Kia ora koutou,
As of January 1, Connexis has been operating within the Energy and Infrastructure Industry Skills Board (EIISB), following the announcement of the disestablishment of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST – formerly known as Te Pūkenga). This is our temporary home as work-based training heads back to industry ownership.
I would like to thank our employers and learners for the written support provided for Connexis to continue as your national training provider. You can be confident in continuing to enrol in our training programmes and we will be here now and, in the future, to ensure industry has the skills required to build and maintain quality infrastructure for our communities.
At Connexis we continue with business as usual, enrolling and supporting learners and continuing to develop and improve our products and services, and behind the scenes we are working with our industry partners on the next steps in the return to industry ownership. Part of this is the establishment of a new legal entity that we can transition Connexis from the EIISB to. This new entity will be the future home for Connexis as an industry owned and led Private Training Establishment (PTE).
Today we are excited to share that the new entity has been established – Connexis Inc, with industry partners Civil Contractors New Zealand, Electrical Engineers Association and Water New Zealand, joining as founding members. An application has also been lodged with NZQA for PTE status for Connexis Inc. There are still some key steps to undertake before we can transition into the new entity, and our aim is for Connexis to be operating as a industry owned and led PTE in 2027. If you would like to understand more about this transition, we are keeping our Vocational Education and Training page updated on our website and you can visit here.
I’m sure you’ll also be pleased to hear that while there is work being undertaken on these administrative challenges, the Connexis team are focused on improving our training programmes and support to our employers and learners, with learner success as our key driver.
Our work programme for the year is well underway, with organisation of our 2026 high-profile national initiatives and events like Girls with Hi-Vis®, due to be hosted around the country in June, and Annual Connection which will be hosted by Counties Energy in October, in motion.
Registrations have now closed for our sought-after Outward Bound scholarships and we look forward to announcing this year’s recipients soon. These opportunities are another way we help support learners with leadership and personal development skills as they continue into the next stages of their career.
In 2026 we will further support leadership development with a series of half day Lead Well workshops running March to May. Designed to work alongside initiatives like one-to-one mentoring and our Vitae counselling services, these workshops equip learners with practical leadership tools they can apply immediately, in their training, on the job, and in their personal lives.
Finally, as we near the end of our Q1, I’d invite you to consider talking to your CSAM and local high schools about the possibility of taking on Gateway learners. Building a relationship with your local schools who hold your future workforce of motivated students is a tried and tested way to secure good apprentices and future industry stars.
I wish you all the best for a successful year ahead and look forward to continuing our work with you.
Ngā mihi
Kaarin Gaukrodger
Connexis Executive Director