Training Opportunities: Statistical Profile 1999 to 2007

2. Introduction

This paper provides participation and labour market outcome analysis of Training Opportunities between 1999 and 2007 using the Training Opportunities administrative dataset. It is the first step in a comprehensive programme of analysis of targeted training programmes. It tracks various facets of the programme to determine key changes and trends across time.

The Training Opportunities programme is part of a suite of vocational education and training programmes in operation in New Zealand, collectively referred to as Targeted Training Programmes. Training Opportunities is targeted towards Work and Income clients who are, or are at risk of, becoming long-term unemployed and who have low or no qualifications. Its genesis lies in the Training Opportunities programme in operation from 1993 to 1998, which in turn evolved from Access programmes.

Training Opportunities has been in operation in New Zealand in various shapes or forms since 1993. It was re-focused in 1999, and operated to provide work training to school leavers and long-term unemployed with no or low qualifications. A review in 2002 led to a widening of the eligibility criteria to: those assessed as being at risk of long-term unemployment; and young people lacking foundation skills.

While the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) have published participation information for targeted training programmes in several forums, these have often been limited to trainee counts. This paper extends these by providing deeper analysis of Training Opportunities using programme administration unit record data. Research questions are numerous, and include:

• who participates, and why?
• what differences (if any) exist within and between groups?
• who succeeds?
• who does not succeed, and why?