ITAB Apprenticeship Programme – Changes due to RoVE

In February 2019 the New Zealand Government announced the Review of Vocational Education, commonly referred to as RoVE.

The changes that have occurred due to RoVE, will have a significant impact on carpentry and apprenticeship training nationwide, including the future of Industry Training Association Building (ITAB).

Employers

If you employ or supervise an existing ITAB apprentice, our support and commitment to you and your apprentice will continue unchanged (*conditions apply) until they have either:

  • Completed their training and graduated from the ITAB Programme; or
  • Elect to withdraw or transfer to an alternative training programme.

Please note, the withdrawal of ITAB does not mean that an apprentice’s training will cease. They will continue to be supported for the duration of their apprenticeship by their preferred regional campus of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) previously known as Polytechnics or Institutes of Technology.

Apprentices

Regretfully, ITAB will no longer be available to new apprentices enrolling after 31 December 2022. ITAB phased out over the next 2 – 3 years, while existing apprentices complete their apprenticeship training.

If you are an existing ITAB apprentice this will not affect you.

Even if your Training Provider has elected to withdraw from ITAB, as an existing apprentice, New Zealand Certified Builders under the ITAB Apprenticeship Programme will continue its support and commitment to you and your apprenticeship training (*conditions apply) until either you have:

  • Completed their training and graduated from the ITAB Programme; or
  • Elect to withdraw or transfer to an alternative training programme.

If you have any concerns, please contact your Training Provider in the first instance.

If you are a new apprentice, enrolling after 1 January 2023, the ITAB Apprenticeship Programme will not be available.

The Reasons for ITAB’s Withdrawal

The decision to withdraw ITAB was not made lightly. ITAB’s Board of Directors and Management, sought consultation from Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics partnered with ITAB, including ITAB’s Industry Advisory Group. All parties agreed, that on balance, ITAB would struggle to remain an effective mechanism to support apprentices and employers alike, post RoVE. This is in part due to ITAB’s off-site training model no longer being a unique offering under the new Te Pūkenga (NZIST) delivery model and the wider vocational reforms.

What is ITAB & What’s Next?

ITAB is an industry partnership between New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) and ITPs nationwide. While ITAB will no longer be available from 1 Jan 2023, NZCB remains committed to quality training and support of Carpentry Apprentices.  NZCB will be launching the Apprenticeship Support Programme, a new membership service replacing ITAB, exclusively available to NZCB Business Members.

If you would like to know more about this exciting new service, please do not hesitate to contact New Zealand Certified Builders or visit www.nzcb.nz.

*Conditions apply – apprentices must remain financial members of ITAB.