A three-year pilot programme to assess the trainee success rate of under-represented groups within the industry will be undertaken by ESITO.

In collaboration with other industry training organisations (ITOs), industry, iwi and training providers, the pilot will monitor two groups of new entrants, between 18 and 25, representing Māori, Pasifika peoples, migrants and women. These groups are traditionally under-represented in most industries.

The experimental group will receive support and appropriate interventions while the other group will act as a control, undergoing conventional training only. The training outcomes of the trainees in the two groups will be compared to determine whether the interventions for the experimental group increased trainee success.

The pilot follows the 2002 Strategic Responsiveness Plan aimed to address issues identified in a report, Increasing Māori, Pacific Island and Women’s participation in the Electricity Supply Industry, commissioned by ESITO in 1998.


The strategy plan set out to address six key objectives:

1. Implement an effective marketing strategy for under-represented groups
2. Facilitate the delivery of formal structured training to under-represented groups
3. Develop an appropriate responsiveness monitoring and evaluation framework for the industry
4. Establish a database register of under-represented groups in the industry
5. Foster a close working relationship with key Māori, Pacific Island and women’s groups
6. Foster an active open access training culture to assist under-represented groups in the industry

Pilot Programme Objectives

1. Monitor the effectiveness of each of the six objectives identified in the ESITO 2002 Strategic Responsiveness Plan
2. Identify and remedy barriers to learning, relevant to each group
3. Identify and remedy barriers to participation in the industry relevant to each group
4. Identify key contributors to increased participation
5. Address retention issues normally encountered in the first year of training
6. Contribute to educational success by supporting students to Level 4 and above qualifications, with a positive impact upon completion rates
7. Provide a model and documented outcomes for similar or complimentary industries for the purposes of consultation and implementation for their sector
8. Measure the impacts of causal agents and interventions through a comparison of outcomes for both groups relating to:
   • Retention rates in the first year of training
   • Barriers to learning
   • Barriers to participation
   • Qualification completion rates
   • Average time of national qualification completion compared with the expected time
   • Progression rates of trainees moving from National Qualifications at Levels 1-3, to Level 4 and above.

Background Information
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Update February 2010
Case studies have been completed on three companies with good completion rates.
Heathrose Research has produced a report. This report, together with recommendations, will be discussed during the next Advisory Group Meeting on February 23, 2010.


Update August 2009
Advisory group met on 22 July and discussed the following:

1. Project aim – what would help for Maori, Pacific peoples, migrants and women to see relevance in their training and to complete? Are the issues the same/ similar to other trainees? This needs to be looked at in the confined context of training as it is now.
2. There are needs to develop a more cultural framework for Maori, Pacific peoples and migrants to mitigate the sense that the white/ dominant culture context is the starting point and to enable better foundation for support structures to be built on. There are also needs to be more explicit regarding inclusion and consistency in terms of migrants.
3. We will look at a process whereby Maori, Pacific, migrant and women trainees and graduates are ‘visioning’ about what would work for them in terms of training – what would their ideal environment or scenario look like.
4. ESITO is to look into getting groups together to do some visioning.
5. We may do some success case studies of companies that are operating successfully for equity group members.
6. Thinking about interventions – where are the key levers?
   - Through ESITO's work with trainees and MAPs?
   - Employer organisations?
   - Mentoring?
   - ESITO's work on the issue of training relevance?
   - Influence providers – should have more influence than do.
   - Framing importance – ‘quality and access’ issue rather than disadvantaged group.

Interviews are continuing.


Update June 2009
New research partners have been secured – Heathrose Research. Interviews are being carried out as required. Advisory group will meet on Wednesday, 22 July. Advisory group participants are as follows.
Nick Huntington – Senior Analyst – Industry Training
Doug Pouwhare – Industry Standards and Development Manager – ESITO
Nicky Murray – Project Manager Literacy & Learning – Industry Training Federation
Rose Ryan - Contracted Researcher – Heathrose Research
Heather McDonlad – Contracted Researcher – Heathrose Research
Liz Stephenson – Workforce Careers Development – Careerforce
Bronwyn Yates – Literacy Aotearoa
Harry Doig – Workbase
Natalie Simmons – ESITO
Lynn Dick – Plumbing Gasfitting ITO
Verna Naio – MITO
Lucie Wenmakers – MITO
Clare Szabo – English Partners New Zealand

Previous Updates
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