Skills for Good - November 2024: Employer Survey closes soon, Free enrolments and more

Tēnā koutou

We continue to await the Government decision on the redesign of vocational education, and the organisational structures that will replace Te Pūkenga as it is disestablished over 2025. We do however also continue to retain confidence that it is highly likely that there will be an entity that remains focused on work-based learning across the health and wellbeing sectors. As has been the case since the initial vocational education reforms were first announced in February 2019, things remain very much business as usual, and we are looking forward to 2025 with optimism.

We encourage learner credit achievement throughout the year to ensure our learners are progressing towards completion. However, as we are funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), and have performance targets around learner achievement within each calendar year, we do have a bit of an ‘activity push’ amongst our less active learners as we approach the end of each year. I encourage you to review your regular training reports, and provide some encouragement to your learners to finish the year on a high, and set themselves up with positive momentum heading into 2025.

As has been the case for the last 7 years, we also run our annual employer satisfaction at the end of each year, and with the 2024 employer survey closing off this Sunday. Make sure you have your say, further details are below.

Ngā mihi nui

Rod Bentham
Executive Director, Careerforce

Thank you to those of you who have completed this year’s survey. For those who haven’t, you still have time, as it remains open until 1 December 2024.

There are now two ways to complete the survey:

1. Find the personalised survey invite that was sent to your email address, or the subsequent reminders (sent from survey.admin@carteblanche.co.nz). Please also check your spam/junk folders.

2. We also have created a generic survey link (non-personalised), which saves you having to find the personalised email invite. Click here to complete the survey now, and please share this link with relevant colleagues who also work with Careerforce to support your workforce development.

Remember, each 20th survey completion receives a $50 Prezzy Card voucher, and it should only take you 10-15 minutes to complete (depending on how much you want to say!). Also, a reminder that the survey is conducted by an external research company, Carte Blanche, and all responses are completely anonymous.

As with recent years, every 20th survey completion receives a $50 Prezzy Card.

Study sessions and noho marae have transformed the learning journey for two Māori women from Northland. Celia Duffy-Henry and Magdalene Makiha are both completing health and wellbeing apprenticeships through Careerforce.

In remote areas such as theirs, limited resources can challenge learning, but in-person study sessions are proving key to successful learning, and in culturally supportive environments. This is particularly significant for Māori learners, who thrive in communal settings.

Both women work as Kaimanaaki Tangata (Support Workers) at Hauora Hokianga, which offers a variety of health services, including mental health and community development.

Celia highlights their commitment to community care, and says, “we emphasise the manaaki of the people in our community,” a principle that has been her driver in her time at Hauora Hokianga. Magdalene, an enrolled nurse, especially finds fulfilment in helping the elderly maintain their quality of life. “It’s satisfying and rewarding,” she adds.

The Careerforce face-to-face sessions enable learners to ask questions and collaborate on unit standards. “We’ve attended four noho and ten wānanga classes in Whangarei and have never missed a class. It’s really awesome to have that support and time,” Magdalene shares, despite the 3.5-hour drive from her home.

Do your learners need some extra support with their training programmes? Our Achieve Study Hubs are face-to-face sessions where they can drop in, ask questions, meet with other learners, and receive help with their learning. There are still a few more dates in the calendar for 2024. Watch this space as 2025 dates will be published shortly.

Achieve Study Hubs are scheduled across the country. Learners are also welcome to attend sessions outside their area. See the full schedule on our website. We have contacted learners about these sessions and they can RSVP by completing the online form on our website.

Please encourage your staff to attend these Study Hubs. We know that learners who have attended these events have found them very beneficial.

Are you supporting a Māori learner?
Our Rōpū Taupuhipuhi Āmio / National Mobile Support team provides options for kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) kaupapa Māori approach support through wānanga mahi and noho marae. Check out the current schedule on our website.

Are you supporting a Pacific learner?
Our Pacific team understands Pacific learners' needs and are here to help them.
The team runs Talanoa (study support sessions), and face-to-face and online Fono (workshops). Check out the current schedule of Talanoa.

The purpose of the Workforce Futures Fund | Tahua Rāngaimahi Anamata is supporting innovation in workforce development and demonstrating the value of strategic investment.

