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We’re your go-to partner for workplace training

Whether you want to grow your business, are planning for retirement, or just need an extra pair of hands, it’s important your staff get the quality training they need.

Taking on a trainee, or setting up a workplace training programme, can help you achieve your business goals. With over 25 years of experience, Skills is your go-to partner for workplace training.

Our Story 

Skills was founded in 1992 with the goal of helping New Zealand industries develop the standards and qualifications that would set people and businesses up for success. It all began with training up generations of NZ electricians. Now, 28 years later, we are part of Skills Consulting Group – a group of brands focused on workplace wellbeing, learning & development consulting, leadership & sales training and much more.

At the heart of Skills Consulting Group is growing people well through real-world, practical learning & development. Find out more about Skills Consulting Group and the people behind it below.

Our Senior Leaders

Find out more about the people behind Skills Consulting Group

Our Board

Click to find out who sits on the Skills Consulting Group board.

Insights

Find out what we have been working on across industries and around the world.

So, what does Skills do?

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We set industry qualification standards

Skills is a standard setting body. This means we work with industry bodies to ensure that qualifications provide the right skills to employers and industry. We work closely with NZQA, meaning that our qualifications are nationally recognised.

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We help businesses train their staff

Looking to take on an apprentice or trainee? Thinking of upskilling your workforce with national qualifications?

We’ll walk you through the process, and help you decide what type of training is right for you and your business.

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We go the extra mile to support trainees

Learning can be difficult. We provide added support for trainees who have learning difficulties or who are not confident with numeracy and literacy.

We do what needs to be done to make sure that no one is disadvantaged.

Latest News & Case Studies

The first two stages of Skills’ transition are complete

Skills works through its transition Since our transition plan was approved in February this year, Skills has been working through the process of transferring its Arranging Training functions to Te Pūkenga WBL and other providers (known as Receiving Organisations...

Skills prepares for Go Live 2

Skills prepares for Go Live 2As you will be aware, the Reform of Vocational Education (ROVE) is well underway. Skills has completed the first transition to St John in July 2022, also known as ‘Go Live 1’. Skills will be transitioning the next wave of programmes to...

Skills works through its transition

Skills works through its transition Since our transition plan was approved in February this year, Skills has been working through the process of transferring its Arranging Training functions to Te Pūkenga WBL and other providers (known as Receiving Organisations...

COVID-19 – What you need to know from March 2022

COVID-19 What you need to knowfrom March 2022We’re now in a phase of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response where providers are requiring trainees to show a valid vaccine pass or exemption to attend their block courses.   Mask rules have also changed. Trainees must wear a...

Skills’ transition plan has been approved

Skills' transition plan has been approvedThe Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) Board has approved Skills’ transition plan, giving Skills and its learners security for the future under the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). The transition plan lays out how Skills...

How to keep, grow and enhance your contact centre team

How to keep, grow and enhance your contact centre teamWe know that key pain points for contact centre employers are keeping people, growing people and getting the best out of people. A great way to address these is to make your people feel valued by recognising the...

COVID-19 – What you need to know from November 2021

COVID-19 What you need to knowfrom November 2021As New Zealand makes its way through the rapidly-changing COVID-19 alert levels, Skills is keeping an eye out for our trainees, employers, assessors and staff. Last Updated: 15 November 2021 At Level Two For those...

Financial advisers: here’s how to meet new Code of Conduct requirements

Financial advisers: Here's how to meet new Code of Conduct requirements  If you’re a financial adviser the Financial Services Alternative Pathway for Individuals could be your ticket to making sure you can keep working without having to gain a new qualification. What...

Changes to Skills’ Security programme

Conflict Management Train the Trainer From 1 November 2022, the arranging and managing of Security Conflict Management Train the Trainer and Refresher training will transfer to NZSA.  NZSA will also maintain the list of approved trainers. Trainers who wish to complete...

Five helpful insights into contact centres

Five helpful insights into contact centres    What do people not often realise about contact centres? Kaye Kennedy, a moderator and assessor of the New Zealand Certificate in Contact Centres (Level 3) version 2, shares five helpful insights  Emotional and mental...

Joe Kelly—Young Electrician Works to Improve an Industry

The trades are a powerhouse of know-how, and Joe Kelly is determined to help electricians take pride in their profession.   Being an agent of change is a hands-on job, but Joe and Kim Kelly of Coastal Connections are more than up to the challenge. The couple has...

Overcoming Obstacles- It Takes a Village

“You can’t judge a fish’s intelligence by how well it can climb a tree.” To Matthew Taylor, hearing those words from his Skills case manager were just the push he needed to keep at his apprenticeship. Matthew had been battling more challenges that most – having gone...

Rebecca Banks – Crane Operator finds her place and continues family legacy

There’re a few conversations going around about university relevance and the benefits of learning on the job that have school-leavers thinking twice about their options. As an apprentice or trainee, you can land a job in your chosen industry and earn while you learn....

Kurt Douglas – How a young man, going nowhere, turned his life around.

Kurt Douglas’s story is truly inspirational. How a young man, going nowhere, turned his life around. He took on a trade and then scaled the heights. Literally. The trade was scaffolding. And now Kurt has progressed from being ‘on the tools’ to senior management.The...

James Baxter – From Engineering Student to Plumbing Apprentice

James Baxter sounds like a model employee who’s got his work/life balance just about right.He likes what he is doing and knows where he’s going. But there were a few changes he had to make along the way.At school James was good at the more academic subjects. “Not so...

Rising Through the Ranks at Mercury

When Caterina Berimballi began her role in the contact centre at Mercury four years ago, she had no idea that within a year she’d be promoted to Senior Customer Service Representative (CSR) and then, two years later, to Quality Administrator. But that’s exactly what...

Liam Collis – From ‘Sparky School’ to Tradie Tools

To be an excellent electrical tradie, it’s important to know more than just the tools of the trade. You also need to be a good communicator. That’s how Liam Collis sees it.Liam, who has been an electrical apprentice at HLS Limited in Auckland since October last year,...

Harrison West – Dyslexia No Obstacle for Plumbing ‘Rockstar’

Harrison West has been a plumbing apprentice for just over two years - but his boss, Dave Henderson from Quix Commercial, says he’s already a rockstar performer. So much so, Harrison has already been promoted to Junior Foreman. What’s particularly impressive about...

Sainila Tagi – Electrical Apprentice on Track for the Future

Look ahead 10 years from now and, if Sainila Tagi has his way, he and three of his brothers will be running a full-service family-owned construction company.With one brother in the building industry, another in plumbing, a third a qualified architect and Sainila on...

Connor Deeley – Apprentice blows everyone away at Roofing Games and continues to aim higher

Exploring New Zealand’s North Island right from the bottom to the top is only a perk on the side for Connor Deeley, a Roofing Apprentice working at Turfrey. Not only has he been able to visit parts of the country he never thought of visiting before, he isn’t tied to a...