Hoe Ngātahi Newsletter - January 2024: Supporting Māori learner success

Ko te tangi o ngā manu o te waonui ā Tāne
Ketekete ana te Kākā
Kūkū ana te Kukupa
Kuikui ana te Kiwi
Kāokao ana te Weka
Āno te āhuareka ki te taringa.

E ngā tini mate kua hinga atu ki tua o tea rai
Haere, haere, okioki ai.

Ki te kanohi ora mihi mai rā, whakatau mai rā
E ngā pae maunga, e ngā awa, e ngā moana,
ngā roto, e timotimo ana hei ōranga, e
ngā Marae maha karanga mai.

Kei ngā Iwi, ngā hapū ōtirā ki ngā whānau
whānui, karanga mai, karanga mai, karanga mai.
E rere kau ana ngā mihi o te tau rua mano rua tekau
mā toru (2024) ki ā tātou katoa.

The cry of the birds of the forest
The chittering of the parrot
The cooing of the wood pigeon
The wail of the kiwi
The soprano of the weka
What a beautiful sound to the ear.

We pay homage to those who have passed beyond the veil
We bid you farewell and rest in peace.

To the living we bid you all welcome
To the mountains, to the rivers, seas,
lakes that create the dew to sustain our thirst, to our many Marae we welcome you all.

To the tribes and subtribes and most importantly
Our extended whānau
We welcome you back
We welcome you to the year 2024.

My whānau are my 'WHY' and purpose. I enjoy connecting with our Taiao (environment) as often as possible and supporting my tamariki with their sports and activities.

I am married with three beautiful daughters and two handsome sons. We live intergenerational which provides us all with so many benefits with connecting and engaging.

After spending some time abroad, I returned to Kirikiriroa with a young whānau where, with the loving support of my whānau, I embarked on my own learning journey.

Did you know that the Careerforce website has an area just to support you to learn to learn? It has all sorts of tips, guidance, and information that will help you on your journey. Check it out here.

Tips and ideas vary in usefulness between people as we all have our own ways of learning. But here are some ideas you could try, that might just work for you.

Starting a new unit standard or module

When you start a new unit standard or module, have a look at the questions in the assessment first and briefly reflect on what comes to mind in the context of your role. Note the questions down with some space around them.

Now work through the learning with the questions and your role in mind. You can write brief notes from the learning alongside the questions, especially if it reminds you of a situation you were a part of in your role.

When you complete the learning, you can use your notes to write your answer.

Your answer must be in your own words or you need to acknowledge the source if you have copied
technical detail or from your policies and procedures or quoted someone. Remember to maintain confidentiality and protect a person’s information, don’t include any detail that might identify them, eg name, NHI, family members’ names etc.

What is an assessor looking for?

An assessor wants to know that you understand what you are learning and can apply it effectively and appropriately in your role.

They want to know that you are safe to be working with clients and that you will follow your organisation’s policies and procedures.

So, sometimes, if you feel like you are struggling to get the right words for your answer, add an example from your experience. A recent example that will show in a story-like form what you are trying to answer, will help your assessor understand what you want to say and it will tell them how you put it into practice.

Remember there is no penalty for submitting more than once

If you think you have done your best, have the courage to submit - you won’t go wrong. If the answer needs a bit more information, your assessor will guide you to what to do. And if you are anxious, please don’t be whakamā to ask for help.

Is there something you would like us to put into the next issue to help you with your learning?

Feel free to let us know by emailing amio.mobile@careerforce.org.nz

As we have met with groups last year, we have heard how you want to meet up more regularly with others and wished there was a study group.

We realise that with work-based learning there aren’t classes to attend and of course everyone is working, often full-time. So, knowing who else is studying is difficult.

Being in the health industry you’ll be aware of the Privacy Act, which we are also bound by.
But we thought we could offer a place where you can share contact information with us and give us permission to share it with another person who is also willing to share their information. This is so you can contact each other and potentially set up a study group.

We would not be able to facilitate or moderate any communications or meetings, so you will need to take responsibility for your safety and wellbeing.

If you would like to try this, follow this link to complete the form.

We will gather responses, then collate the information and by the end of February will contact anyone who responded. This contact will either be to share contact information or to let you know that no one else responded to match your area or qualification, depending on your choice when you complete the form.

Whangārei caregiver, Santana Ngawharau has overcome communication barriers to succeed.

Santana carries out housekeeping and laundry duties at Metlifecare’s Whangarei Park retirement village. Born profoundly Deaf, Santana’s first language is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and not English. Despite not having other people in her workplace who are fluent in New Zealand Sign Language, Santana navigates communication using a combination of lip reading and NZSL which she shares with others around her.

With her own determination and support from her employer, Santana has completed her New Zealand Certificate in Cleaning (Level 2) with Careerforce | Te Pūkenga. She has now enrolled in the Certificate in Cleaning (Level 3) Contagion and Specialised Infection Control programme, also with Careerforce, and also completed via on-job training.

“I enjoy the cleaning responsibilities, as well as building relationships with the residents,” says Santana. “I really enjoy conversing with each of the residents when I’m collecting their laundry, teaching them sign language and supporting them during mealtimes.”

Claire Wolmarans, a Metlifecare workplace assessor says, “I feel honoured to have been able to work with Santana. She really is amazing.”.

“When it came to Santana doing her first assessments, I thought it might be difficult for her, but it wasn’t at all. She was so keen, and it became a great learning for both of us.”

Santana took up the offer to attend a 2-day Noho Marae at Hokianga run by Careerforce for learners who identify as Māori, and who wanted a little extra support. Santana described the Noho Marae event as a positive experience, and she enjoyed the opportunity to interact with some of the Careerforce staff using New Zealand Sign Language.

“There were people who could assist and I gained some valuable learnings and help with my assessment work,” says Santana.