The fund supports innovation in workforce development and demonstrates the value of strategic investment through enabling:

Greater use of technology
Collaboration across workforces
Projects that build or improve service delivery.

The fund will distribute $15m over about three years. The first grant round will open for applications mid-February 2025; and the second in August 2025.

Kia ora whānau,
I am excited to be returning to Careerforce as Apprenticeship Advisor, in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough alongside my team members. I have been a Registered General Nurse for over 30 years, having trained in the UK. Previously I worked in practice nursing, district, and community roles and small country hospitals. I also worked across the aged care sector as a manager, a clinical assessor for older persons health and for Presbyterian Support in Christchurch, supporting dementia programmes and as a falls prevention champion.

My passion is to educate, support and advocate for our ākonga in the health and wellbeing sector. I enjoy seeing them grow in confidence and practice development. Equally, I cherish reading how they do this, with empathy and aroha.❤

We all know the challenges across the sector, but am honoured to be engaged in this role, working alongside such passionate people.

My mantra is: One day that may be mine or your family member receiving your services or care, so let’s give you the best training we can. I look forward to seeing you out and about in Nelson region.🌺

The Careerforce Manaaki Fund provides temporary financial assistance to learners facing unexpected hardship that is impacting upon their studies. The fund can be used for a number of things including necessary medical, dental or optical costs. Check out the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to see examples of what the fund can be used for. Round 8 of the fund has closed and applicants will be notified on 2 December.

The next round opens in January 2025. Please keep these dates in your calendar.

Round 9*
Applications open: 12 January – 25 January 2025
Applicants notified: 10 February 2025
*Dates are subject to change

'Read more' to find out about the criteria for eligibility and how learners can apply for funding.

Part of the Te Whatu Ora workforce development for primary and community care, Hauraki PHO, National Health Coalition and Pinnacle, are welcoming applications from all kaimahi working in primary and community healthcare roles, including those employed by PHOs, GP practices, Hauora Māori and Pasifika community providers, and other community providers, including aged care.

Funding is open for Waikato and Taranaki at this stage. More information about funding applications from Tairāwhiti or Tūwharetoa will be coming soon.

Do you have a compliment that you would like to share, or a complaint that you would like us to address? We’d love to hear from you.

Your feedback helps us enhance our services and serve you better. Let us know by completing our new Compliments and Complaints form on our website.
For more information, please read our Careerforce Compliments and Complaints Policy.

In the document, we cover:

The service expectations people should expect from Careerforce
How to resolve complaints
The procedure if an investigation is required
How complainants can appeal
Other organisations a person may wish to contact, if necessary, to deal with their complaint
Providing feedback about the process.

Careerforce takes academic misconduct seriously. When a learner presents assessment evidence that is not their own, gathered from another learner’s work, or from online resources (including generative AI), or from any other sources, we call this ‘academic misconduct’. ‘Misconduct’ means some form of wrongdoing. You may also hear this referred to as ‘academic dishonesty’ or ‘academic integrity’.

Last month we ran a quiz asking readers to show that they know what academic misconduct means for Careerforce. The answers are as follows:

Can AI be used by learners when completing assessments? NO
Are learners being marked on their English Language Skills? NO
Has Careerforce terminated training agreements of people found to have engaged in academic misconduct? YES

Refer to our website for more information about academic misconduct. More information is available here.

The Careerforce offices will be closing across the holiday period. Offices close at midday on Tuesday 24 December, and will re-open on Monday 6 January 2025.

For those of you with learners using Aka Toi, our online learning and assessment platform, this will be available for them to continue their learning during the holiday period. Learners can still work on their assessments over the holidays and submit them to their assessor for marking. Careerforce support won’t however be available from midday on 24 December 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025.

Find out more about:

Free Wellbeing Support for Learners >>More
Careerforce forms - Please ensure you use the latest forms >>More
Apprenticeship Boost >>More
2024-25 Prospectus >>More
Jobs for Good - you can list your vacancy for free >>More
Free Counselling for all Careerforce | Te Pūkenga learners >>More
Te Pae Ora - Wellbeing hub for learners >>More
Careerforce Qualification Programmes >> More
Gateway and Vocational Pathways >>More
How to contact your local Careerforce Workplace Advisor >>More