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Programme Overview

This qualification is delivered as an apprenticeship that is well-supported and resourced with a team of Apprenticeship Advisors providing pastoral care and support.

It has been developed to replace the Apprenticeship in Healthcare Assistance for Aged Care and leads to the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4). This apprenticeship will benefit workplaces that may not have the infrastructure for an in-house assessor.

The Apprenticeship in Advanced Care and Support gives your staff the skills required to provide person-centred or relationship-centred care and support to people with complex needs. It is ideal for experienced support workers, healthcare assistants or team leaders who want to enhance their leadership capabilities and develop competencies relevant to their role under the direction and delegation of a registered health professional.


Seven focus areas

There are seven focus areas in this apprenticeship programme that employers can choose from to best meet the needs of their workforce requirements. The focus areas are:

  1. Bariatric Care
  2. Dementia and Bariatric Care
  3. Dementia and Brain Injury
  4. Dementia and Frailty
  5. Frailty
  6. Palliative Care
  7. Spinal Injury Care

Learning outcomes: 

  • Working collaboratively with members of a multi-disciplinary team and the whānau and family of a person with complex needs to support their health and wellbeing.
  • Supporting registered health professionals by carrying out delegated clinical tasks in a health or wellbeing setting.
  • Applying knowledge of health or wellbeing conditions and organisational processes to implement culturally appropriate person-centred/relationship-centred approaches to care for and support a person with complex needs in a health and wellbeing setting.
  • Communicating effectively in a culturally appropriate manner, including preparing and delivering reports and recording information as required by the organisation, and engaging in challenging conversations, in a health or wellbeing setting.
  • Applying leadership skills in a health or wellbeing setting by formal or informal mentoring and/or coaching of colleagues.

Funding to support your business

Employers may also qualify for the Apprenticeship Boost which provides a wage subsidy for new and existing apprentices in their first two years of training, encouraging employers to retain their current apprentices, and to take on new apprentices. 


What is the pre-requisite to enrol?

Applications for this qualification will need to provide evidence of the following:

  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3), or
  • an equivalent qualification, or
  • experience in the health and wellbeing sectors

Download entry requirements and attestation form


Do you need more information?

Download the qualification brochure

Visit our Apprenticeship pages to learn more about health and wellbeing apprenticeships.

Learn more about Apprenticeships

Learn more about the health and wellbeing sectors


Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the questions below to reveal the answers.  Please contact us via info@careerforce.org.nz if you have a question not covered below.

The Careerforce apprenticeship programme is for experienced staff. It builds on the technical skills and knowledge that staff already have, to develop their critical thinking, reflective practice and expand their ‘toolkit’. You need to be working within the aged care sector, home & community support sector or in a hospital setting, meet the criteria set out above and have the support of your employer to be able to enrol.

Apprentices gain their skills and knowledge through on-job learning. The core value of vocational training is that it sets people up with the right experiences, skills and knowledge. Apprentices can earn while they learn, gain nationally-recognised qualifications, support more complex health conditions and handle challenging social issues, resulting in better health outcomes for the New Zealand community.

The learning at this level is self-directed and the apprentice will be developing new ideas and new ways of approaching their work. They will be stretched and allowed to explore special interest areas in greater depth, becoming more proactive rather than reactive.

The on-job learning is supported by Careerforce’s Aka Toi online learning platform.

If the work visa covers the duration of the programme and the employer supports the enrolment, then yes they can enrol.

Careerforce Apprenticeships are well-supported and resourced. The Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor acts as “coach” providing one-on-one support appropriate to the individual apprentice and their needs. The apprentice’s advisor will engage with the employer and others as needed to provide additional learning support and appropriate pastoral care based on the apprentice’s needs. The Advisor could also be the assessor.

The expected duration for the Advanced Care and Support apprenticeship is 20 – 21 months.

The enrolment fee for this Level 4 apprenticeship is $2,000 (inc GST) NZD. 

The employer usually pays the fees for staff to enrol in these programmes. To enrol in a Careerforce programme, you must be currently employed, and have the support of your employer.

With the apprenticeship programme, the assessment and pastoral support is provided by Careerforce with a Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor and/or Careerforce Staff Assessor. Whereas, with the trainee programme, assessment is done by an in-house assessor (who may be supported by a Careerforce Staff Assessor).

The apprenticeship offers seven training plans (focus areas) that the employer can choose from to best meet the needs of their staff. Whereas the trainee programme provides the opportunity for one workplace training plan or individual training plans.

Under the apprenticeship, employers may also be eligible for the Government’s Apprenticeship Boost fund – designed to help employers retain and bring on new apprentices by providing them with up to $500/month for any apprentices they support. This fund is currently available until December 2024.

Trainees are able to withdraw from their existing programme and then enrol in the new apprenticeship programme. We recommend that you discuss this option with your Careerforce Advisor to make sure it is the best outcome for you and your staff.

Contact

To enrol in the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) Advanced Care and Support, please call 0800 277 486, email: info@careerforce.org.nz or speak to your local Careerforce Workplace Advisor

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Level 4

Ideal for

  • Support Workers
  • Healthcare Assistants
  • Team Leaders
Relevant for the following sectors
  • Aged Care
  • Healthcare Services
  • Home & Community Support
  • 121 Credits
  • 20 months
  • $2000 (inc GST)