From the ITOs

Roy Brown, tutor at Nelson Polytechnic's School of Fisheries and on-board vessel assessor. The Seafood ITO's National Certificate in Seafood Processing (level 2) programme has been sold to major seafood companies, including the Sealord Group. Photo courtesy Nelson Mail.

• The New Zealand Horticulture ITOs Web site (www.hortito.org.nz ) now carries full information about the ITO's services. With ten National Certificates and a National Diploma, Horticulture is an active field.
• The Joinery ITO has presented the first National Certificates in Joinery to two Rotorua apprentices. The ITO expects a further dozen or so to complete their qualifications this year.
• The Stevedoring ITO is ready to launch into fully developed on-job training and assessment. With newly published assessment guidelines for their National Certificates in Pilot Launch Operations or Tug Operations, and an initial pool of workplace assessors, the ITO has signed up its first trainees.
• Forestry Industries Training is on track to achieve its planned 30% increase in skills training in 1999. New National Certificates in Tissue Converting (that's to do with tissues, napkins, etc) have been registered and a new Biosecurity qualification is on the way. And they have a new Web site: www.training.org.nz
• The Building and Construction ITO will have a new chief executive following the resignation of Trevor Allsebrook.
• The new National Diploma in Agribusiness Management has been welcomed throughout the country. The Gisborne Herald reports that the Diploma's mix of on- and off-farm training incorporates the latest technologies and agribusiness developments, representing a 'massive attitudinal shift' from the previous Advanced Trade Certificate in Farm Business Management.
• The Australian and New Zealand Mutual Recognition of Vocational Education and Training Qualifications comes into effect on 1 January 2000. The mutual recognition will apply to vocational qualifications from the Australian Qualifications Framework and the New Zealand National Qualifications Framework only.

  Mutual recognition will be deemed to exist on 1 January 2000 unless an ITO demonstrates to NZQA why it should be postponed in its area. The agreement is designed to complement existing arrangements, between associations, for example, not to replace them.

  The official Mutual Recognition document can be accessed through this Web site.

Tutor David Ansley and students in a Manawatu course leading to the National Certificate in Meat Retailing (Meat Packing). The course is a joint project set up by WINZ, Affco and YMCA (a PTE). Photo courtesy Evening Standard.