King Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
King Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 26 June 2012. Volume:681;Page:3277. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
6. 
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment 
: How is the Government working to encourage economic growth with a more highly skilled workforce? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment) 
: 
 Demand for highly skilled or degree-qualified people is expected to continue to grow and on current trends to exceed supply by 2018. We therefore are working to ensure we have the right people with the right skills to fill these gaps. That is why the Government has set a target of having 55 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds with a level 4 or above qualification by 2017. That would mean a further 11250 people with a level 4 or higher qualification over and above the growth we will achieve with current policy settings. People earning a level 4 or above qualification obtain a significant income premium and a greater likelihood of sustained employment. 
Colin King 
: How will the Government achieve this level 4 and above qualification target? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: To increase the growth in the number of people with advanced trade qualifications diplomas and degrees we need to further increase enrolments within the tertiary sector continue to improve tuition quality and completion rates put a greater focus on achievement at foundation levels and continue to increase institutional performance. We have already taken a number of steps to improve performance but this target will be a big challenge for providers and Government agencies alike to achieve. 
Grant Robertson 
: Can the Minister confirm the State Services Commission statement that “The proportion of the 25 to 34-year-old population with qualifications at level 4 or higher was growing steadily up until around 2009.” and can he think of an event that occurred in November 2008 that might have caused that growth to flatten off? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The Government has achieved many things but reporting on the tail of what had been happening at tertiary institutions minutes after we achieved office is not actually one of those things. There certainly was a decline. Actually my figures say that it flattened out in 2007. If we look at Bachelor’s degree achievement in New Zealand it is quite revealing. In 2006 we had a peak of around 29000. It dropped back to 26000 then was 28000. In 2011 the provisional numbers say nearly 31000 people achieved degrees in New Zealand and it is predicted to be above 31000 and then above 32000 for all of the next 5 or 6 years. That is real progress but we do need to achieve more. 
Grant Robertson 
: In light of the Minister’s comments I seek leave to table the “Better Public Services: Boosting skills and employment” document which says that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The source of the document? 
Grant Robertson 
: The State Services Commission. It says that qualifications at level 4 or higher were growing steadily up until around 2009 and since then have flattened off. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.