InfraTrain supports Job Summit proposal

Media Release

4 March 2009

InfraTrain supports Job Summit proposal

John Wills, Chief Executive of InfraTrain New Zealand said the civil infrastructure training organisation supports the Job Summit proposal for a nine day fortnight, with some form of Government funded training on the tenth day.

“While there are a number of practical issues that have to be worked through, it is a tremendous opportunity to further develop skills for the longer term” said John Wills.

InfraTrain considers there is an opportunity, in particular, to develop foundation skills of workers during such a training day.

“There is the potential to lift work-related literacy and numeracy skills across an estimated forty percent of the industry workforce with such a programme.”

“InfraTrain has had considerable success in the development of the skills and knowledge of employees in the infrastructure sector. However, an enhanced foundation skills programme can help realise the full potential of these people.”

“These foundation skills, as well as having tangible benefits for productivity, are also capable of having a wider social impact on families.”

John Wills said the development work on InfraTrain’s foundation skills programme has already been done and it has been successfully piloted with 800 workers in a major civil infrastructure company over the last two years.

“We have a proven foundation skills programme all ready to go, which could be rolled out across the infrastructure industry in a relatively short time” said John Wills.

“We look forward to working with Government and industry as this is an opportunity to upskill workers so they are ready to build this country’s much needed civil infrastructure when we move out of the recession”.

ends

© Scoop Media