The Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) is a business-driven alliance that promotes work-based learning and apprenticeships across multiple sectors as a way to bridge the gap between the skills people have and the skills employers need.
GAN empowers people, businesses and communities to thrive in a world of transformation by delivering workplace education and training to align skills with the demands of the labour market.
GAN New Zealand:
- Strengthen companies’ and organisations’ engagement in apprenticeships.
- Shares best practices in the areas of apprenticeships, mentoring and on-the-job training
- Encourages effective knowledge sharing programmes and partnerships from GAN’s network of committed local and global companies and organisations.
Highlight of the Month
Why most young people miss out on structured pathways beyond school
Today Skills Group (GAN NZ’s host organisation) released Multiple Pathways to Success – an extensively researched White Paper looking at how well New Zealand’s education system supports young people, as they move from school into further education and employment.
The short answer: we know what works but most students can’t access it.
Drawing on local data, global best practice and industry perspectives, key findings include
• 69 percent of school leavers do not pursue degree level study and have no equivalently structured pathway
• 84% of senior students miss out on vocational pathway programmes like Gateway and Trades Academies
• NZ produces twice as many young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) as it does apprentices straight from school
At the same time, the evidence is clear that when students do access work-integrated and vocational learning, outcomes improve.
The paper contends this isn’t about creating new programmes. It’s about connecting and scaling what already works and making it accessible to all learners, not just a small minority.
It calls for a more integrated system, where schools, tertiary providers, and employers work together to design and deliver pathways that reflect the full range of futures available to our young people.
With major reforms underway to secondary education and qualifications, there is a real opportunity to get this right. You can access the White Paper here https://skills-group.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Mutliple-Pathways-to-Success-April-2026.pdf
Become a GAN New Zealand Member
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Our focus areas:
Gender
Despite some recent encouraging trends, women are underrepresented in a number of trades areas. GAN New Zealand’s hosting organisation, Skills Group, has been part of a three-year research programme in New Zealand to understand the barriers to participation in traditionally male-dominated trades, and we believe the perception issues highlighted by the research can provide valuable insights to others, as well as continue to effectively advocate for much-needed change.
Equity and achievement
While there are persistent achievement gaps between Māori and non-Māori across New Zealand’s Education system, Tertiary Education Commission data shows these gaps are observed least in employer-led traineeships and apprenticeships. This finding is a testament to the effectiveness of work-based learning, standing alongside the substantial range of evidence we are able to offer the global network on what has worked to improve the participation and achievement of priority learner groups, and sustain these outcomes.
Employer capability
Achieving strong outcomes from work-based learning systems has as much to do with how we support the employer as it does with how we support the employee. We know that the drag on New Zealand’s productivity relates to management and supervisory capability, and as small enterprises dominate the New Zealand market, building employer capability can help businesses improve and grow while getting the most value out of their training investments.
Degree-level and advanced apprenticeships
While one-off pilots and good work has been achieved in some areas, policy and operational barriers remain. These hold back work-integrated pathways and apprenticeship models to achieve higher level qualifications, including degrees. As part of vocational sector reform and the qualifications framework, GAN New Zealand is keen to broker new connections between the higher education and vocational education sectors in New Zealand.