creative, Technology, Entertainment, Hairdressing & Barbering, Makeup Artistry, Skincare, Journalism, Radio & Television Broadcasting, Gambling, and Sports & Recreation.
What we do
We work with employers, independent earners and volunteers to understand the skills that are needed by our sectors. This information is then shared with education and training providers, to create learning programmes that will give people relevant skills to address future workforce needs.
We lead the development of relevant qualifications, set industry standards and assess training provision against these standards. Where appropriate, we will set and help with capstone assessments at the end of a qualification. Industry standards will be consistently applied across the country, and across all modes of learning, whether on the job (such as apprenticeships), on campus or online.
We also endorse vocational education programmes prior to them being approved by NZQA.
For more information, we invite you to read Te ara whanake o Toi Mai (Toi Mai Operational Plan 2022/23).
Who we work with
As well as engaging with employers and independent earners, we work collaboratively across the vocational education sector. We engage regularly with Regional Skills Leadership Groups (RSLGs), Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) and Providers (Te Pūkenga, Wānanga and Private Training Establishments (PTEs).
We also engage with a range of parties to help inform and prioritise their service delivery. These include the Ministry of Education (MoE), Advocacy Groups, Learners, Te Taumata Aronui, Government agencies and schools.
Reform of Vocational Education and Training
The Reform of Vocational Education and Training (RoVE) is the Government’s new structure to create a strong, unified, sustainable vocational education system that is fit for the future of work and delivers the skills that learners, employers and communities need to thrive.
This new system enables a stronger focus on employers, delivering the skills they need, provides more support for their employees, and ensuring greater consistency in vocational education across Aotearoa.
Find out more about the Reform of Vocational Education.
How Toi Mai WDC was established
Extensive consultation with industry and the vocational education sector took place prior to the WDCs being stood up on 4 October 2021.
The establishment of WDCs was led by WDC Interim Establishment Boards (iEBs) that were made up of industry representatives, a number of whom were subsequently appointed to the permanent WDC Council. The main role of iEBs was to oversee the legal establishment of WDCs, which occurred through an Orders in Council (OiC) process.
Our Order in Council
The iEB was responsible for consulting with industry and developing an OiC that outlined the name of our WDC, industries represented, governance arrangements and other core aspects of their WDC. More than 200 people and organisations provided feedback on the draft OiCs. This engagement helped ensure our WDC was established in ways that will best meet industry needs.
Once approved by the Minister of Education, OiCs were sent to the Governor-General for signature. On Monday 10 May 2021, Her Excellency the Governor-General, Patsy Reddy, gave Royal Assent, passing in to law, OiCs establishing the six WDCs. The legislation came into effect on 11 June 2021.
Click here to read the Toi Mai WDC Order in Council.
Ohu Mahi (Workforce Development Councils)
Toi Mai is one of six industry-led WDCs, established to give industry greater leadership across vocational education. Ohu Mahi is the overarching brand for all six WDCs.
Find out more about Ohu Mahi (Workforce Development Councils).