Training for Good - December 2025: Thanks for all you do, new prospectus and more

Kia ora

As 2025 draws to a close, we want to extend our thanks for your commitment to your training programme throughout the year. We hope this holiday season brings you moments of rest, rejuvenation, and quality time with those closest to you. We also recognise that, for many of you in essential roles, the Christmas and New Year period will still involve work. Your dedication during this time, as well as throughout the year, is deeply appreciated, not just by us, but also by the families and communities you support. Thank you for all that you do.

Meri Kirihimete and we’ll be back in touch in 2026!

Fresh from completing her Diploma in Leadership and Management with Careerforce, Katene Morris is already putting her learning into action.

The Community Coordinator at a kaupapa Māori health provider in Ōtaki says she’s found new confidence and practical tools to support her community mahi.

For Katene, no two days are ever the same. As part of Te Puna Oranga o Ōtaki’s ‘Special Projects’ team – affectionately known as the “pick and mix team,” her role spans everything from housing and education to food support, community events, and kaumātua wellbeing.

Katene’s journey into leadership came with encouragement from her manager, who saw her potential early on.

“My manager brought the Careerforce Diploma in Leadership and Management to my attention,” she says. “At first, I thought, ‘I’m not good enough for that, I’m not a manager.’ But she kept saying, ‘you never know where you’ll be in a few years, and I see you as a manager here.”

“I’d be learning about compliance or leadership styles, and then the next day I’d be applying it at work. It also helped me understand our organisation better – things like why certain decisions are made by our operations manager or CEO. It really opened my eyes.”

Now that she’s completed her diploma, Katene says her focus is on applying what she’s learned. “For now, I just want to put everything I learned into practice. There’s so much that will benefit me in my role,” she says.

As part of the Government’s ongoing reform of vocational education, Careerforce has been operating as a work-based learning (WBL) business division of Te Pūkenga since September 2022. Te Pūkenga (now known as the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology or NZIST), will be disestablished and new entities called Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) have been established. Responsibility for work-based training will be transferred from NZIST to the new ISBs from 1 January 2026.

On 1 January 2026, the Careerforce business division of NZIST (including all existing programmes and training activities) will transfer, as a distinct business division, into the Education, Health and Community ISB.

What does this mean for you?

Your existing enrolment will automatically transfer to the ISB, and you shouldn’t notice any changes to your training, or how we support you in your training journey with us. There is nothing that you need to do.

Please note that information that we currently hold about you will be transferred to the Education, Health and Community ISB. Where we store it and how we use it isn’t changing, and the same data security measures remain in place.

Careerforce has marked a major milestone with its 4,000th apprenticeship graduate, celebrating Makayla Cole, who has completed her Level 4 Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy. While the number is significant, Makayla’s story highlights the deeper impact of on-the-job apprenticeships across Aotearoa’s care sector.

Makayla’s journey into care began as a teenager when she became the primary caregiver for her nana after a TIA (transient ischemic attack). Inspired by this experience, she volunteered at a rest home through school Gateway programmes and was later employed as a caregiver. She eventually joined the activities team at BUPA Crofton Downs and began her Careerforce apprenticeship, supporting residents to live meaningful, connected lives.

During her training, Makayla faced personal challenges, including the sudden loss of her nana and managing fibromyalgia while working full time. She credits her apprenticeship with building her confidence, skills, and ability to advocate for both herself and residents.

Her determination has been praised by her Apprenticeship Advisor and employer, who emphasise how apprenticeship training benefits individuals, teams, and residents alike.