Welcome to the REAL Assessor Newsletter

We are finding that there is some confusion about the sequence and time requirements for processing results. Please refer to the information below:

There are three phases to an assessment:

Preparing your trainee for assessment (briefing them about what is expected, checking that they understand the tasks and what they have to do, agreeing on a timeframe to complete etc).
Conducting the assessment (including marking/assessing theory parts, completion of observations or verifications, other requirements).
Completing post-assessment processes (giving the trainee feedback, entering results, filing assessments securely).

When completing an assessment in Phase 3, assessors must:

Mark submitted assessments within two weeks of the trainee handing them in and give feedback within a week of completing assessment of their work.
Give feedback to the trainee before doing anything else.
Complete the assessment results page, i.e. sign-off and date the result.
Enter the results in iportal (if this is not an Aka Toi assessment) within 5 days of the date on the assessment results page (please see below).
Store securely every assessment from a one-year programme for 12 months, either hard copy or a scanned version (NZQA requirements). If the programme is greater than 12 months, assessments must be stored for 24 months (NZQA requirements).

Careerforce will no longer be submitting assessment results on behalf of assessors/employers. All results that are not submitted via Aka Toi, should be submitted through iportal. If you do not have an iportal login, please contact assessor-admin@careerforce.org.nz to arrange access.

We would also like to remind you that when submitting results through iportal, please use the drop-downs to select the trainee. If the trainee does not appear on your drop-down, please contact assessor-admin@careerforce.org.nz and we will assist you. Please do not use the trainee’s NSN number to submit results as we are in the process of phasing out this method of submitting results.

Submission of Results Policy
We would like to remind you of our policy in regards to submission of results.
Assessment results are to be reported within five working days of the date of assessment. This will ensure that trainees are active and will not have their Training Agreements terminated due to inactivity. Failure to report results in a timely way is an infringement of trainees’ rights and has a financial implication for some. This reporting requirement is audited by the Tertiary Education Commission and is one that we will discuss with individual assessors who are not meeting this requirement.

The Client Services Team at Careerforce receive a number of emails asking when trainees should expect to receive their certificates once they have completed a qualification. Trainees’ certificates should take no longer than one month to arrive after the result of the final unit has been reported to Careerforce by the assessor.

What are the steps of this process?
Week 1 – Each Monday Careerforce exports the results we’ve received during the previous week to NZQA. We then award qualifications with NZQA on Wednesday.
Week 2 - The Monday after a qualification has been awarded, Careerforce sends a request to our external printers to print the certificates. These are printed and sent out via courier.
Week 3 – The certificates should arrive at workplaces.

Following the media attention about the proposed Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE), we'd like to remind assessors that it’s very much business as usual for Careerforce as the Government works through the proposals.

Public submissions to the proposed reforms have now closed. The Government is now considering all the submissions, and is expected to make an announcement mid-year on possible outcomes and next steps. Regardless of any such announcement, Minister Hipkins and Ministry officials have been very clear that should various aspects of the reforms proceed as proposed, any transition of trainees to the proposed New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology would not be rushed, and will likely have a 2-5 year timeframe.

The Minister is well aware of the skills shortages facing many sectors, including health and wellbeing, and does not want to see any decrease in the current levels of industry training. In fact, it is the reverse.

The Minister is extremely clear that he wants to see levels of industry training, and of employer participation increase. Accordingly, for Careerforce, it is very much business as usual, and we can provide an absolute assurance that regardless of reform outcomes, trainees and apprentices will be able to complete any programmes they commence.

Download the Careerforce submission on the Reform of Vocational Education here.

Read the full Careerforce media release here.