Enabling industry to thrive in a changing world is the key focus of the 2024 Service sector Workforce Development Plan, which has been released by Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council.
The Service sector is fundamental to Aotearoa and its people. Through millions of interactions a day, businesses across our sector advise, assist, and serve others. All Service sector industries have people at their centre. It is people who foster connections, helping others to navigate and meet the ever-changing needs of modern lives.
People are at the heart of the Service sector, both as kaimahi and as customers. When people change, the sector needs to adapt to respond best to people’s needs.
Workforce development plays a pivotal role in bolstering industry and creating a skilled and adaptable workforce that can effectively navigate disruptions and contribute to the overall sustainability of industries.
The past five years have been a time of more disruption for many New Zealanders than any other time in recent memory. This has created a considerable shift in both the way we work, and what we value as customers. Rather than going back to “the way things were” in 2019, we’re facing a new reality in terms of the way people work, the things they value, and how they choose to spend their time and money.
Businesses that can adapt and respond to these changes will be best placed to thrive, both now and in the future. Some businesses are already rising to the challenge by doing things such as adopting new business models, identifying new opportunities, and attracting customers during off or shoulder seasons. The future of the sector will be bright if we can collectively tackle the challenges we currently face and seize the opportunities they present.
The Service Sector Workforce Development Plan aims to:
- Outline some of the key shifts currently shaping the Service sector
- Explore how these will impact on the workforce, skills and training
- Detail actions that businesses, and the industry collectively, can take to best respond to the changing environment.
The Industry Action Plans 2024 build on the overall Services Sector Workforce Development Plan from 2023. These plans present an industry specific picture, what’s top of mind for the industry, industry data, and actions that industry, Government and providers at large can take to develop the future workforce together.
