Sector Workforce Engagement Programme

The Sector Workforce Engagement Programme is a cross-government initiative to develop a shared understanding with industry on the key labour market and skills issues they face.

Led by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit (Kānoa – RDU), the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme, or SWEP, focuses on providing a coordinated government response in partnership with industry to address labour market issues across industries like horticulture, viticulture, dairy farming, road freight transport, construction, tourism, hospitality and aged residential care.

SWEP has used its relationships to help officials have constructive conversations with industry and deliver a range of initiatives including: 

  • supporting the development of sector workforce modelling and strategies
  • trialling innovative labour market interventions, such as sector-led approaches to training which allows better matching of the skills employers need and the training of people to get those skills
  • playing a key role in developing and supporting social procurement outcomes.
staff at dunedin hostpital build
Geeves scaffolding staff at the new Dunedin Hospital build. SWEP was involved in a labour supply study for the Dunedin construction industry, predominantly focused on the new hospital.

SWEP also supports employers by simplifying their engagement with government.  One example of this is coordinating agencies’ labour market work around workforce planning.

Kānoa – RDU works strategically with Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, Te Puni Kōkiri, Tertiary Education Commission, and others to ensure this co-ordination happens so SWEP can be successfully delivered.