Skills for Good - February 2024: Employer survey results, support to help meet the cost of training and more

Tēnā koutou

We are pleased to be able to share some of the initial results from our annual employer survey in this newsletter. While we’re chuffed with the results, particularly the record satisfaction score, we know that there are always areas for us to improve and we are currently analysing the results and your detailed feedback to identify any themes emerging.

In this issue, we also continue to share the key factors that we consider make up ‘The Careerforce Difference’. We never take your commitment to upskill your workforce with us for granted, and we strive to continually improve our training programmes and the ways in which they are delivered. The ‘Careerforce Difference’ has been shaped over many years by the feedback that you so generously share with us.

As I detailed last month, the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga continues, as do discussions amongst officials to inform what will replace Te Pūkenga. In the meantime, we have been instructed to move back to single Careerforce branding, so one of the first changes you will see in the near future is the gradual removal of Te Pūkenga branding from our materials. Note that we legally remain a business division of Te Pūkenga until legislative changes are made.

Ngā mihi nui

Rod Bentham
Executive Director
Te Pūkenga, trading as Careerforce

We will be sharing topline results and actions with you in due course just as we have done in previous years. However, we are particularly pleased with the results, and couldn’t help but share a couple of key results in the meantime as a teaser:

A record satisfaction result of 7.6, up on the 7.5 from last year, and well up on the 7.1 from our inaugural survey back in 2017.
A record response rate, with 536 completed surveys. We take this as an indication of strong engagement, but also via your verbatim comments, we know that there is scope for improvement.

As an organisation, we are very happy with these results. We have been through a period of considerable uncertainty as we have navigated our transition into Te Pūkenga, but our focus throughout has always been firmly focused on minimising any disruption to our employers and learners.

Te Pou's Mental Health and Addictions/ Peer Support Grant is an opportunity to support the skills and knowledge of the lived experience workforce.

The grant covers the costs of taking part in a learning activity (course or training programme) to skills that enhance applicants’ CPSLE role or career.
Grants can be for up to $3,000 which more than covers the enrolments fees for Careerforce apprenticeships.

The full grant criteria, including what information will be required to apply, can be found on the Te Pou website here.

This grant may support the enrolment costs for the Careerforce mental health and addiction support and peer support apprenticeships.

Applications for this grant close midday FRIDAY 1 MARCH

Te Pou's Disability Training Grant is open to Disability Support Service (DSS) providers, Disabled Persons’ Organisation (DPO) members and individuals who receive Individualised Funding (IF).

The grant can be used for training fees, related resources (e.g. workbooks, tutors/facilitators) and wages of the course participant, if training occurs outside of their regular working hours, or back-filling for the participant if required.

Participants/individuals can be funded up to $6,000 (including GST) per calendar year, depending on the qualification level and number of credits.

This grant may support the enrolment costs for a number of approved Health and Wellbeing programmes:

Grant is now open and available until funds are allocated

Te Whatu Ora ‐Taranaki – Cleaning and Orderly Services recently passed the milestone awarding over 100 Careerforce qualifications to their staff.

Elaine Dittert, Careerforce Workplace Advisor for Taranaki says “It is fantastic to see such commitment from an employer to upskill their staff so thoroughly. It has been amazing working with management who want to acknowledge and train their staff to a high level. I believe these staff were often taken for granted in the past, but certainly since COVID, it is amazing that we have such wonderful visible recognition of these very important staff members in our hospitals. I look forward to working with the Taranaki team towards the next 100 qualification completions!”

Hannah has recently joined Careerforce as an Assessor (Health and Wellbeing). The registered social worker studied social work at Massey University. She has a background in the fields of domestic violence, refugee resettlement, high and complex mental health and addiction, kaupapa Māori service counselling for mental health and addiction and youth justice

Most recently Hannah has taught the Bachelor of Social Work, developing advanced papers for the Bachelor of Social Work, developing and delivering the NZ Certificate in Youth Work.

Do your trainees or apprentices 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.

Our Achieve Study Hubs are scheduled across the country. Trainees and apprentices are also welcome to attend sessions outside their area. See the full schedule on our website.

Learners can RSVP by completing the online form on our website.

Up until now, we have emailed monthly training reports and ten credit reports to all our employers, but from March, we will no longer send the ten credit report. The monthly training report provides you with a complete snapshot of your staff completing programmes with Careerforce, including those who are on-hold, have completed, or perhaps are not active and potentially at risk of being placed on-hold or withdrawn.

The focus of a learner needs to be on regular learning activity throughout their training journey that will successfully see them through to completion – not just on 10 credits within a calendar year which is simply an EPI (educational performance indicator) upon which we are judged by our funder, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

Father of three and apprentice graduate, Te Mingi Elliott says, "I always wanted to give people the best chance in life."

