The Motor Trade Association has welcomed the Government’s decision to return automotive training body MITO to industry ownership, calling it a major win for employers after years of frustration with a centralised system it says failed to deliver the skilled workers businesses need.
MTA says the shift, which will see MITO emerge from Te Pūkenga and stand as an industry-owned charitable company from January 1, 2026, is the culmination of nearly two years of coordinated advocacy, stakeholder alignment and sector leadership.
Members have consistently warned that the shortage of qualified tradespeople is handbraking automotive businesses, and that the previous structure was not producing enough graduates with job-ready skills.
Industry unites behind training reform
MTA head of advocacy James McDowall led a taskforce of industry stakeholders earlier this year to present the Government with a unified proposal for reform. He says the sector’s cohesion was crucial.
“Throughout the process, ‘Led by industry, for industry’ has been our guiding principle,” McDowall says.
“It has taken a lot of work to get to this point but this is a huge win for industry.”
He says members strongly supported the move following the decision to disestablish Te Pūkenga, and welcomed news that the transport sector will also have its own dedicated standard-setting body.
“We’re equally thrilled that the transport sector will have its own dedicated standard setter, or ISB,” McDowall says.
New charitable structure
MITO’s new structure as a charitable company will see ownership shared among MTA and more than 10 other industry associations. McDowall says the model guarantees that all funding remains within the sector.
“As a charitable company, no dollar can ever leave the organisation. That means all funds will be reinvested in serving the industry that MITO serves. The altruistic approach that we decided upon from the outset has been crucial to keeping everyone aligned and supportive.”
Newly appointed MITO Ltd board chair and MTA president Sturrock Saunders says the transition programme has been ambitious but successful.
“Our work programme for this transition was extremely ambitious and every objective has been achieved. Industry has successfully established a new charitable company; our application to become a private training establishment has been approved by TEC and NZQA in record time,” Saunders says.
