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Careerforce eChat

September 2011

Welcome to the September edition of Careerforce eChat. In this issue:

CEO update: It's all about activity

Ray LindI’m four months into the job and am as excited as ever about building the capability and realising the potential of the workforce we support.

It’s safe to say it’s been a busy time! I’ve talked to a wide range of employers about their training needs, got my head around the requirements of our funders,  and have overseen a difficult rightsizing that will ensure Careerforce lives within our means and has the potential for growth. Over this time we’ve also taken over the coverage previously held by the Social Services ITO and set up a Wellington office.

Careerforce’s biggest challenge right now is ensuring trainees are actively training and achieving credits. If they’re not, then Careerforce will be forced to repay money to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Money returned to TEC is no longer available for up-skilling our workforce, and would instead be used to train employees in other industries.

The bottom line is that building the capability of the care and support workforce through training is crucial if New Zealand is going to avoid a health workforce crisis. To ensure there is funding to train our workforce in the future all trainees must be actively reporting credits. If we can get trainees active then the future of training in our sectors is bright.

To be a high performing ITO Careerforce requires the right structure and the right people. A new structure has been developed and this will be fully operational by start of 2012. To ensure we have the best possible people we have been recruiting for several newly created leadership roles. I am delighted that in a short period of time we have already been able to appoint some very high calibre and talented people. Key appointments include:

  • Andrew Saunders- Client Engagement and Services Manager
  • Gill Genet - General Manager, Business Development
  • Adrienne Bull  - Assessment and Qualifications Manager
  • Catherine Torrance - Enterprise Portfolio Office Manager (starting 3 October)
  • Sandy Andersen - Executive Assistant / Board Secretary  (starting 3 October)
  • Helena Coolen - Communications and Marketing Manager (starting 10 October)
  • Neil Argent - Chief Financial Officer (starting 10 October).

As a leadership team we will work closely together to ensure everything Careerforce does contributes to what our sectors want – a well trained and highly skilled care and support workforce.
 
Regards
 
Ray Lind
CEO

Introducing our leadership team

Gill Genet
Gill Genet

Gill has been with Careerforce for the past five years and has recently been appointed to the role of GM Business Development. Gill’s energetic drive, great facilitation skills and strong relationship building ability make her a valuable addition to the Careerforce leadership team. Whenever she can Gill spends time skiing with her family.


Andrew SaundersAndrew Saunders

Andrew has been at Careerforce for seven months. Prior to being appointed Client Engagement and Services Manager, Andrew managed Careerforce’s Field Team. Before coming to Careerforce Andrew spent 20 years at ANZ, and for the last 10 years of this he was a branch manager. Andrew enjoys working with people to get results, is customer focused, and is almost always upbeat and positive. Andrew lives in Kaiapoi with his wife and three young children, and despite his age still manages to play football. 



Adrienne Bull  Adrienne Bull

Adrienne Bull has just started as Careerforce’s Assessment and Qualifications Manager. Prior to coming to Careerforce Adrienne worked as Qualifications Manager at the Social Services ITO, and before that she worked at ITP Quality. Adrienne is also on the Board of Trade Aid. Adrienne is calm, easy going, and brings a wealth of educational knowledge to her new position. Adrienne lives in Upper Hutt with her partner and son. 
 
Read next month’s eChat to find out more about Catherine, Sandy, Helena, and Neil.

New Core Competencies unit standards available

New resources for nine unit standards that are in the revised Core Competencies (Level 3) qualification are now available. These add to the resources for 13 new unit standards launched in August.
 
The latest standards include three new mental health and addiction unit standards, and a unit standard on cultural identities and culture-related issues. New workbooks and assessments for these unit standards will be available to purchase next week at http://shop.careerforce.org.nz/
 
Five unit standards from other standard setting bodies have had assessment materials contextualised to the health and disability sector. These units are available as electives in the revised Core Competencies. Trainee’s Assessments can be purchased for $5 each next week from http://shop.careerforce.org.nz/ or downloaded for free from our website.
 
In October resources supporting two new breastfeeding unit standards will be released.

New educator resource

23925A new resource will help workplace educators support their trainees achieve Unit Standard 23925 ‘Consumer independence’.
 
The CD-ROM contains essential background information, activities and tasks, and video clips from four case studies. Two accompanying DVDs are also supplied showing the four case studies in full. The case studies show real consumers being supported so that their level of independence is maximised, and will be invaluable for many organisations working in this area.

The Educator Support resource is available for $15 (plus GST and postage) from http://shop.careerforce.org.nz/23925-educator-support-manual-cd-dvd/

Verifier toolkit

Verifiers play a key role in supporting assessors. Verifiers work closely with trainees, and because of this they are able to collect naturally occurring evidence on the trainee’s performance, and report this back to the assessor.
 
Over the next week workplace training co-ordinators should receive a copy of our new verifier toolkit, and it would be greatly appreciated if this was passed onto verifiers. The toolkit contains a self-paced workbook on verification, its assessment, and additional resources designed to support verifiers in their role. 
 
Additional copies can be downloaded from the Careerforce website: www.careerforce.org.nz/verifier_toolbox
 
If your workplace doesn’t receive a verifier toolkit next week please contact your Careerforce Field Team representative.

Changes to badges and certificates

new look badgeTrainees who have a training agreement with Careerforce are sent a Careerforce badge and a framed NZQA certificate when they complete their qualification.
 
