Are there any apprentices or employers out there who are dis-satisfied with the promises re block course scheduling for apprentices?  In the correspondence sent to apprentices and employers the ITO say this:
"The ITO has made changes to the delivery structure of the apprenticeship programme to ensure trainees are meeting their learning requirements.  Further details are attached to this letter."  In the further details they say - "Your pprentice will attend block course of 1 week duration approximately every 17 weeks for the 4 years of their apprenticeship.  they will complete their theory assessment sduring the block courses, so there will be no assessments to complete and send in for marking betwen block courses.  the PGDR ITO will advise you and your trainee in writing of their block course dates no less than 4 weeks prior to the course start date."   Then in the Terms and Conditions of the apprenticeship contract they say - "The PGDR ITO will provide fit for purpose training resources (2) Ensure the timely processing of training agreement registrations, invoicing of training fees and issuing of training mterials and resouces (3) PROVIDE TIMELY NOTICE OF TRAINEE BLOCK COURSE ENROLMENT (4) Provide the trainee access to their trainee file (5) Ensure on the job training responsibilities are communicated to the employer. 

So:
1.

Linkback: http://www.plumbers.co.nz/forum/rant-or-rave/5/apprentice-training-block-courses-are-the-ito-keeping-up-with-their-side-of/875/

Sign them up at the unitech it is a seperate entity and when your an apprtentise there you have NO dealing with the ito what so ever...You only deal with the unitech and thats only when they send you the dates for the block courses...apart from that they will leave you alone to get on with your own job.

i think that they work on the basis that if they do nothing to advise you the employer or the apprentise directly of these up comming block courses then block courses will be missed and the LENGTH of the apprentiship will be strecthed out MEANING more govt funding because the apprentise will have to attend courses after the 8000 hours is up...which is exactly what happned to me!...i was not informed of course dates, no reminders were sent and so it took me 4 1/2 years years to complete...meaning i had to enroll again at tech this year meaning more funding from the govt....damed if you do and dambed if you dont jax.

Comms arrived with the answer as to why block courses are not being scheduled.  A $1 million + loss!!  Holy crap - I thought I had problems!!!  However it doesn't answer why it took so long to tell industry.  It is in our interests to support a good ITO - and by keeping us informed they keep us onside - this point appears to have been lost on the ITO Board and operational management.  I don't accept that they only discovered this recently - they would have see this blowout coming one would think at least a quarter ago - if they are doing projections for their budgeting.  I am disappointed that we have had to wait so long.  There are not thousands of employers employing trainees - and this information could have been re-layed to those employers affected a lot sooner.  The problem is - who do you complain to if you are not happy with the ITO - The Minister for Tertiary Education?  The Minister of Education?  The ITO themselves (lol), NZQA, TEC???

I hope the ITO realise that a problem shared is a problem halved and that they should have talked to industry sooner and got us on side.  I see more fee increases have been alluded to.  I hope it isn't going to be another minor increase which ended up being 30% on previous years.  I think the level of fees, given the current climate is almost about as much as can be handled by industry at present.  The ITO really need to be more transparent if we are expected to suck another increase.  I would also hope they are looking at internal efficiencies and an organisationr review too to ensure every dollar spent is being spent for the betterment of trainees.  I have no doubt that somewhere along the line an attempt will be made to screw down service providers (polytechs) - will this result in less quality for our trainees?  Only time will tell.  TEC have screwed the ITO down to ensure taxpayers money is being properly spend and managed, industry needs to ensure its contribution is also spend well, and the appropriate outcomes are delivered.

I traveled 2 1/2 hours to block course yesterday only to be told the course i got told was on this date had been canceled and the ITO should have told me. i have had such a horrible time with the ITO if i had known this before i had started my apprenticeship i would never  have started. i have been screwed around every step of the way.

just out of interest jaxcat where do you send your apprentices, (region)