ABSTRACT
In 1992 a new set of inter-organisational and funding arrangements were put in place in New Zealand, regulating, in particular, workplace and apprenticeship training, including agricultural training up to entry tertiary level. References to Skill New Zealand identify the relationships between education and the economy as a central priority with the government, citing education, in particular, as a crucial component in ensuring the competitiveness of the New Zealand economy. In New Zealand, as elsewhere, educational reforms impacting on agricultural training have been justified in relation to generic rationales regarding the value and organisation of education in relation to the economy. The ideological drive behind the reforms to vocational training in New Zealand placed employers and workers in the driver's seat to allow economic, industry and labour market considerations rather than government agendas to drive the content, provision and uptake of vocational training.
