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              E M P L O Y E R   N E W S L E T T E R   |   J U L Y   2 0 1 9
In this Issue
Latest date for RoVE announcement
Cleaning qualification a first for Corrections

Top tip 10 - offer paid study time

Pay equity and qualification update
A message from Jane Wenman
Kia ora

We continue to await decisions from Cabinet in relation to the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE) reforms – our latest update from Ministry officials is that an announcement is now expected late July/early August. We will update you as soon as we hear anything, but regardless of outcomes, officials have made it abundantly clear that there will be long transition time-frames should the reforms proceed.

Accordingly, we encourage you to maintain your training enrolments, and the associated development of your respective workforces.

In last month’s Skills for Good newsletter, we shared the topline results from our annual employer survey, and the actions we are committing to, that will support greater employer satisfaction. We are steadfastly committed to improving both employer and trainee outcomes, and in this newsletter, we start our series which will expand upon each of the resultant actions.

We hope you’re enjoying the content in these newsletters, and encourage you to share with your colleagues. As always, we welcome your feedback. Feel free to flick me an email at jane.wenman@careerforce.org.nz, and don’t forget to enter our morning tea shout!

Ngā mihi
Jane Wenman
Chief Executive


Employer survey feedback triggers new trainee welcome and engagement experience
In last month's newsletter, we shared the results from the annual employer survey.

One of the common themes coming through was a desire from employers for Careerforce to provide greater support of, and more regular communication with trainees, particularly as they start their training journey. We know from data that trainees who achieve early credits are significantly more likely to complete their training programme.
We have subsequently kicked off a project to develop a much more effective welcome and engagement experience for trainees – the nature and shape of this process will be determined in conjunction with discussions with both employers and trainees. We are targeting a launch of Q3, so watch this space!
As the experience takes shape, we welcome any feedback you have that should be considered to support a more seamless training commencement, both for yourselves, and for your employees/trainees. Just drop us an email at marcomms@careerforce.org.nz
 
Qualified staff, motivated staff and a better level of support for Kaurilands  
Kaurilands Skill Centre Trust in Dargaville provides residential care for adults with intellectual disabilities.  Karen Duncan, GM at Kaurilands explains how the Level 4 Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation staff training has helped her organisation give a better level of support.  Staff are thinking and working at a higher level (than Level 3) and moving from a 'doing' style of support to a 'facilitation' style.  In doing so, they are supporting people to become more independent.  Check out the video to listen to Karen.
Send us your 25th Anniversary message - win a morning tea worth $100
Help Careerforce celebrate its 25th anniversary - Share your message

Please send us a short video and send us your anniversary message, or tell us why you love working with Careerforce (max length 10 seconds). 
Alternatively, send a short video of one of your trainees describing how they find their training (max length 20 seconds). Visit our website for more information and to upload your video.
 
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
Congratulations to the winner of last month's morning tea: Connie Kaimoana at Choices/Kahungunu Health Services in Hastings.  Connie wins a morning tea worth $100.
Cleaning qualification a first for Corrections  
A woman in Arohata Prison is the first to achieve a cleaning qualification while in prison.

The long-term prisoner has earned the New Zealand Certificate in Cleaning (Level 2) through Careerforce.

The qualification recognises the skills and knowledge of those employed in the commercial, residential, health and domestic cleaning industries, as well as for those entering the cleaning industry.

Jane* was using the prison’s Secure Online Learning suite when she spotted the course and asked an education tutor if she could study towards the qualification.

She had been working in the prison cleaning up to five hours a day, and says “I really enjoy cleaning, and if I can get a qualification from it, why not?”

Marylou Sloane, Corrections’ Regional Practice Manager Education & Training helped connect the prison with Careerforce. “It’s been a rewarding pilot to be involved in. Through working together we’ve been able to maximise naturally-occurring evidence from the cleaning Jane has been doing to support her with this qualification.”

Elaine James, Careerforce Business Development Consultant was thrilled to be involved in the project. “It’s been a privilege to help support this first cleaning qualification in prison working with Jo Rea, Careerforce workplace advisor and Jeanette Hopley workplace assessor. For the full article, read more below.

* not her real name
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
Introducing a free online adult literacy and numeracy tool
In our annual employer survey, challenges around staff literacy and numeracy came through as a very strong theme. Accordingly, we’ve committed to sharing literacy tips with employers in each issue of Skills for Good. In this issue, we introduce a free literacy and numeracy tool.
Pathways Awarua is a free online adult literacy and numeracy learning tool.  It has learning “pathways” designed to build reading, speaking, listening and numeracy skills in adults.  Anyone can register, so this may be a solution for staff on temporary work permits, who are not eligible for government funded workplace literacy provision but need this support. It also suits adults who wish to develop these skills at times that best suit them and their families, rather than attend group courses.
Obviously, some computer skills are needed to engage with this programme, but the developers have kept it simple and easy to navigate.  Pathways Awarua also includes modules on driver’s licence theory and health and safety legislation.  These pathways build reading and numeracy skills as participants learn the road code or H&S rules and can be used for refresher training. 

Employers can register their staff as a group of learners and track their progress through the pathways. The programme can also generate group reports for your training files.

Another growing aspect of Pathways Awarua is professional development for trainers including two new culture modules; Māori Cultural Competencies and Pasifika Cultural Centredness. Check out this free learning resource below or here: https://pathwaysawarua.com/
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
Qualification Pathway Review - update

Cleaning review – Online consultation completed
We thank everyone who completed the online consultation. We are now collating the results and contacting those who wanted to discuss their feedback further. We are also meeting with key industry stakeholders to get their feedback. The next step is to analyse all the feedback to come up with a proposal that we’ll circulate to all stakeholders.
For more information, visit the website here

Health and Wellbeing review – Submitted to NZQA

We’ve had feedback from NZQA that we are currently responding to. We’ll get in touch with stakeholders when more information comes to light.

