New Chief Executive for WorldSkills NZ

Raising the profile of trades and vocational skills through high performance is high on the agenda for Malcolm Harris, who has been appointed as the new chief executive of WorldSkills New Zealand.

Harris, an experienced executive, having led organisations such as Meredith-Connell, Fisher and Paykel Appliances, Netball New Zealand and currently Hockey New Zealand; will start in his new role in early February.

Harris says: "I’m keen to bring in my experience, industry knowledge and networks, as well as my passion to see young people succeed.

"I’m extremely excited to be appointed to lead WorldSkills New Zealand, which is an important organisation as it contributes to the development of young people in the trades, and nurtures future industry leaders."

WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, non-profit charitable trust founded in 1986. It is dedicated to encouraging young people to excel in vocational skills, which is achieved through exposure to skills competitions at regional, national and international levels.

Harris says: "there are many similarities between the world of high performance sport and what WorldSkills is about. I’m excited about the potential and opportunities around skills competitions, and the ability to raise the profile of many excellent young New Zealanders who are, or aiming to be at the top of their given trade."

He’s also keen to develop more connections between industry and training organisations to support WorldSkills New Zealand’s vision and goals.

Harris is no stranger to the trades, technical and commercial world, particularly through his long and varied career at Fisher and Paykel Appliances. He started in the company in product design and production engineering, working with many tradespeople and apprentices in the associated trades, before going into the product marketing and international sales.

Harris lives in Auckland with his family which includes four young adult and teenage children, giving him a personal understanding of the needs of modern-day youth.

WorldSkills New Zealand chair Trevor Taylor says the board and the organisation are thrilled to have a person of Harris’ experience take on the leadership role.

"Malcolm will be a great leader for the organisation. In the coming months he’ll be connecting with the many skilled and talented young New Zealanders entering WorldSkills competitions, along with their industry mentors and experts, and hundreds of volunteers that support WorldSkills New Zealand."

"I would also like to acknowledge the work and dedication that our out-going chief executive Bruce Howat has put into the organisation over the years and the platform he has established to take the organisation forward," added Taylor.

Regional WorldSkills competitions are due to get underway across the country from March 2016, with the national competition being held in October in Hamilton. For more information check out http://www.worldskills.org.nz/