About Careerforce
Careerforce supports education and skill development in New Zealand’s health, disability, aged support cleaning services, urban pest management and social services sectors.
ITO Coverage
Careerforce is the industry training organisation for health, disability, aged support and social services for Levels 1-8 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
We are the recognised standard setting body for the sectors of aged care, addiction, allied health, community work, cleaning services, core health, counselling, dental support, employment support, intellectual, physical and sensory disability, Iwi/Maori social services, health care orderlies,health support, mental health, Pacific Island social services, primary and secondary health care, public health, social services - including in suicide intervention, abuse, neglect and violence, Tamariki Ora – Well Child Services, urban pest management, whanau/family and foster care, whanau ora, and youth work. Except where the workforce is covered by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 and the Social Workers Registration Act 2003.
Ambulance, first aid, injury prevention, pre-hospital emergency care, occupational health and safety, pharmacy, social services, State services related public administration and management are excluded from the Careerforce coverage as they lie within the coverage of other standard setting bodies.
As an industry training organisation (ITO), we have three main roles:
- Supporting training.
- Designing qualifications.
- Providing leadership
Supporting training
Careerforce supports education and skill development in the health, disability, aged support and social services sectors. These sectors represents the heart of our community, supporting some of society’s most vulnerable people.
Careerforce's tools and resources support training that benefits trainees, workplaces and clients.
- Trainees: training supported by Careerforce helps develop the confidence of trainees, and gives them an opportunity to progress their careers.
- Workplaces: investing in training contributes to better staff retention, increased efficiency and improved care for clients.
- Clients: the ultimate beneficiaries of a well trained workforce are the clients. Trained staff are more professional and can provide higher quality care.
Our training supports health and disability workers who are not regulated by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act or a professional body. For many of these workers, Careerforce-supported training provides their first opportunity to gain recognition for their skills and knowledge and achieve educational success.
Careerforce workplace advisors
Careerforce workplace advisors are located throughout New Zealand. They assist workplaces to:
- Develop workplace training plans
- Link training to everyday workplace activity
- Support the establishment of assessors and verifiers in the workplace
Flexible training options
For training to be effective there needs to be choice and flexibility.
Careerforce helps workplaces develop a range of viable training solutions. Some workplaces take on the educating and assessing role themselves, while others work with education providers. In some cases sector groups facilitate training for their members.
There are several other options too. Talk to us about what would work best for your organisation.
Affordable and accessible training
It’s always a challenge finding enough money for training. That’s why we’ve worked hard to ensure our qualifications are affordable and accessible. As well as low qualification fees, workplaces may benefit from a rebate which partly funds workplace assessment costs.
Literacy and learning support
Careerforce works with managers and trainers so they can support the learning needs of their staff and overcome barriers such as low literacy or confidence. We also provide up to date learning resources such as workbooks and interactive CD ROMs that help trainers engage and stimulate trainees.
Designing qualifications
National qualifications
As an ITO, Careerforce designs and registers unit standards and national qualifications, which form part of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. National qualifications are relevant to employers and learners as they are built by the sector and link to relevant standards and contracts.
Quality and consistency
Careerforce supports workplaces and education providers to ensure the assessment of qualifications is consistent nationwide. We promote the sharing of good practice, and provide forums where issues can be discussed and addressed.
Relevant and transferable
Careerforce qualifications are closely linked to workplace policies and procedures. This helps ensure what is learnt is relevant and applicable to the workplace.
Providing leadership
Careerforce is working to address training barriers and extend the career pathways and learning opportunities available to the health, disability and social services workforce.
We are taking a long term view and working with the sector to develop a greater understanding of the skill and workforce issues being faced. What we learn from these conversations is helping us identify and prioritise the actions required to meet future skill and training needs.
