ITP Techblog

Here's a quick weekly update from ITP CEO Paul Matthews

A bit of a frustrating time in relation to the wider Review of Vocational Education (RoVE) this week, with officials continuing to ignore the very industries the whole reform package is intended to serve. I spoke about it on RNZ's Technology show this week and there's more coming next week. 

Also, don't forget to sign up as a Mentor in ITP's newly designed and very awesome Mentoring Programme. We've had a really strong response with almost 100 mentors already signed up. Plus get your ITP gear from our Gear Shop - high quality branded clothing to show your clients, colleagues and others that you're serious about professional practice. 

Education reform

Again, the big Review of Vocational Education (RoVE) has been a big focus of the last couple of weeks, as we try to get a solution there that works both for our industry, but also for New Zealand as a whole in light of the changing nature of work.

And frankly, it's not looking good.

I've written a longer piece on this for the NZ Herald, talking about the various approaches we've taken to this issue. It's been a frustrating ride. This will likely go out early next week, but in the meantime you can also listen to the segment with Kathryn Ryan on RNZ Nine to Noon about it yesterday.

I know the future of education is an issue that we as an industry feel deeply about, as does ITP, especially given the huge opportunities present in this huge reform - both in terms of the pathways to our industry, but also for New Zealand as a whole. This is a once in a generation change.

Sadly, we think these opportunities are on the brink of being lost.

The reform was promised to be industry-led and designed to meet a need within industry, but the reality is it's been anything but. In fact, our industry has been completely united on proposals - every significant tech and engineering body in the country supported proposed approaches which were subsequently ignored by the officials.

There's been a really strong focus from government bureaucrats on models and industry classifications and the result is that professions like ours, that sit across a number of industries, have been lost in the weeds; And we think New Zealand as a whole will suffer.

Anyway, it's not over yet. We're urgently seeking another meeting with Education Minister Hon Chris Hipkins to ask him to intervene and get things back on track. I'll let you know how things progress.

 

Good podcasts from Canterbury Tech

Our friends at Canterbury Tech have been working on some great southern podcasts with local guests including Ben Kepes, Ben Reid, Rod Oran and Paul Swain.

Check them out on the Canterbury Tech website.

 

RNZ New Technology

As mentioned above, I was on the RNZ Nine to Noon Technology show again this week, talking about the disappointing progress around tech education in the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE), as well as cyber-security attacks growing in size and sophistication, plus Big Tech's election transparency tools.

You can listen to the podcast on the RNZ website.

 

Want to help others get ahead?

Last week ITP launched the first phase of the redesigned ITP Mentoring Programme, with an initial call for Mentors.

The ITP Mentoring Programme continues to be built around professional development or career-focused mentoring - helping IT professionals set clear career goals and objectives, understand that they have the ability to achieve these, and putting in place a plan to do it. 

If you haven't been involved in mentoring before - as either a mentor or a mentee - don't be shy - this programme is for you. The programme has been designed to scale and we see it as a core part of professional growth.

The Programme is also completely free for non-concession ITP members. One key difference is that the new programme will be free for Mentees too. Note that non-concession means student members aren't currently eligible, but we are looking at other options to provide career guidance to students.

Once matched with a Mentee, Mentors can expect to meet once a month (for approximately an hour) over the 12 month period. This can be in-person of via a videocall. Mentoring can be an incredibly rewarding experience, with Mentors often getting as much out of the relationship as those they are mentoring.

We've had a bunch of mentors sign up over the last couple of days, which is brilliant. If you're interested in being a mentor, do sign up. We then have an induction workshop (live online) and other onboarding - you're well supported.

Find out more or sign up as a mentor

 

Get your ITP gear

As we return to "normalcy" and head back out into the world, you may have noticed the seasons have changed, it's quite a bit colder out there and maybe it's time to update the winter wardrobe…

Now is the perfect time to head over to the ITP store and grab yourself some sleek, warm and practical items for winter. These customizable items come in a variety of sleek and simple designs and are perfect for work, networking or casualwear.

The official ITP store has a whole bunch of professional and casual clothing options, some which can be co-branded with your company. It's a great opportunity to show that you don't just "do IT" - you're also serious about professional practice. 

Pop on over to shop.itp.nz to check it out.