What Etco does

Skills Trades Training, operating under the legal entity Skills Group Training Ltd and brand-named Etco in parts of its digital ecosystem, is a New Zealand-based private vocational training organization established approximately 1991 and headquartered in Auckland. It delivers pre-trade, apprenticeship, and continuing professional development programs across five trades — electrical, plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying (collectively "PGD"), and roofing — to individual learners and employer partners through 11 physical campuses spanning Northland to Dunedin. The organization claims to have trained more than 100,000 tradies over its 30-plus-year history and positions itself as New Zealand's leading trades training provider. Customer segments include Pre-Trade Learners, Apprentice Learners, Employer Partners, and Industry Professionals seeking license renewals and micro-credential upskilling.

The product portfolio is structured into four layers: foundational Pre-Trade Courses, multi-year Apprentice Training programs (Electrical, PGD, and Roofing) that pair classroom instruction with on-the-job coordination, Industry Courses and Industry Qualifications aligned to NZQA national certificates (including electrotechnology, electronic security, data cabling, and switchgear fitting), and emerging Micro-Credentials in solar (Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems, Grid-Connected Battery Systems, Stand-Alone Power Systems). Delivery is hybrid: in-person across the 11-campus physical network plus three purpose-built e-learning platforms — The Learning Hive (electrical 4204 and PGDv4), Skillsbank (PGDv2 and v3), and ETCO E-Learning (electrical 2388 and 4316) — segmented by qualification version. The Etco Employed Apprentices program adds a recruitment and placement layer that directly employs apprentices and coordinates them with host trade employers.

The business model is tuition- and employer-funded vocational training delivered under NZQA-credentialed frameworks; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is primarily direct via the company's own website (skillstrades.co.nz) supplemented by phone and email enquiry channels. Revenue concentration risk is low given the absence of named anchor customers and the inherently distributed nature of apprentice cohorts across SMB trade employers. No funding rounds, M&A, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the available data, indicating a mature, privately-held operator whose recent strategic moves are concentrated in curriculum expansion (solar micro-credentials) and digital delivery build-out rather than capital- or technology-driven scaling.

Name

Etco

Legal name

Skills Group Training Ltd

Website

https://etco.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Skills Trades Training (legal entity Skills Group Training Ltd, brands include Etco) is a New Zealand vocational training provider delivering pre-trade, apprenticeship, and continuing education programs in electrical, plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying, and roofing trades across 11 campuses and three e-learning platforms, serving individual learners and trade employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Trades Training

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Occupational Safety, OSHA & Workplace Compliance Training (EDAOAMAK), Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN), Waste Management & Environmental Services (EDABALBC)

Keywords

• Vocational trades training
• Electrical apprentice training
• Plumbing gasfitting drainlaying
• Pre-trade foundation courses
• Workforce upskilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Etco (operating as part of Skills Group Training Ltd / Skills Trades Training) employs and trains apprentices to become registered electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers, and roofers in New Zealand. The company delivers pre-trade foundational courses, structured apprenticeship programs across electrical, plumbing/gasfitting/drainlaying (PGD), and roofing trades, plus industry courses, NZ certificate qualifications, and solar micro-credentials. Training is delivered through 11 physical campuses nationwide and three proprietary e-learning platforms.

Product overview

Etco (part of Skills Trades Training / Skills Group Training Limited) is New Zealand's leading trades training provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational education programs. The offering comprises a unified platform of integrated services including Pre-Trade foundational courses, Apprentice Training programs (Electrical, PGD - Plumbing/Gasfitting/Drainlaying, and Roofing), Industry Courses for professional development (including Solar micro-credentials), and NZ Certificate Industry Qualifications. These programs are delivered through three e-learning platforms (The Learning Hive, Skillsbank, and E-Learning ETCO) at 11 campuses nationwide across New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Learning Hive: Online learning platform for learners studying electrical 4204 and PGDv4.
• Skillsbank
• E-Learning (ETCO)

