Cullen sacks trades registration board

Michael Cullen

The plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers registration board has been sacked because industry numbers have dropped despite increased funding for training.

A spokesman for Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen told NZPA a new board would be announced today.

Dr Cullen sacked the board after an independent report said there was a dysfunctional relationship between the plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers industry training organisation (ITO) and the registration board.

Although the Government put $24 million into training over the last six years, the number of new entrants decreased over that time.

The independent report was prepared by lawyer Hazel Armstrong, who said training and registration in the industry was not well aligned.

Dr Cullen said many apprentices had passed the ITO's national certificate but failed the board's registration exam.

He has appointed a working group, led by the Tertiary Education Commission, to ensure the industry's training and registration functions properly in future.

Former board members interviewed on National Radio today said the ITO had not delivered adequately trained students.

The registration board described the report as "grossly unfair" and blamed the ITO for dwindling numbers of newcomers to the industry.

"The board is responsible for public safety and the report fails to address the abject failure of the national certificate, which resulted in the board reintroducing examinations in the first place," said board chairman Terry Wynyard.

"We had to remedy that in the interests of public safety. There was no way the board could gerrymander pass rates when the ITO's unit standards were sub-standard."

- NZPA