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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Congrats to WelTec for meeting both business and student needs, as shown in the recent Employer Satisfaction Survey undertaken by SIL Research.

It's great to see WelTec getting good survey results from both employers and students.  The students were rated well for having the right skills to enter the workforce, with 61% getting jobs and 19% going on to further study.  

We encourage all the tertiary education providers to track and report these sorts of results.  It lets businesses know which training providers are doing a good job and it lets parents and students know which institutions are valued by employers. See below for more about this.

Catherine Beard
027 463 3212 or cbeard@businessnz.org.nz

BNZ - BusinessNZ PMI
PMI – Trans-Tasman angst

New Zealand's manufacturing sector experienced a lower level of activity in April, although still showing overall expansion, according to the latest BNZ - BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI).  Comments from respondents provided a useful picture of why the level of expansion dropped from the previous month.

Although the proportion of negative comments for April (43%) did not increase by a significant proportion from March, there was a distinct pattern of respondents mentioning the current economic situation across the ditch.  Some outlined the high value of the New Zealand dollar relative to the Australian, while others mentioned the general lacklustre Australian economy causing lower demand for New Zealand products. More...

ROADSHOW: How to win International Government Business

While the opportunity is large and lucrative, it is complex and it can take some time to get your first sale. Even our largest exporters struggle with the complexity and some of the timelines. Come and hear from our international speakers who will share their experiences and provide insights into overcoming these hurdles so you can participate in these exciting markets. More...

WelTec training meets employer expectations

In the recent Employer Satisfaction Survey undertaken by SIL Research on behalf of WelTec, employers rated highly the knowledge, skills and attitudes of recent WelTec graduates.

At the same time, WelTec conducted a Graduate Employment Outcomes Survey of graduates, and asked SIL Research to analyse the responses from the two groups. As the following chart shows, not only do employers rate WelTec graduates highly, but the graduates themselves also rate the outcomes of their WelTec training and education similar to employers. More...

Everyone wins as business teams up with Polytechnics

Healthcare Logistics and freight company Ryders Customs & Forwarding wanted young people to see how distribution and logistics can offer an exciting future work prospect, packed with opportunity. So they are providing work placements and on-site experience for students enrolled in a new logistics course offered by the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT).

Healthcare Logistics warehouse manager Terry Hamilton, says the company’s involvement is not just a good idea, but an important step to introducing students to his line of work. “It would be good if more businesses adopted a student while still at school. The work experience is as valuable to them as it is to us.” More...

Showcasing manufacturing opportunities for Canterbury school leavers

A new partnership – the Canterbury Manufacturing Pathways (CMP) – between local employers, schools and training partners including Competenz aims to inspire Canterbury school leavers to consider a career in manufacturing and address the number one challenge local manufacturers face: attracting and building a skilled workforce.

For young people coming through school, a career in manufacturing is not always an obvious choice. Many students and their teachers share popular misconceptions about the nature of modern manufacturing jobs and fail to understand the opportunities available.

The CMP programme is about changing this perception. More...

“Low-tech” manufacturing, the new “hidden champion” of innovation

We have been overlooking the value and innovation that goes on in so called “low-tech” companies, according to a European expert on industry.  Auckland University recently hosted Prof. Dr. Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen Chair of Economic and Industrial Sociology TU Dortmund University, Germany. He spoke about the latest research that is uncovering these “low-tech” innovators. More...

KiwiNet finalists turning science into commercial value

Finalists for the third annual KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards, designed to celebrate commercialisation success within New Zealand’s universities and Crown Research Institutes, have been announced.

The clever science innovations that have crossed the divide between the research and business worlds include multi-story buildings from renewable resources, big data software, a sustainable alternative to polystyrene, flavour in hops, CT colour cameras that look inside the human body for better diagnosis, response to the PSA outbreak, an expert forensics DNA software system, and marine toxins enabling better global seafood safety.

"The 2015 Awards have uncovered more inspiring success stories of talented researchers pushing business to the frontiers of high-tech innovation," says KiwiNet General Manager Dr Bram Smith. More...

Sell direct without selling directly

Manufacturers today are facing new challenges due to the disruptive nature of the internet and the impact this is having on established distribution relationships. In an omni-channel retailing landscape the balance of power has shifted from manufacturers and retailers to consumers.

When a consumer buys online or in-store, they have typically researched the product online, so the importance of front-end retail staff delivering a uniform, high-quality buying experience for the consumer, has never been greater.

Smart guided selling tools are helping manufacturers increase sales. The end result is a better shopping experience for the consumer and for the retailer. More...

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