Changes to the Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation - specialising in Diversional Therapy

Kia ora,

This email is to advise you of upcoming changes to the Careerforce Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation - specialising in Diversional Therapy programme.

This apprenticeship programme is being updated to reflect changes to the resulting qualification: New Zealand Certificate in Health & Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4).

Careerforce has sought, and listened to feedback from the sector about capabilities needed to prepare diversional and recreational therapists for the future and, as a result, we have updated the Diversional Therapy apprenticeship programme. This will see your staff become more confident to be able to work alongside people and their family/whānau to enhance spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

Key changes with the updated programme from 1 August:

The updated version of this programme opens on 1 August and will be known as the Careerforce Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy.
This programme will lead to the awarding of the qualification: New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) with a strand in Diversional Therapy.
One new module added to the programme: APP104a ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi and My Role’.
The credit value increases from 120 to 134 credits.

The average duration of the Careerforce Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy remains 18 - 24 months.

Updated programme opens on 1 August

All training agreements received from 1 August 2022 will be enrolled in the updated version of the programme (Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy).

If we receive a training agreement from you for an apprentice into the current version of the programme from 1 August, we will be in contact with you to confirm the enrolment.

For apprentices enrolled in the current version of the programme

Apprentices who are already enrolled in the current programme will be awarded the qualification once they have completed all the requirements as per normal.

Current apprentices have until 31 December 2023 to complete all assessments in their current programme and for the assessments to be registered as complete with Careerforce. Your Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor will support them as much as possible to prioritise completion of their current programme.

Shortly, we will be communicating with current apprentices about their completion requirements.

Apprenticeship Boost Payments

In May 2022, the Government announced the extension of the Apprenticeship Boost fund through to December 2023. The Apprenticeship Boost programme remains the same, but with one exception.

To date, employers were able to claim monthly payments of $1000/month for apprentices in their first 12 months and $500/month for apprentices in the second year. From 5 August 2022, these payments will change to $500/month for apprentices in either their first or second year.

Employers are still required to claim these payments via MSD. Please review the conditions on their website.

Additionally, and via the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), Careerforce apprenticeship programmes are currently fees free for enrolments through to December 2022.

If you have any questions, please contact your Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor.