• Industry Skills Board nominations open
• Understand the work-based network of provision
• Network of provision webinar – 7 August
• Setting up new private training establishments webinar – 29 July

ISB Board nominations open

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is inviting industries to nominate representatives for appointment to the first Industry Skills Boards (ISBs). These boards will be in place from 1 January 2026.

Nominations close 29 August 2025.

Candidates will need strong governance and change management skills, an industry background, and an understanding of education and training.

On each ISB, industry-nominated members will work alongside two members appointed by the Minister.

What do nominees need?

Candidates are expected to have significant governance experience combined with strategic leadership experience. Collectively, the members of each ISB will need:

• experience of strategic planning, including financial planning and sustainability
• financial management experience, including capital asset management
• a well-tuned understanding of risk
• experience in maintaining high standards while managing large-scale change
• experience of effectively monitoring organisational performance in a governance or senior management role
• experience in industry leadership, and extensive knowledge of, and connections within, industry
• an understanding of education and training

Who can nominate a candidate?

Industry bodies can nominate candidates. This ensures candidates have the backing of industry. Industry bodies must obtain the permission of the candidate to be nominated.

How to nominate a candidate

To nominate a candidate, please complete the Industry Skills Board Member Nomination Form.

Nominations must be received before 29 August 2025.

Read more on the TEC website: Industry Skills Boards

Understand the work-based network of provision

“Network of work-based learning provision” is the term TEC is using for the range of provider types it will fund for each industry sector.

In other words: each sector’s network of provision will be the mix of provider types it wishes to utilise to deliver its work-based learning (which providers are able to receive TEC funding for work-based learning will relate to this).

TEC says industry voice will be critical to determining the network of provision it funds, informing TEC’s knowledge and ensuring the networks of provision are sustainable and meet sector needs.

Read more on the TEC website: Understanding the work-based network of provision

Webinars

TEC is running a series of webinars for industry explain what the network of work-based learning provision is, and how you can contribute. Register for a network of provision webinar:

Thursday 7 August, 3pm – 4pm

Thursday 7 August, 6pm – 7pm

Setting up new private training establishments

TEC says the new work-based learning model will allow work-based learning to be offered by any provider that meets the government’s requirements, i.e., institutes of technology and polytechnics, private training establishments (PTEs) and wānanga. It is part of the government’s requirements that the provider is fully supported by the industries they want to deliver to.

TEC is aware that some industry groups are looking to establish PTEs to deliver work-based learning for their sectors. It says the requirements of standing up a PTE and ongoing compliance can be complex; these organisations are different to industry training organisations (ITOs) or polytechnics.

Webinar

To support understanding of the requirements, TEC is running a webinar in partnership with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. In this webinar, they will share further information and answer questions. Register for the new PTEs webinar:

Tuesday 29 July, 10am – 12 noon

Contact us

If you have any Toi Mai specific questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]