CMI

Last night I attended the launch at Parliament of a new training initiative. It is based on and associated with an Australian development and has involved the cooperation of 8 ITOs.

The progamme is called the Competitive Manufacturing Initiative and is aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity In the manufacturing sector. It is a unit standards-based training programme offered at various levels.

I checked out the samples there of the training resources and trainers’ manuals. Very standard layout, but pretty comprehensive looking in terms of content, and featuring heaps of graphics and diagrams in colour.

There is a conference in Auckland next week to further the programme.

The various speakers, including Minister of Labour, Hon. Ruth Dyson, emphasised the importance of manufacturing to the New Zealand economy, and the importance of increasing productivity in that sector, while remaining conscious of resource management and the environment. The CM initiative is seen as a key factor in encouraging and promoting this.

I was there representing an ex colleague of mine from Southland Polytechnic (SIT). He now runs a sawmilling business in the deep South. I was relieved that no-one asked me any questions about the sawmilling industry, as any anwer would have required some invention on my part. But I did meet some erstwhile colleagues there, one of whom had been extensively involved in the programme’s development. All in all, it was a much more interesting event than I had forseen.

The CMI programme appears to have much to recommend it.