Kia ora, 

This will be our final update to you before Toitū te Waiora is disestablished at the end of this month. 

I wanted to take this opportunity on behalf of all our kaimahi to thank you for working with us over the past four years to improve the vocational education pathways in your workforces. 

To those of you who have participated in qualifications reviews, thank you for making sure our products were fit for purpose, particularly our new qualifications products that were built in collaboration with you. In total, we have submitted 129 new skill standards, 14 new micro-credentials and 5 new qualifications to NZQA in 2025. 

Over the past four years, we have significantly improved our quality assurance processing times within 20 days, from 25% in our startup phase to between 96-100% this year to ensure providers have had the highest level of service from us. 

We’ve had a very ambitious work programme this year. Despite a long period of uncertainty and change, our kaimahi have remained committed to completing it.  

Within the last month we have completed an ECE workforce report in partnership with the Early Childhood Council, presenting new information around the factors affecting workforce demand and supply, along with an ECE forecast model that forecasts workforce supply and demand out to 2035.  We are gifting the model to the Ministry of Education before we are disestablished.   

As you know, the majority of our work will be taken over by the new Health & Community Industry Skills Board (ISB). It will be in operation from early 2026. Contact details will be available in due course. 

As we draw to a close, we finish knowing we have made a real difference to our workforces. We’re confident our legacy will continue in 2026 and beyond, to ensure learners, industry and the wider vocational education and training system will be well supported. 

Thank you for your support over the past four years. We wish you all the best for a safe and happy festive season as you head into 2026 to continue working with the new ISBs. 

Ngā mihi
Sean McKinley
Chief Executive