From 10 October 2011 trainees who complete their qualification will be sent a new look badge that is professionally packaged and colour coded based on the qualification. Trainees will also receive a presentation folder that holds the NZQA certificate and the badge. The presentation folder replaces the current frame. The presentation folder is professionally designed, financially sustainable, and better for the environment.
 
For more information click here.  

New videos on Careerforce TV

New Careerforce videos are now available designed to provide greater insight into workplace training in the health and disability sectors. The new videos include:

  • Careerforce TVAn Introduction to Careerforce
  • A Careerforce Guide to the NZQA and NQZF
  • Who's Involved in Successful Workplace Learning?
  • Verifiers and Verification
  • Careerforce Registered Assessors

As well as being on YouTube these videos can also be viewed on the Careerforce website.

Consent and Moderation Requirements - have your say

Careerforce currently has two sets of Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMRs) – which were until recently called Accreditation and Moderation Action Plans (AMAPs).

Until now CMR 24 has covered the majority of Careerforce’s unit standards, with CMR 150 covering unit standards in mental health support work.

In order to simplify and rationalise the criteria that apply to gaining consent to assess against unit standards and to on-going moderation of assessments, Careerforce has drafted a merged CMR that will cover all unit standards previously covered by CMR 24 and CMR 150.  A particular feature of the ‘new’ CMR is the modification of criteria that need to be met to be eligible to assess.  It is envisaged that the requirements as listed in the ‘new’ CMR will open the door to people who have been considered capable of becoming assessors, but who have been blocked by the existing wording of requirements.

Click here to view the proposed Consent and Moderation Requirements.

Feedback on this draft is now being sought before it is submitted to NZQA. Please provide feedback to Graeme Sauer by 21 October 2011.

Award winning West Auckland home healthcare provider

Home Healthcare provider VisionWest Community Trust were big winners at the Westpac Auckland West Business Awards held in August.

visionwest celebrateVisionWest won the Unitec Excellence in Not for Profit Award, the People’s Choice – Most Inspirational Business Award, and their Marketing and Communications Manager Stephanie Yost was awarded the Rosebank Business Association Young Business Person of the Year Award.

The Trust was also a finalist in the categories of Excellence in Innovation, and Excellence in Training and Development in recognition of their training programmes for their 300+ Home Healthcare Support Workers.

Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest Community Trust, said “winning these Awards is a true testament to the strong sense of vision and commitment of our people, and every member of staff has something to celebrate and be proud of. To walk away that night knowing that VisionWest is recognised as one of the best not-for-profit organisations in West Auckland was a humbling experience.”

Training in action: Up-skilling the Bupa way

Bupa Care Services are working to align their caregiver training resources with Careerforce’s level 2 and 3 qualifications.  The objective of the project is to strengthen and support Bupa’s existing induction and staff development processes, maximise efficiencies and reduce duplication.  

Bupa’s Deb Witheford is the project coordinator for this programme.  She says the project has revealed that there are many learning opportunities at Bupa and a robust internal evaluation programme, but that not enough evidence of employee competency is collected to satisfy unit standard requirements.  

Deb has developed an orientation book that includes an assessment component.  This new resource means that employees are now able to achieve Foundation Skills (Level 2) while they complete Bupa’s orientation programme.  The orientation resource includes references to the learning and to the policies and procedures trainees need to be familiar with.  

A key focus for Deb has been developing assessments which are contextualised to Bupa and which utilise existing staff development processes.  The assessment materials are written using language and documentation that staff working in Bupa care homes are familiar with.  

As part of the orientation programme staff are allocated a buddy for six weeks.  During this time they are supported to complete the knowledge tasks of Foundation Skills.  To help staff achieve Personal Care unit standard (23386), trainees are observed supporting a resident with a hygiene procedure. All going well, trainees receive their final assessment as part of their three month appraisal, when their manager or supervisor provides an attestation of their skills, knowledge and attitudes.  

Deb says that as a result of the qualification being available, staff are more motivated to complete their orientation within the required timeframe.  “Being able to complete Foundation Skills as part of their orientation gives them a real boost in confidence,” says Deb. 

The Foundation Skills aligned orientation programme is currently being piloted at seven care homes.  Twenty-three staff have so far enrolled, and of these five have already completed.  The programme will be formally evaluated in November, but preliminary feedback suggests that the training has strengthened the confidence of the staff and their ability to advocate on behalf of residents.  

Deb is currently comparing the requirements of Core Competencies (Level 3) with Bupa’s annual education programme.  This work will be completed this year, allowing the first Bupa staff member to undertake Core Competencies using Bupa resources in 2012.  In this way Bupa staff will be able to begin a national qualification based pathway, progressing from level 2 to 3, and doing it ‘the Bupa way’.

Bupa graduate Brenda Llewell

Brenda Llewell from The Gardens Rest Home and Hospital, Rotorua. Brenda is an experienced caregiver who will be buddy for new staff undertaking the programme.  Foundation Skills is her first ever qualification.
Brenda says "This is a very big achievement for me.  I'm very proud of myself."
 

 

 

 

 Bupa graduate Misty Fraser

Misty Fraser - Rossendale Hospital, Hamilton

Misty started out as a caregiver at Rossendale Hospital, Hamilton, but now works as an Activities Assistant.  Foundation Skills is Misty's first qualification. 
Misty says the achievement has given her confidence that she can do a good job, and she is motivated to continue with the level 3 qualification.  
From left is Glory May Recierdo (Clinical Manager), Adriana Ciolpan (Facility Manager) and Misty Fraser.

 

If your organisation has an embedded education and training programme and you would like this to be evaluated against the requirements of a Careerforce qualification, please contact Careerforce’s Lisa Williams

 

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