Prioritise work-based learning
A combination of high honey stocks, labour shortages, increased input costs and the uncertainty of future demand has led to a reduction in the number of commercial and semi-commercial beekeepers and a reduction in the number of hives.
At the same time learner numbers have increased significantly, driven by a leap in students enrolled with providers. We suspect that this represents hobbyist beekeepers taking up training.
A greater focus on work-based training is more likely to meet industry needs and we have recently recommended to Te Pūkenga that learning outcomes are aligned more closely with the practical outputs required in beekeeping.