Youth Work review – Submitted to NZQA
We await feedback from NZQA in regard to the qualifications documents submitted.

Vision Rehab Level 7 – Open for feedback
Careerforce met with representatives of the Blind Foundation, the only organisation delivering the programme leading to the New Zealand Diploma in Vision Habilitation/Rehabilitation (Level 7). Together we amended the qualification document to meet NZQA’s current requirements. We are now seeking wider feedback on the amendments. Please read the amendments published on the Careerforce website and email your feedback to:ProductFeedback@Careerforce.org.nz
Read the amendments here.

Rehab Support review – Consultation planning
We are now preparing for the consultation phase to review the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Rehabilitation Support) Level 4 with strands in Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Impairment, and Chronic Illness. If you wish to be part of the consultation, please email qualreview@careerforce.org.nz.

Skills for Living review - Consultation planning
We are now gathering information in preparation for the review of the New Zealand Certificate Skills for Living for Supported Learners Level 1. Schedule of consultation is coming soon.

Hearing Therapy – Consultation coming soon
We are in discussion with hearing therapy stakeholders to look at amendments to the qualification documents. We’ll publish the proposed changes soon and open for consultation.

Keep up to date! Visit the Careerforce website for more information about the Qualification Pathways Review.
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
Dementia LCP (Limited Credit Programme) Level 4
The dementia programme has been previously described as the ‘Residential Limited Credit Programme (Level 4) Dementia’.  This has caused some confusion for some trainees and employers.  As a result of this feedback, we’re updating the name to better reflect what it is.

The new name is: Dementia LCP (Limited Credit Programme) Level 4 or in some cases we will shorten it to Dementia LCP.


This Limited Credit Programme consists of four unit standards and focuses on the essential skills, knowledge and attitudes required to support a person with dementia in a residential facility.

Please be assured that there are no changes to the programme other than the name, the content of the programme is the same as before. For more about this programme, 'Read More'.
Updates to Careerforce
Organisation Rego Forms and Training Agreements

From time to time, we make updates to Careerforce forms.  Recently we've modified the Organisation Registration and the Update forms. The main changes are:
> the inclusion of a purchase order field
> updated field for preferences of Literacy & Numeracy
> updated preferences for Aka Toi (the online learning platform).

The Training Agreement form has also been updated to include an option for adding a purchase order number.

Please remember to visit the Careerforce website to ensure that you always access the most up-to-date forms.
 
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/careerforce-partner-with-yale-university-to-help-create-change/
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/careerforce-partner-with-yale-university-to-help-create-change/
Top Tip 10: Offer paid study time
In each issue of Skills for Good, we're sharing top tips on how you can best support your employees with their training. Here is the full set of tips to date.

In this issue, we cover the benefits of offering paid study time.

From our most recent employer survey, we know that lack of time is the number one most common barrier that affects the success of industry trainees in achieving their qualification. With personal and professional responsibilities, it can indeed be challenging and at times overwhelming. We asked Presbyterian Support Central (PSC), one of our employers with a track record for successful trainee completions, what they’re doing to support their staff. They shared their reasons why they started offering paid study time and the difference it has made to their staff and the service they provide.
For the full article, read more below.

https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
Working with heart for people with disabilities

There are jobs that are absolutely not for everyone. It takes a big heart to support people with disabilities, working with them to identify and maximise their opportunities.
Pinnacle House Assistant Manager, Sheryl Waterhouse, said everyone who works there has their hearts in the right place.

Nelson-based Pinnacle House Charitable Trust provides day service within the Nelson area to individuals with very high needs and profound intellectual disabilities, who have left school and for whom regular employment is not an option. They offer programmes and activities to support individual participant’s abilities and work to remove barriers that otherwise prevent fuller community participation.

“They have to love them and always look out for their best interests. This is not a job where you just walk in the door and do the job. You have to walk in the door, love these people and give them your very best,” says Sheryl.

Sheryl says that one of the ways that Pinnacle House ensures that staff are able to give their very best, is through supporting them with on-the-job training to achieve nationally recognised qualifications, through Careerforce. For the full article, read more below.
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/top-tip-7-setting-up-a-buddy-or-mentoring-system/
SpeedMeet August/September 2019
We are still looking for employers in Whangarei, Okaihau, Dargaville, Katikati and Whakatane to join SpeedMeet. This is a great way to meet your future staff and raise your profile in the community. We are working with the Ministry or Health and other ITOs to organise for students and other jobseekers to come to these events.  Contact Criss De Leon at Crisselda.deleon@careerforce.org.nz if you have any questions. For more information and to register please visit the Careerforce website

Pay Equity & Qualification Equivalencies
As part of both the 2017 aged care and support pay equity settlement, and the 2018 mental health and addiction support worker settlement, workers can qualify for pay equity via either job tenure, or level of qualification.

For qualification based pay equity, support workers either need to have an actual New Zealand Certificate in Health & Wellbeing (Level 2-4),  or a qualification which has been assessed as equivalent to it.

Careerforce was given responsibility for determining qualification equivalence, and to date, have assessed over 7000 New Zealand and overseas qualifications.   You can find out more about the assessment process here.
In each issue of Skills for Good, we will continue to publish the latest 'Pay Equity and Qualification Equivalency' updates.  

The most recent qualification decisions are available here.  Please also check our website for all equivalency decisions.
Popular links
Find out more about:
  • Careerforce Qualification Programmes >> More
  • Pay Equity Qualification Equivalencies >>More
  • Gateway and Vocational Pathways >>More
  • How to contact your local Careerforce Workplace Advisor >>More
 
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