About us

Purpose: Maximising Human Potential

Vision: To be a global leader in transforming businesses and people through training and development.

What We Do

Build your people, build your business.

Skills Development Group (formerly SoftEd, IMNZ and David Forman) is a leading provider of professional capability development services with over 30 years of experience helping organisations build effective teams and high-performance cultures.

Having worked across New Zealand's public and private sectors, we've trained countless professionals, establishing ourselves as a trusted partner for organisations seeking sustainable transformation and capability uplift.

Our consultants, coaches, and educators collaborate closely with clients to understand their unique needs and aspirations, delivering innovative solutions that drive both immediate and long-term change.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower organisations by unlocking the full potential of their people. We believe that the growth of a business is directly linked to the growth of its individuals. In today’s rapidly changing and turbulent global landscape, we are committed to guiding organisations through the challenges of fostering continuous development, enabling them to thrive in an ever-evolving world.

SUCCESS STORIES

Skills Development Group has worked with organisations of every shape and size, including international corporations, SMEs, start-ups, and government agencies. Read about some of our partner success stories:

Livestock Improvement Corporation
Radford Software
Suncorp
AXA
Mann + Hummel

HOW WE MAKE IT HAPPEN

Explore

Tailored with Flexibility

We work closely to identify your organisation's unique needs and goals, involving key stakeholders, partners, teams and engagement models.

Diagnose

Pinpoint Diagnostics

Using scientifically validated assessments to accurately map skills, identify gaps and predict performance, we take out the guesswork with data-driven reports.

Develop

Insights with Outcomes

We assess your capability needs and diagnostics to create development solutions and targeted training pathways with personalised coaching.

Recognise

Reframe, Upskill & Reskill

Our targeted career and professional development plans are designed to grow skills rather than job titles, helping individuals earn new credentials.

Our Expertise

Business Analysis

Helping professionals build core business analysis skills to solve problems, define needs, and drive smarter decisions and better business outcomes.

Business Agility

From foundational to advanced practices, helping teams deliver value faster.

Leadership

Supporting leaders at all levels to be more effective, adaptable, and human.

AI

Demystifying artificial intelligence and helping professionals apply it ethically and effectively.

Coaching & Facilitation

Building capability to lead conversations that shift thinking and inspire action.

Power Skills

Communication, collaboration, resilience and other human capabilities essential for success.

Product & Design

Enabling product thinking and customer-centric design across teams and roles.

Project Management

Modern project delivery skills aligned with both traditional and agile methods.

Technical / Testing / DevOps

Core technical practices that support quality, reliability, and speed to value.

Our Clients

SKILLS GROUP

Skills Development Group is the corporate and business capability performance division of the Skills Group.

Skills Group began their journey in 1992, working with New Zealand industries developing standards and qualifications that helped businesses build success by upskilling their people.

Today, Skills Group is a collection of PTE offerings, with 25,000 learners, 12,000 apprentices and working with over 5,500 employers.