DOIA REQ 0019991 Andrew McGregor response letter.pdf

23 September 2025

Ref: DOIA-REQ-0019991

Andrew McGregor
Email: [FYI request #32121 email]

Tēnā koe Andrew

Thank you for your email of 26 August 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Oﬃcial Information Act 1982, information regarding the new endorsed
licence classes for electrical workers. For ease of reference, I have addressed each of your questions in
turn. 1. What are the currently approved courses of study for each of the 41 registration classes?

The minimum standards for registration in each registration class are set out in Schedule 2 of the
Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2025 (2025 Registration Notice)
and Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2019 (2019 Registration
Notice). This information is available at the following links:
Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2025 - 2025-sl4191- New
Zealand Gazette
Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2019 - 2019-go1760- New
Zealand Gazette
The qualiﬁcations, courses and exams that have been recognised by the Electrical Workers Registration
Board (Board) as partial y meeting, or meeting, the minimum standards for registration for the relevant
registration class are col ated for you in Attachment One. This information is also available on the EWRB
website, which provides information about how to apply for registration: Electrical Workers Registration
Board.

2: What are the actual threshold criteria for the minimum experience requirement that wil be
applied for each of the 41 registration classes?

The minimum requirements for registration for each registration class are set out in Schedule 2 of the
2025 Registration Notice and Schedule 2 of the 2019 Registration Notice. More information is available at
the following links:
Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2025 - 2025-sl4191- New
Zealand Gazette
Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Notice 2019 - 2019-go1760- New
Zealand Gazette

3.  Given it an oﬀense to undertake PEW in Hazardous-Areas without the required endorsement
how does the EWRB expect electrical workers to obtain the required Hazardous Areas experience?

Applicants for an endorsed Hazardous Areas registration class must meet the relevant minimum
registration requirements for the registration class they are seeking as set out in the 2025 Registration
Notice.
An electrical worker can gain the practical experience required to apply for the endorsed Hazardous Areas
registration class while holding a Limited Certiﬁcate for work in a hazardous area. Holders of a Limited
Certiﬁcate may carry out prescribed electrical work (PEW) under the supervision of an appropriately
registered and licensed electrical worker. The supervisor’s registration class must cover the limits of work
of the registration class that the supervised person is working towards becoming registered in and the
supervisor must also complete and submit a supervision declaration form to the Licensing Team.
Limited Certiﬁcate holders can provide a reference from their supervisor to demonstrate they have met
registration requirement of completing the practical experience hours and conﬁrm a trainee is competent
to carry out this PEW.
The Board has recognised a qualiﬁcation, the New Zealand Certiﬁcate in Electrical Equipment in Explosive
Atmospheres (Level 4), as another optional way for electrical workers to demonstrate that they meet
some of the minimum standards for registration. The Board works closely with Waihanga Ara Rau to
ensure the qualiﬁcations and courses that prepare learners for electrical worker registration make sure
that learners who are awarded those qualiﬁcations demonstrate the applicable minimum registration
requirements. The contents of a course or qualiﬁcation may go beyond the minimum registration
requirements or limits of work for a particular registration class.

4: Are micro-credentials that include signiﬁcant electrical design content (eg EEHA, mains-
parallel/solar) going to be mandatory requirements for obtaining any endorsed classes of
registration?

The Board has recognised two Mains Parallel Generation System (MPGS) micro-credentials, which are not
mandatory, that include electrical design content.
Al  endorsed registration classes can be gained using work experience to demonstrate than an electrical
worker meets the minimum standards for registration.

5: What is the current number of licenced workers for each of the 41 registration classes?

6: What is the current number of licenced workers for each of the 41 registration classes in each of
the regions in New Zealand?

Attachment Two shows the number of registered and licensed workers by class of registration and New
Zealand region as of 22 September 2025. ‘Area outside region’ indicates an address outside New Zealand.

7: Does the EWRB have plans (contingency or otherwise) regarding the increased risk (ie

unintended consequences) arising from having no suitably licenced workers available in much of
the country? If so, what are they?

The Electrical Workers Scheme is a national registration and licensing scheme that does not geographical y
limit where in New Zealand an electrical worker can carry out PEW. Electrical workers have the ﬂexibility
to live and work anywhere in New Zealand and individuals may choose to travel or relocate for work
opportunities.
The introduction of the new registration framework in September 2023 included transitional provisions to
phase in changes to registration, including new endorsed classes of registration for higher risk work areas,
from 1 September 2024 over a 5-year period.
A streamlined application process (grandparenting) also provided experienced registered and licensed
electrical workers an opportunity to apply to transfer into the new endorsed registration classes at no
cost.
Together these arrangements support electrical workers to comply with changes to registration
requirements and to gain endorsed registration classes relevant to the PEW they carry out.

8: Which of the 41 registration classes is authorised to undertake PEW that is not on/in works,
installations and/or appliances? If none, what is the EWRB’s plan for ﬁxing this?

Under sections 84 and 85 of the Electricity Act 1992 (the Act), the Board may specify for each designated
registration class, the PEW that a person is authorised to do, or assist in doing, by virtue of being a
registered person of a particular class and holding a current practising licence.
It is MBIE’s view that it is not possible to carry out PEW that isn’t on an instal ation, works or appliance.
Given this, col ectively the designated registration classes and their associated limits of work would cover
any PEW.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please contact [email address].

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.

Nāku noa, nā

Duncan Connor
National Manager Occupational Regulation
Market Integrity