Future skills and industry implications
This report looks at the future workforce needs across six sectors that are central to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy: manufacturing, engineering, automotive, logistics, mining and quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Paving a pathway forward
Commissioned by Hanga-Aro-Rau, this research highlights workforce challenges that will shape New Zealand’s economy over the next decade. It focuses on six priority sectors: manufacturing, engineering, automotive, logistics, mining and quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Together, these industries employed around 582,000 people and accounted for approximately $54 billion of GDP in real terms in 2025. They form the backbone of New Zealand’s engineering capability, supply chain resilience, and industrial innovation.
The report calls for modern training pipelines, culturally responsive approaches, and strategies to attract and retain skilled workers. It also emphasises the need for human-centred skills to help the workforce stay resilient, agile, and adaptable in a fast-changing world shaped by technological disruption.
These insights give industry leaders, the vocational education and training (VET) system, and policymakers practical guidance to prepare for opportunities and challenges through to 2030.
New Zealand's industries require a steady pipeline of skilled workers to maintain a robust economy. Artificial intelligence is revolutionising the landscape, from automating tasks to enhancing human-centred solutions. It is crucial to identify and understand the existing workforce gaps within the training and education system to better align efforts toward building a resilient talent pipeline.
Philip Alexander-Crawford, Hanga-Aro-Rau Chief Executive Officer and Samantha McNaughton, Hanga-Aro-Rau Deputy Chief Executive Officer
