New Zealand Study Highlights the Power of Multiple Pathways to Skills and Employment

A new report by Skills Consulting Group, host of GAN New Zealand, is adding momentum to national and global conversations on how countries can better support diverse pathways from education into decent work. Titled Multiple Pathways to Success, the study examines how learners, employers, and training providers in New Zealand navigate vocational education and training (TVET) pathways amid ongoing system reform.

The publication comes at a pivotal moment for New Zealand’s skills system. Since the establishment of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and the redesign of workforce development functions, the country has been re‑examining how apprenticeships, industry training, secondary‑tertiary transitions, and employer engagement can work together more effectively. The Skills Consulting report provides timely, practice‑based insights into what is working, what remains challenging, and how different pathways can be better aligned to labor‑market needs.

A learner‑centered view of pathways

Drawing on qualitative research and stakeholder perspectives, Multiple Pathways to Success highlights that there is no single or linear route into skilled employment. Instead, learners often move between school‑based learning, vocational programs, apprenticeships, higher education and work, depending on personal circumstances and opportunities. The report argues that recognizing and supporting this diversity is critical to improving participation, completion, and employment outcomes.

The study emphasizes the importance of clear information, guidance, and employer engagement in helping learners make informed choices. It also underlines the value of flexible pathways that allow individuals to re‑enter education or training as their careers evolve, an issue that has become increasingly prominent in New Zealand’s response to skills shortages and changing workforce demands.

Employer engagement at the centre of TVET reform

A key message of the report is the central role employers play in making pathways effective. Skills Consulting highlights how strong partnerships between industry, training providers, and intermediary organizations can help ensure that qualifications remain relevant and that learners gain skills that translate into real jobs.

This employer‑led perspective aligns closely with the our mission, which promotes work‑based learning, apprenticeships, and employer engagement as core pillars of effective skills systems. As host of GAN New Zealand, Skills Consulting brings this international perspective into the national context, linking local evidence to global debates on how to strengthen education‑to‑employment transitions. Similar to recent studies published by other GAN country networks, the New Zealand report provides concrete examples that can inform peer learning and policy dialogue beyond national borders.

As New Zealand continues to refine its vocational education and training system, Multiple Pathways to Success offers evidence to support a more flexible, learner‑centered and employer‑engaged approach. For GAN New Zealand and the wider GAN community, the report reinforces the value of locally grounded research in shaping both national reform and international cooperation on skills.