Training for Good - April 2026: Maintaining privacy, extra support for learners, and more

Careerforce is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of learners, employers, and the people they support, and ensuring compliance with the Privacy Act 2020, and all relevant codes. To support this commitment, all learners must ensure that assessments do not contain any information that could identify an individual.

Please make sure you always remove or replace:

Names (people, whānau, clients, staff, supervisors)
Addresses or location details
Dates of birth
Phone numbers, email addresses, or ID numbers
Exact dates if sensitive (replace with ‘early [year]’)
Any other information that could identify an individual being supported

If your assessment requires you to refer to real workplace situations or people, you should:

Use made‑up names (for example, “Person A” or “the client”)
Describe situations in general terms rather than using identifying details

Including personal or identifying information can be a breach of privacy and may result in your assessment being returned to you for correction before it can be marked.

If you are unsure about what information is appropriate to include, please discuss with your assessor before submitting your assessment.

Tanziha Matin, manager of Devonport Health, transformed her career and clinic through continuous learning and determination. Originally arriving in New Zealand as a software development student, she entered healthcare as a receptionist and quickly progressed to practice manager. Despite her success, she recognised a gap in understanding clinical workflows, which became more evident during COVID-19 pressures.

To address this, she completed a Primary Care Practice Assistance apprenticeship through Careerforce. The work-based programme allowed her to gain hands-on clinical experience, including triaging patients, conducting ECGs, and supporting care delivery. This deeper insight helped her improve clinic efficiency, better define healthcare assistant roles, and enhance patient care.

The experience also strengthened her empathy and leadership approach. Her efforts were recognised when she won Practice Manager Specialist of the Year. Now a business manager, she continues to design effective services and encourages others to pursue training, highlighting the value of upskilling in primary care.

Kate Van Peer joined Travis Medical Centre in Christchurch two years ago, initially working in reception before moving into a healthcare assistant role. Through this transition, she discovered a passion for building meaningful relationships with patients. Although she had previously started nursing studies, uncertainty led her to step away.

Her direction changed after completing a Primary Care Practice Assistance apprenticeship through Careerforce. The programme combined practical skills, such as venepuncture and immunisation, with formal learning, helping rebuild her confidence. With support from her manager and a Careerforce advisor, Kate successfully balanced full-time work with flexible online study. She also gained valuable insights into New Zealand’s health system, demographics, and cultural context.

This experience reignited her commitment to healthcare, inspiring her to return to nursing studies. Now preparing to begin her second year, while continuing casual work, Kate sees the apprenticeship as a powerful pathway for growth, confidence, and career development.

Do you need some extra support with your training programme?

We’ve brought our Careerforce in-person and online events together in one place on our website, making it easier for you to see what’s coming up and plan which ones you’d like to attend. This includes learner-focused events such as Good to Go, Achieve Study Hubs, Talanoa, Wānanga Ako, and more.

Good to Go onboarding online sessions are for newly enrolled trainees to learn about the expectations, learning tools, ask questions, meet with other ākonga (learners), and help set you on the right track to begin achieving your unit standards towards your qualification. (For Level 2 & 3 learners, Level 4 Dementia LCP and Advanced Care and Support learners).
Achieve Study Hubs are for enrolled trainees and apprentices to drop in, ask questions, and get support toward unit standards with Careerforce advisors and fellow ākonga.
Talanoa sessions are for Pacific learners to meet with Careerforce staff and other Pacific learners, to find motivation and get assessment advice through Talanoa‑focused, face‑to‑face support.
Wānanga ako sessions support Māori ākonga through kanohi-ki-te-kanohi kaupapa Māori learning, focusing on unit standards Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Colonisation, and Māori kawa and tikanga.

We encourage you to check out the web page, select a date range and your location, find the right events for you and register.

"There’s a lot happening in the world right now, and through social media you have it all at your fingertips. While it can help you feel informed and connected, constant scrolling, distressing news events, divisive opinions, disinformation and carefully curated influencer highlights can take a toll on your wellbeing.

What you see online isn’t random - it’s shaped by algorithms that learn from what you engage with. Even pausing to watch or read, without actively ‘liking’ a piece of content, tells the algorithm it’s caught your attention.

The good news? You can take small steps to help you see more content that brings you joy and less of the stuff that upsets you." courtesy Mental Health Foundation

Are you struggling with your learning due to physical or mental health concerns or stress?

Careerforce enrolled learners can talk to someone confidentially about their wellbeing when they need to. Simply complete the referral form on our website to connect with a Careerforce Wellbeing Advisor.

Remember you can also access a free counselling service from professional employee assistance provider Vitae: https://www.vitae.co.nz/contact/student-counselling/

The Vitae confidential counselling service is available 24/7.

The standard expectation is that your assessment is marked within 10 working days. For those of you who are completing your programme via paper-based learning, if you have not heard from your assessor within 15 working days of submitting an assessment, a form on iportal lets you follow up on an assessment.

From iportal, simply complete the ‘Overdue Assessment’ form and Careerforce will follow up with your assessor.

Careerforce is fully aware of the workplace pressures our assessors are under, and the work that our extensive network of assessors do is hugely appreciated. This form simply allows us to become aware of instances where additional support may be needed in a workplace, or even situations where a workplace assessor may have left a workplace.

First time users of iportal need to complete a simple one-off registration; simply go to: https://iportal.careerforce.org.nz/, click on ‘Register a new account’, fill in the fields and submit. If needed, a link at the bottom of the page provides helps with registration.

All learners who are completing their programme via paper-based learning should register for iportal, as you can also access learning resources via the Library, and access your latest training progress report.

Do you have a compliment that you would like to share, or a concern 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 the Compliments and Complaints form on our website. For more information, please read the 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.

The Leadership and Management Programme challenged Matthew to rethink approaches. “It made me question why we do things and whether there’s a better way,” he explains. He developed a stronger focus on inclusion, reflection, and team involvement, helping create a more positive and collaborative workplace culture.

Support from his employer and Careerforce assessors ensured he could apply learning directly to his role. The flexible, work-based format suited his busy schedule.

Completing the Diploma strengthened Matthew’s confidence and leadership approach. He now encourages others to upskill, emphasising the value of understanding the “why” and embracing continuous improvement.

Apprenticeship in Peer Support (Level 4) - Free enrolment*
Have you almost finished a Level 3 programme? Are you already working in a role where your lived experience is helping others? You may be able to turn your lived experience into a professional qualification for free. Now you can take the next step in your career with a free enrolment Peer Support qualification. Learn skills that make a difference while continuing to work in your current role.
*Free enrolment via the Peer Support Grant until June 2026, subject to eligibility
>>Find out more