Products and services

• Pre-Trade Courses Foundational training programs for individuals seeking to enter electrical and plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying (PGD) trades before becoming apprentices. Designed for learners who need to build baseline skills and confidence to secure an apprenticeship.
• Electrical Apprentice Training Apprentice training program for the electrical trade with three pathways: individual learners, employer-coordinated apprentices, and Etco Employed Apprentices (where Etco directly employs the apprentice). Combines practical on-the-job training with theoretical instruction toward electrical registration.
• PGD Apprentice Training Apprentice training program for the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trades, with separate pathways for individual learners and employer-organized apprentices. Builds qualified tradespeople who can keep building services flowing.
• Roofing Apprentice Training Roofing training program that develops professional roofers with practical skills across roofing disciplines. Note: input flags 'important changes' to this program, suggesting restructuring of the roofing apprenticeship offering.
• Industry Courses Professional development courses for existing tradespeople including Electrical Competency Refresher, Safety Training, Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (EAS), Electrical Service Technician (EST), Electricians Regulations, Electricians Theory, Electrical Inspector, and three stages of Practical Assessments. Used for licensing renewals and upskilling.
• Industry Qualifications NZ Certificate qualifications in specialized electrotechnology areas including Data Cabling (Level 3), Customer Premises Systems, Electromechanical Maintenance and Repair, Electronic Security (Level 4), Electrotechnology, and Electrical Engineering (Switchgear Fitting, Level 4).
• Solar Micro-Credentials Specialized micro-credentials in solar energy including Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems (GCPV), Grid-Connected Battery Systems (GCBS), and Stand-Alone Power Systems (Design & Installation). Targeted at existing tradespeople expanding into solar installation.
• The Learning Hive Online e-learning platform serving learners studying the electrical 4204 and PGDv4 qualifications. Delivers course content online for distance and campus-supported learners.
• Skillsbank Online e-learning platform for learners studying PGDv2 and PGDv3 qualifications in plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trades.
• E-Learning (ETCO) Dedicated e-learning platform for learners studying electrical qualifications 2388 and 4316. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary brand of Skills Group Training Ltd.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Primary ITO: NZ ITO providing apprenticeship and industry training for the primary industries (agriculture, horticulture, forestry). Comparable in model — industry-funded apprenticeship, NZQA qualifications, blended delivery — though in a different trade vertical.
• BCITO (Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation): NZ industry training organisation delivering apprenticeship and qualification pathways for building trades. Most direct comparable to Etco's construction-skills apprenticeship model and competes for the same employer-funded apprentice pool.
• ServiceIQ: NZ ITO for hospitality, retail, travel, and aviation sectors. Comparable in being a government-recognized ITO delivering apprenticeships and industry qualifications, though serving different trades than Etco.
• Careerforce: NZ ITO delivering apprenticeship and qualification pathways for the health, disability, and social-services workforce. Comparable in ITO governance structure, apprenticeship delivery model, and reliance on NZQA-recognized credentials and government funding.
• Competenz: NZ ITO providing apprenticeship training across manufacturing, engineering, and electrotechnology trades. Directly comparable to Etco's electrotechnology and electrical engineering switchgear qualifications and its multi-trade apprenticeship delivery.
• MITO (Motor Industry Training Organisation): NZ ITO delivering apprenticeships and qualifications for the motor and ancillary trades. Comparable operating model — employer-funded apprenticeship, NZQA-recognized credentials, blended campus and workplace delivery — applied to an adjacent trades vertical.
• Connexis: NZ ITO for the infrastructure, civil, and energy sectors, offering apprenticeship and qualification training. Comparable to Etco in model (employer-tied apprenticeship, NZQA-aligned credentials) and in serving regulated infrastructure trades.
• HITO (Hair & Beauty Industry Training Organisation): NZ ITO for hairdressing, barbering, and beauty trades, running apprenticeships and NZQA qualifications. Comparable in apprentice-employment, qualification-delivery, and ITO funding model though focused on a different trade vertical.

Regional players

• TAFE NSW: Australia's largest vocational training provider offering trades apprenticeships including electrical, plumbing, and construction. Comparable in trades-vocational model and government funding exposure, though operating across the Tasman rather than within NZ.

Broad incumbents

• Te Pūkenga: NZ network of polytechnics and institutes of technology (now being unwound) offering vocational and trades training including electrical and plumbing. Comparable as a large-scale NZ vocational provider serving the same apprentice and pre-trade learner pool, though broader than Etco's trades focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Etco