Skills for Good - December 2023: Te Pūkenga to be disestablished, Study hubs for 2024, Business diploma

Tēnā koutou

The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE), which led to the creation of Te Pūkenga (NZ Institute of Skills and Technology), was first announced in February 2019. It has been a challenging journey, and which led to the transition of Careerforce into Te Pūkenga in September 2022 as a business division. Te Pūkenga has rarely been far from the news headlines over this time, and has again been in the headlines in recent weeks with the new Government’s intention to disestablish Te Pūkenga. We are still determining what this means for Careerforce, but of one thing we are sure – regardless of organisational outcomes, we will continue to support our employers and learners just as we have always done.

While we have the luxury of closing our offices over the holiday period, we are always very conscious that for many of our employers and learners, this is not the case. We acknowledge and appreciate all that you do across this period, and indeed throughout the year, as I am sure the families and friends of those whom you support do also. We sincerely hope that you are still able to engage in some festive fair and relaxation over the holiday period.

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete ki a koe

Rod Bentham
Executive Director
Te Pūkenga, trading as Careerforce

You may be aware of the Government’s intention to disestablish Te Pūkenga | New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, of which Careerforce is currently one of 25 business divisions.

While it has been confirmed that the new Government intends to disestablish
Te Pūkenga, it remains very much business as usual for Careerforce . We want to reassure you that our organisation will continue to provide the same levels of support for all our trainees, apprentices, employers and assessors.

We are currently working through the details of the Government’s expectations and are committed to ensuring that changes do not negatively impact the delivery of training. As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

In the November issue of Skills for Good, we touched on three elements that you have told us make up The Careerforce | Te Pūkenga Difference, notably:

On-Job, On Task – we work with you to train your staff the way you want them to be trained - on-job.
Experience Counts – we’ve been doing it for nearly 30 years. We understand on-job learning.
Our people are your people. Local and national – we have advisors across Aotearoa, who come from and understand your worlds.

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

Integrity matters - Careerforce on-job training programmes lead to nationally recognised NZQA qualifications. Together with our NZQA endorsed programmes that lead to them, they are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain current, and continue to meet the needs of industry. They are also required to meet rigorous moderation requirements that ensure that learners are truly demonstrating the competencies required for the qualification, and for the workplace.

One size does not fit all - Now into our 30th year, our organisation has grown and evolved to ensure we have the right resources in the right place to support ākonga success. We have specialist staff supporting ākonga with literacy and numeracy challenges, and our Māori and Pasifika ākonga, and specialist teams supporting workplace assessor and observer capability/capacity.

Flex our flexibility – Reflecting that our ākonga have different learning needs and our employers have different training capability, we offer flexibility in a range of areas that best supports learning outcomes. We can provide paper-based or digital learning and assessment, employer-led or full service offerings and flexible assessment modes.

While somewhat apologetic for any badgering that may have led to this result, we had a record response to the 2023 employer survey with 536 survey completions, a significant improvement on 2022. Thank you to those of you who were able to take the time to complete the survey. We look forward to analysing the results and reviewing all your verbatim comments. We have made considerable improvements to our service and product offering over the years directly attributable to your feedback, and we look forward to sharing topline results and themes with you in the new year.

Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral (Te Whatu Ora MidCentral) is proving that a non-regulated (kaiāwhina) workforce can be a qualified workforce too, with more than 50 staff now enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing Level 3 through Careerforce | Te Pūkenga.

The kaiāwhina training initiative was officially launched in October 2023 across the Palmerston North and Horowhenua hospitals. The inaugural cohort of kaiāwhina staff from the acute care, medical, mental health, operating theatre, outpatients, and older adult departments will move through a year-long, on-job training programme to become NZQA Level 3 qualified.

Te Whatu Ora MidCentral District Director Jeff Brown said having 52 staff enrolled in a nationally recognised qualification was the first step to helping them gain the recognition they so deserved.

Te Whatu Ora MidCentral partnered with Careerforce | Te Pūkenga to ensure the necessary resources are in place to manage the training of its staff. As a work-based programme, all training takes place within the workplace.

Once staff are awarded their qualification at the end of the 12-month programme, they become formally recognised for their skills and knowledge, and demonstrate competency to provide person-centred support under the direction of a health professional.

Te Whatu Ora MidCentral will look to roll out the training initiative to more kaiāwhina in the new year with another cohort, including those who are working with district nurses in the community. The success of this initiative to date has also led to interest from other Te Whatu Ora regions.

Over 2023 the team at Careerforce ran a number of successful drop in sessions and study events for learners to support them to achieve unit standards towards their qualifications. We have committed to continuing running these events next year.

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.

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

Study support options for Māori and Pasifika
If you have learners who identify as either Māori or Pasifika, we have study support resources and face-to-face study options available including wānanga, noho marae and talanoa events.
See our Māori support page.
See our Pasifika support page.

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

Upskill yourself or your managers in 2024

An organisation’s strength comes from its leaders and managers having the relevant skills and competencies to effect change, innovate, add value and develop the capability of others.

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)

Find out more - Download the brochure, visit the webpage,
We're now accepting expressions of interest

Learner withdrawal activity

Earlier this month, we withdrew a number of learners due to inactivity, and will withdraw further learners in January for the same reason. Across early 2024, we are reinstigating the automated processes that will lead to learners being placed onhold, and then withdrawn for lack of activity. Trainees will be placed on hold after 10 months of no activity, and may be withdrawn after 12 months of no activity, while apprentices will be placed on hold after 5 months of no activity, and may be withdrawn after 6 months of no activity.

We can’t reiterate just how important it is, for successful learning outcomes, for learners to achieve early progress on their training programme, and then to achieve regular learning progress on their training journey. We encourage you to regularly review your emailed monthly training reports, and identify learners who may need additional encouragement or support.

This newfound confidence has helped her successfully complete an Apprenticeship in Advanced Care and Support with Careerforce | Te Pūkenga and now gain conditional acceptance into a nursing degree with Toi-Ohomai, also a division of Te Pūkenga. Jing starts the nursing programme next year and has also received a conditional offer to complete an MPH (Master of Public Health) programme at the University of Auckland.

Rod Bentham, Executive Director of Careerforce | Te Pūkenga commented that “..New Zealand is desperately short of nurses, and the opportunity for care and support kaimahi to progress from practical [earn as you learn] work-based learning into degree nursing programmes is one that we must harness.”

The organisation is launching a Health and Wellbeing Survey which represents the first phase of their Review and a chance for Industry and Providers to tell them what you think about the current Health and Wellbeing qualifications and workforce.

For information about the complete review process and the eight Health and Wellbeing qualifications covered in the review, follow this link.

The feedback they receive will shape their consultation and discussions with advisory groups and help to ensure that the Health and Wellbeing suite continues to be fit for purpose for learners and the sector.

This survey can take between 5 and 25 minutes and is open until 31 January 2024.
Follow the link below:
Health and Wellbeing Qualifications Review (alchemer.com)

This information is being shared on behalf of Toitū te Waiora

The online learning and assessment platform, Aka Toi, will be available for your assessors and learners to use during the holiday period. Learners can still work on their assessments over the holidays and submit them to their assessors for marking.

Careerforce support won’t however be available from midday on 22 December 2023 until Monday 8 January 2024.The Aka Toi team wish you and your whānau a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to supporting you and your staff again in 2024.