Te Mingi has just completed his Apprenticeship in Mental Health and Addiction Support. He says his success comes from a combination of Careerforce study sessions and noho marae, as well as support from his apprenticeship advisors Naida King and Alyssia Paekau.

Te Mingi works as a Tu Awhina (support worker) in Hamilton, and is supporting tu whānau or whai ora on their journey of recovery.

Photo caption: Mental Health and Addictions Graduate Te Mingi Elliott with Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisors: Alyssia Paekau (left) and Naida King (right).

An unlikely introduction at a Zumba class is how Dana Field landed her dream job in aged care.

“You’ll hear me before you see me,” claims the busy mum of four, who works at Pahiatua’s Waireka Lifecare, a rest home for up to 60 residents in the Tararua district.

Dana was quickly enrolled in the NZ Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy through Careerforce | Te Pūkenga, which she successfully completed.

Waireka Lifecare manager, Carol Hauraki, says Dana’s Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor, Anne Meyer, has also been instrumental in Dana’s success.

Photo caption: Waireka manager Carol Hauraki (left) with Dana and Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor Anne Meyer.

This programme is designed for current and experienced leaders and managers who are seeking to expand their leadership and management toolkit within their own work-based context.

Enrolment - Any time during the year
Study Style - Work-based learning, 100% online, self-directed 8-12 hours per week with supporting online resources
Study Support - A leadership and management coach is provided for the duration of the programme
Duration – 20 months, part-time
Outcome - NZQA accredited Diploma (Level 5)

Get to know some of our amazing Business Level 5 graduates, click on tiles below.

In the last 2 issues of Skills for Good: December and January, we have shared with you 6 elements that make up the Careerforce difference, notably:

Integrity matters – NZQA endorsed Careerforce programmes are required to meet rigorous moderation requirements that ensure learners are truly demonstrating the competencies required for the qualification, and for the workplace.

One size does not fit all – with nearly 30 years experience, we have grown and evolved to ensure we have the right resources in the right place to support learner success.

Flex our flexibility - Reflecting that our learners have different learning needs and our employers have different training capability, we offer flexibility in a range of areas that best supports learning outcomes.

Just in time – learners can start on any day of the year, and while we have ‘expected durations’, some learners will finish earlier and some later.

Step right up – we offer qualification pathways from Level 2 through to Level 6, supporting the career progression of our learners.

Walk this way – we walk alongside both you and your staff throughout the training journey, and are constantly evolving our learner supports to improve learner outcomes.

In this issue, we are expanding on a further three elements that make up The Careerforce Difference:

All things being equal – Within Careerforce, we have a relentless focus on achieving equitable learning outcomes. If you have staff who are Māori/Pasifika, perhaps have English as a second language, or maybe have a disability which impacts upon learning, we can provide a range of additional learner supports to get them through.

Performance, not profit - We are funded by the Tertiary Education Commission, and rightfully judged on learning outcomes – that our learners learn. We closely monitor all aspects of the learner journey, from enrolment, through to encouraging regular learning progression, and through to completion. We continually invest in additional learner supports.

Listen & learn - We continuously seek feedback from both our employers and our learners, and always look for opportunities to improve learner outcomes. Via our regular feedback mechanisms including employer and learner surveys, we receive thousands of pieces of feedback, then use these to inform our continuous improvements.

Here’s just a few comments from our employers that perhaps best demonstrate the Careerforce Difference:

“Careerforce team are an integral part of our team. They are wonderful, customer focused and passionate about what they do. I love working with them.”

“Keep up the great support you offer employers. For us, this relationship meant the world and made a huge difference for our employees to be able to achieve something they never thought was possible.”

More than 18 months ago we closed enrolments into our version 1 apprenticeship programmes. This was to make way for our revamped version 2 programmes.

Version 1 of our apprenticeship programmes closes on 31 May 2024. We have started our transfer process for apprentices who are not likely to complete version 1 in time. These apprentices are being transferred to version 2 so they can continue with their assessments. We have communicated with affected apprentices and their employers.

All other version 1 apprentices have until 1 April 2024 to complete and submit their assessments. This will allow time for assessors to mark and report their results by
31 May. We have started sending reminders to these apprentices.

There are some differences between our version 1 and version 2 apprenticeship programmes, which you can view here.

Following the extension of the Last Date of Assessment for the Health and Wellbeing Level 3 version 1 qualification, Careerforce will be accepting assessments from learners up until 31 May 2024 for the following programmes:

Health Assistance (version 1)
Support Work (version 1)
Orderly Services (version 1)
Newborn Hearing Screening (version 1)
Dental Assistance (version 1)
Vision Hearing Screening (versions 1 & 2).

After 31 May 2024, any learners who have not completed all of the required unit standards for their qualification will be transferred to the version 2 programmes, starting July.