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Tēnā koutou. It is a pleasure to be here this evening to celebrate the exciting partnerships you have forged between employers and tertiary education organisations.
There is no doubt that these partnerships reflect the broader work being undertaken by government to address literacy and numeracy skill gaps in our workforce.
In recent months I have had the pleasure of visiting many workplaces. The thing I enjoy most about doing this is meeting employers and managers along with trainees and on-the-job trainers. I have certainly met many hard-working and committed people.
It is clear that great things are already happening in our workplaces - but everyone is realistic about the need to think more carefully about the skills we are growing and how businesses can best benefit.
You will be aware that two weeks ago Prime Minister Helen Clark launched the New Zealand Skills Strategy Action Plan for 2008.
This concise Action Plan signals a fresh look at enhancing the impact of skills development within our businesses and in workplaces.
The New Zealand Skills Strategy is about co-ordination and connectivity.
o better co-ordination within industry training, across the tertiary and school sectors, and with business
o connecting skills development with the capability of companies looking to improve productivity.

Again, like the partnerships we are celebrating today, the defining characteristic of the New Zealand Skills Strategy is its collaborative base.
The Forum which is responsible for developing the strategy brings the key players together - the government, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Business New Zealand and the Industry Training Federation.
Through this partnership government, industry, employers and workers have built a shared understanding of the challenges New Zealand faces in meeting the demands of the future economy - and a shared ambition for increasing productivity.

Consultation on the New Zealand Skills Strategy overwhelmingly confirmed that a unified approach is the best method to increase productivity. The New Zealand Skills Strategy is just the vehicle we need to take the next step and broaden the scale on which we do this.

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that a priority for the strategy is to build the literacy and numeracy capability of the workforce.

In Budget 2008 the government committed substantial new funding for the strategy - $168 million over four years.

This funding provides more opportunities for adults to improve their literacy and numeracy skills in the workplace, at education organisations and community settings, and gain the skills needed for work, family and community life.

It includes an extra $50.5 million for the Workplace Literacy fund, and $13 million for individualised employee learning opportunities.

At the moment the demand for work-based literacy and numeracy learning is low. So a large part of this work will also focus on increasing awareness amongst employers and employees of the benefits of literacy and numeracy skills.

We already know that employees with high levels of literacy and numeracy skills are better able to adapt to changing environments, allowing firms to update working practices and products more rapidly.

As Minister for ACC, I'm also well aware of the importance of literacy and numeracy skills for workplace health and safety.

Reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are essential for understanding health and safety requirements.

To prevent workplace accidents employees must be able to follow instructions carefully and ask questions when they're unsure about how to use a piece of equipment. Not to mention being able to identify and enter information correctly on an incident report.

So there are clear benefits that can be achieved by addressing literacy and numeracy skill gaps in the workplace. Your commitment to these Upskilling Partnerships is a testament that you also share this view.

Helping employees to improve themselves is one of the most socially responsible things an employer can do.

Giving people these tools affects all areas of their lives - from their jobs down to engaging in their children's learning in ways they wouldn't have before.

In closing, once again I congratulate you for taking the initiative to form these partnerships. Your successes are paving the way for other employers to work in partnership with tertiary education organisations.

There is so much to achieve by working together.

Thank you. Kia ora.

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