All People, Food and Fibre

Formal education and training systems are not the only way in which people develop skills, with people gaining skills through work experience, informal and non-formal learning, and/or outside the country in which they work.  

The fact that these skills are invisible magnifies the challenge of skills under-utilization and mismatch and can lead to learners repeating unnecessary training. 

Muka Tangata will work with stakeholders, including industry, providers and government, to identify and address barriers to recognising existing skills.

Key steps:

Delivery and Assessment for the 21st Century is a joint project between Muka Tangata, Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence and Te Pūkenga. The project will look into

  • Delivery methods, reasons for change, and implications for learners of various different models;
  • Assessment methods - do existing methods still have currency? Is there a case for modernisation? Is assessment a barrier to qualification completion; and
  • Recognition of prior learning (RPL) - complete a critical assessment of RPL, the real or perceived need, the barriers, and the benefits.


Project milestones:

  1. Complete a national and international literature review around best practice delivery and assessment, with a focus on work-based, work integrated, and online learning.
  2. Develop an excellence rubric that differentiates Work Integrated Learning and Work-based Learning.
  3. Complete a deep-dive into Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
  4. Engage with industry, employers, providers and ākonga (learners) to identify successful models, and to better understand barriers and challenges to delivery and assessment.
  5. Evaluate how well current models meet the diverse needs of learners and employers in the identified industries.
  6. Based on the findings, develop exemplars in delivery and assessment and/or guidance on how to better leverage existing practices, to government and providers.
  7. Develop an excellence rubric for programme delivery.
  8. Run a series of pilots with Te Pūkenga to test models of:
    • Delivery
    • Assessment
    • RPL


Next steps:

The project will start in December 2023 and last approximately 12 months.

Related Roadmaps:

Better understand the role informal learning plays in the industry | Arable Better understand the role informal and non-formal learning plays in the industry | Dairy Better understand and influence informal and non-formal learning | Fruit Improve the recognition of existing skills so that learners are not repeating unnecessary training | Seafood Better understand the role informal learning plays in the industry | Sheep, Beef, Deer and Wool