Ō Mātou Ākonga Learners and Providers

• Most of the ākonga (learners) we show for the Sheep, Beef, Deer and Wool Farming industry group are undertaking qualifications that are relevant to multiple industries. Enrolment numbers have seen an overall decrease in the last five years. We’ve heard that industry wants shorter, targeted, and flexible training, and options will be explored as through our Agriculture qualifications development project.
• The New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture Level 3 and 4 qualifications have strands in Sheep and Beef, however, few work-based ākonga are enrolled in these strands compared to the Dairy strand. This may be due, in part, to the Sheep and Beef industry having comparatively fewer compliance requirements than Dairy.
• Enrolments in complex apprenticeships (NZA) in Breeding Livestock for Sheep and Beef has steadily increased, peaking in 2021. However, ākonga numbers are still modest compared to the size of the workforce.
• Wool harvesting qualifications have seen a sharp decline in enrolment. The Wool industry has acknowledged the lack of a successful industry training model. Muka Tangata are working with industry and providers to develop a solution for the industry.

How did we get here?

In this section, we show qualifications that fall within Muka Tangata’s responsibility. We have matched these to each of our industry groups. We have also matched relevant micro-credentials, not necessarily developed by Muka Tangata, to our industry groups. Some qualifications or micro-credentials appear in more than one industry group as they could be useful to that industry, regardless of whether they are currently being used.

Complex apprenticeships consist of multiple programme enrolments. We have matched the main programmes to their relevant industry groups as we do not have the information for the target qualifications. As the data we have only included enrolments in current qualifications and micro-credentials, a full picture of historical trends of all learners in the industry is not reported here.

Qualification strand information is available for ākonga undertaking work-based training (apprentices and trainees). However, due to the limitations of our data for provider-based learners, we cannot separate enrolments into specific strands. For this reason, we have only reported enrolment data at the qualification level. We continue to work on ways to improve the data available to us.

Quality of programmes delivered by training providers

Muka Tangata independently checks assessment material that providers have developed, as well as their assessors’ decisions. This is called moderation – its similar to an audit.

Moderation ensures training carried out by providers is robust. It improves provider practices, and ensures graduates have the skills they need.

The reports provide employers and industry with detail on our activities, the quality of provider assessment, performance of programmes and number of new programmes developed in the past 12 months.