Further $28m approved for Skills for Canterbury
Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills
& Employment
1 November
2012 Media Statement
Further $28m
approved for Skills for Canterbury
The
Government is committing an extra $28 million to maintain
the expanded training pipeline for trades people for the
Canterbury rebuild, Tertiary Education, Skills and
Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced today.
“Over the next few years, Christchurch will need
thousands of builders, plumbers, landscapers, electricians
and engineers. The Government’s funding of trades training
under the Skills for Canterbury programme is helping meet
this demand,” Mr Joyce says.
In 2011 under the $42 million Skills for Canterbury contingency, the Government drew down $8 million for trades training initiatives including the Māori and Pasifika programmes nationwide.
In addition to this, $16.7 million of additional funding was sourced from TEC baselines, and $11.7 million was reprioritised by ITPs to trades training from other programmes.
“The total $36.4 million in funding to date has provided 1187 additional training places in 2011 and 2660 in 2012.
“The extra $28 million will ensure that additional trades training and student support provided in 2011 and 2012 can be maintained in 2013,” Mr Joyce says.
“In total $36.8 million has now been committed from the $42 million Skills for Canterbury contingency.
“It is crucial that we have sufficient skilled trades people trained and available to help in the rebuilding of Christchurch and this funding is an important means of increasing these numbers.
“The Government’s infrastructure programme detailed in the Building Infrastructure progress report underlines the contribution the Government is making to the training sector and to supporting jobs.
“Investing in quality infrastructure and in skills training will benefit New Zealand now and in the future.
“I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in learning one of these trades, or up skilling in their existing trade, to contact their local training provider and find out what opportunities are available to them.”
List of significant jobs from
Government’s public infrastructure
programme
• Nearly 2000 in roll-out of
ultra-fast broadband
• 2700 in the construction
of hospitals in Auckland and the Waikato
• An
estimated 1000 over the next four years on the Waterview
Motorway connection
• 1000 on the Waikato
Expressway
• Up to 240 on the Tauranga Eastern
Link
• 1585 on the Transpower grid
upgrade
• 255 on electrification of Auckland
rail
• An expected 1300 for the horizontal
infrastructure rebuild in Christchurch
ENDS