Waikato Business News August/September 2020
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
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Artist’s impression of the new centre<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS <strong>August</strong>/<strong>September</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
11<br />
tors including farming, engineering,<br />
construction, manufacturing<br />
and logistics.<br />
The purpose-built Trades<br />
Training Centre will be visible<br />
from State Highway 1, covering<br />
2588 sq m of which 280<br />
sq m will be a digital hub, with<br />
room for expansion.<br />
SWIFT economic development<br />
manager Francis Pauwels<br />
said a survey of South <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
companies operating in five<br />
major industry sectors found<br />
they were planning to require<br />
about 850 new staff over the<br />
next five years.<br />
“These companies – in construction,<br />
engineering, transport,<br />
manufacturing, forestry<br />
and hospitality – say their number<br />
one preference is to employ<br />
locals because they stay local<br />
and contribute to the community.<br />
“About 60 percent of<br />
the people who could be<br />
employed in these jobs will<br />
be new trainees and especially<br />
young people. About a fifth<br />
of people aged 18-25 years<br />
in South <strong>Waikato</strong> are not in<br />
employment, education or<br />
training (Neets) – and we are<br />
confident this initiative will<br />
be the catalyst to get these<br />
young people into training and<br />
employment. We also expect<br />
to have a lot of second chance<br />
learners coming through the<br />
centre.”<br />
Toi Ohomai chief executive<br />
Dr Leon Fourie said SWIFT<br />
and Toi Ohomai had worked<br />
closely together since the initiative<br />
began in early 2018 to<br />
decide what a purpose-built<br />
facility would look like.<br />
“This Government funding<br />
will enable us to realise a vision<br />
we have been working towards<br />
for the last two and a half years.<br />
Toi Ohomai currently has three<br />
training sites in Tokoroa, all of<br />
which are older facilities and<br />
are no longer fit for purpose.<br />
This new facility will enable<br />
Toi Ohomai to support learners<br />
in Tokoroa rather than having<br />
to transport students to bigger<br />
hubs such as Rotorua, Hamilton<br />
or Taupo.<br />
“Toi Ohomai will run the<br />
training centre but we see this<br />
operating as a partnership with<br />
SWIFT, South <strong>Waikato</strong> District<br />
Council, Raukawa, the Pacific<br />
Island community and strong<br />
alignment with the business<br />
community. Partnership with<br />
local iwi and Pasifika is critical<br />
given the Maori population of<br />
the South <strong>Waikato</strong> is 25 percent<br />
– 35 percent in Tokoroa - and<br />
12 percent Pasifika.”<br />
Fourie said concept plans<br />
developed for the centre will<br />
include a digital entrepreneurial<br />
hub and a café and childcare<br />
facilities to enable parents to<br />
train at the centre and reduce<br />
the digital divide in the <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
region.<br />
“As well as creating excellent<br />
learning experiences for<br />
our tauira we expect the facility<br />
to provide more jobs for local<br />
residents.”<br />
South <strong>Waikato</strong> District<br />
Mayor Jenny Shattock said<br />
the Government investment<br />
in the new training centre<br />
is the result of patient collaboration<br />
and engagement<br />
between Toi Ohomai, SWIFT,<br />
council and Government.<br />
“This is an excellent example<br />
of the South <strong>Waikato</strong> education,<br />
business and local<br />
government sectors working<br />
together to help the district<br />
thrive and grow economically<br />
and socially.”<br />
She said the Toi Ohomai<br />
Institute’s new location near<br />
State Highway 1 would provide<br />
a fabulous new gateway to<br />
the northern entrance to Tokoroa<br />
that would complement the<br />
town centre redevelopment that<br />
is close to completion.<br />
Te Waka chief executive<br />
Michael Bassett-Foss welcomed<br />
the announcement.<br />
“Regional districts need a flow<br />
of motivated young people to<br />
spur and maintain economic<br />
development in the area,” he<br />
said. “This new facility will<br />
offer opportunities to youth<br />
in Tokoroa who are not currently<br />
in training, education or<br />
employment, and often can’t<br />
afford to go elsewhere.”<br />
Te Waka was involved in<br />
lobbying the Government for<br />
investment in the Training<br />
Centre upgrade early in the<br />
process, while Bassett-Foss<br />
accompanied representatives<br />
from the SWDC when they met<br />
with Ministers in Wellington to<br />
garner support.<br />
SWIFT chairman Bruce<br />
Sherman said South <strong>Waikato</strong> is<br />
in a prime geographic position<br />
and is now in growth mode.<br />
“This new training centre will<br />
provide a much needed path to<br />
skilled employment not just for<br />
Tokoroa, but Putāruru, Tirau,<br />
and Arapuni.<br />
“Our youth deserve facilities<br />
that inspire them to learn<br />
and contribute and we are<br />
very grateful the Government<br />
agrees.” Sherman said the<br />
development of the site itself<br />
will potentially involve more<br />
than 200 people for the design<br />
and build process, and local<br />
firms will be used as much as<br />
possible.<br />
“Toi Ohomai currently has<br />
about 350 enrolments per year<br />
including part time courses. We<br />
expect that will grow to around<br />
500 per year as successful graduates<br />
show a clear pathway to<br />
meaningful jobs. The SWIFT<br />
Trust’s main objective is better<br />
economic and social outcomes<br />
for the South <strong>Waikato</strong> and work<br />
ready, well trained, skilled<br />
employees is a major attraction<br />
for start-ups and companies<br />
looking to relocate from inefficient<br />
city locations.<br />
“We have more exciting<br />
projects in the pipeline so this<br />
is the first step in many to<br />
achieving lasting and positive<br />
change for our communities.”<br />
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