Careerforce’s Investment Plan

As part of the current tertiary education reforms, Careerforce is developing an Investment Plan with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) that will influence learning and development in what is frequently referred to as the non-regulated health and disability workforce over the next three years.

To view our Updated Priorities

To view the full Careerforce Strategic Directions 2008 - 2010 (Word format (2.5MB)

or (1.3MB).

There are four parts to the Investment Plan:

• The plan context – the particular factors that Careerforce has considered and intends to respond to in its Plan. Careerforce has identified the need for this part of the plan to set out a broad understanding of health and disability workforce issues and to describe the landscape in which workforce development happens. This will help the TEC to understand the complex nature of the sector.
• Three-year outlook – the planned activity for the next three years to address the features identified in the plan context.
• Summary of activity – information on delivery over the next three years.
• Key performance indicators – the measures to be used in evaluating performance against the Plan.

As part of this process, Careerforce held a series of meetings around the country which had been advertised through a variety of networks, including Careerforce's database, Healthcare Providers New Zealand, the Home Health Association and the Ministry of Health's NGO desk weekly update. These meetings were attended by approximately 120 people from across the health and disability spectrum, including people from public health, primary health, non-regulated (care and support - older persons and lifelong disability), mental health, consumers, consumer advocacy groups, health and disability providers, funders, education providers, vocational support agencies, local bodies, economic development agencies, research institutes etc. Many more people registered an interest in receiving information and feedback from the meetings.

At the meetings, we worked with participants to explore future workforce skill development at a strategic level. The first part of the process was for participants to identify issues impacting on workforce development. A summary of these issues is presented in the following table.

To view the full summary of issues (164 KB)

In the second part of the meeting, we presented Careerforce's thinking on a workforce development relationships framework and discussed the four requirements for sustainable workplace training and sought feedback from the meeting participants.The key elements of training sustainability are as follows:

1. Workplaces need time dedicated to training e.g. trainer/coach/mentor, verifier, assessor, administration, etc. The funding relationship is through contracts between health funders and health providers.
2. Workers need training support e.g. opportunity to meet, literacy support, recognition upon completion, etc. Again the funding relationship is between health funders and health providers.
3. National qualifications need hook ons, credit and certificate registration, moderation and at times support tools and resources. This is generally funded through industry contribution which for this sector means health funder or employer or employee.
4. Workplaces need support to embed a sustainable culture of learning and development that supports qualification achievement. Careerforce has this as a priority investment focus for 2008 - 2010, acknowledging that some health and disability funders are also supporting this component of workforce sustainability.

To view the Workforce relationships to Government Strategies (66 KB)

This very valuable engagement with the sector informed the shape and content of the Investment Plan. Careerforce would like to thank everyone who contributed so generously to this initial process, either directly at meetings, or by other means.