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October  2023
Welcome...
.. to the October apprenticeship newsletter. In this issue:
  • Nail that assessment
  • Win a copy of 'A Māori Phrase A Day' plus a $50 grocery voucher
  • Aka Toi is now more accessible
  • Meet one of your fellow apprentices
  • Study hubs and drop-in sessions to help you progress your learning
  • Support for Māori and Pasifika learners
  • Apprenticeship programme updates
  • Where to from here....
  • Introducing Te Pae Ora - our wellbeing hub for learners
  • Recommended for watching
 
Nail that assessment
Nailing that Assessment is a regular section in our newsletters designed to help you do just that, nail your assessment.
 
Aka Toi Learner Guide
This Aka Toi learner guide has been developed to give apprentices helpful definitions and insights to support you with your assessments. >>More

IMPORTANT - only submit one task at a time

Please remember, it is important that you ONLY submit one task within a module for marking at a time. Feel free to work on other tasks, but please don’t submit these until the first task has been assessed. This is because we need to give you feedback to help guide you, before you move forward to the next one.  

Connect with your advisor

Please make sure you keep in touch with your Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor.  As we approach the holidays and some of you may want to spend time working on your programme, this is especially important. Check in with your advisor to work out which is the best module for you to focus on next.

 
Win a copy of 'A Māori Phrase A Day' plus a $50 grocery voucher
We're giving away three copies of the 'A Māori phrase a day' - book, the perfect way to kickstart your te reo journey! It's a modern, user-friendly phrasebook described as a fun and easy entry into the Maori language. Through its 365 phrases, you will learn the following: everyday uses, English translations, factoids, handy word lists. It also presents the most common, relevant and useful phrases today.

Simply answer three questions by 17 November    2023 to go into the draw to win 1 of 3 copies of the book and a grocery voucher. Follow the link below to enter the quiz.

We'll contact the winners via email, so don't forget to provide your email address at the end of the quiz.
 
Aka Toi is now more accessible
Earlier this year, we completed a site accessibility audit to get a better understanding of where we could make improvements and ensure that our site is user friendly for all.
As part of this ongoing work, we have now introduced the UserWay Accessibility widget on the Aka Toi Learning and Assessment platform. This widget has a range of tools to help better support our users with digital accessibility needs. The functionality includes easily increasing font sizes, activating dyslexia friendly fonts, adding contrast to the page and more!

You will find this widget on the middle right-hand side of all Aka Toi pages. To access this, click on the icon shown above in Aka Toi and see what the tool can provide.

 
Meet one of your fellow apprentices
 
74-year-old making an impact for disabled people in her community
 
Neri Johnson is busting the myth that your seventies is a time to slow down.

Neri works for CCS Disability Action supporting disabled people in the Christchurch community. Neri also chairs two community organisations which improve social connection and reduce social isolation and loneliness. She was also recently recognised by the Philippines government with an award for Services to the Community, equivalent to the New Zealand Order of Merit.

On top of her this, Neri is one of the latest graduates to successfully complete an Apprenticeship in Health and Wellbeing Disability Support with
Careerforce | Te Pūkenga.

Neri says, “I think age is something to be celebrated and not to be scared of. Age is not a barrier.  I’d like to inspire people that way.  You steer the boat where you want it to go. Life is what you make it! Look at me I’m still doing something quite amazing!”

Above, Neri proudly shows off her certificate at her graduation, joined by Careerforce’s Andy Bunn to the left, and the CSS Disability Action team
 
 
Study hubs and drop-in sessions to help you progress your learning
Here's a chance to chat with Careerforce advisors and get some help to progress your programme. We're running face to face sessions across the country to help support you with your learning. The sessions in the table below are currently scheduled, but we will be adding more over time. Just drop in either for the whole time or for as long as you are able. We're happy to support you.

We know that learners benefit from the opportunity for face to face engagement, and have had great feedback from the sessions to date. We have also advised employers about these sessions.

Registration
Auckland: register for the Auckland events here
Dunedin https://forms.office.com/r/SvuYnQTKDa
Gisborne and Hawke's Bay: email kaye.ross@careerforce.org.nz
Whanganui UCOL: email damika.hirst@careerforce.org.nz
No registration is required for the other events.


Reach out to your Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor to find out what is available in your area.

 
Support for Māori and Pasifika learners
 
Remember that we provide a number of resources and supports for learners who identify as Māori or Pasifika.  Please check out these pages for Māori learners and Pasifika learners.
 
Apprenticeship programme updates
 
NZQA has recently extended the last date of assessment for a number of our programmes that award version 1 of the qualification. This means Careerforce | Te Pūkenga will now be closing the following programmes on 31 May 2024.

Version 1 apprenticeship programmes:

  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation – Disability Support
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation – Diversional Therapy
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation – Teacher Aide
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation – Youth Work
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Community Health Work (version 1)
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Mental Health and Addiction (version 1)
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Peer Support Work (version 1)

Remember, there are still several unit standards expiring on 31 December 2023. We remind learners who are yet to complete these, to do so by 1 November 2023 to allow time for marking and reporting results.  If you have almost completed these, but may need an extra day or so to finish, please make contact with your Apprenticeship Advisor to discuss options.

Expiring programmes – 31 December 2023

The following programmes still expire on 31 December 2023:
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Healthcare Assistance for Aged Care – complex
  • NZ Apprenticeship in Brain Injury Rehabilitation Support (version 1)
 
 
Where to from here....
Have you considered what you'd like to do when you finish your Level 4 apprenticeship? If you're keen to broaden your knowledge, here's some inspiration:
 
New Zealand Diploma in Health and Wellbeing (Level 5) Applied Practice
This is an applied diploma which means you need to do 200 hours of practical work. The Diploma is designed to qualify advanced support workers who work closely and collaboratively to support people and whānau with complex needs. The programme is centred on developing the competencies needed to support your client’s complex needs. The learning is transferred into work practices. >>More about the diploma

 
Level 5 graduate Kimi Cowan-Smith is building better habits and transforming lives
 
Kimi Cowan-Smith is progressing through a qualification pathway to help people take better control of their lives.

The Christchurch based Health Coach inspires her clients to make lifestyle changes, that have life changing impacts on their physical health.
In just two years at Pathways, Kimi has helped countless people manage their weight, reverse diabetes, and improve their lives.
 
She has been able to use models of behaviour change to enhance her practice.

Kimi’s entry to the health and wellbeing sector began as a community support worker in a residential home just a few years ago. Initially with zero health care skills or qualifications, Kimi kicked off her learning journey with a Health and Wellbeing Level 2 qualification.

This was soon followed by the Level 3 qualification, and then the Level 4 Apprenticeship in Disability Support with Careerforce, a business division of Te Pūkenga. All have been achieved via on-the-job training, allowing Kimi to ‘earn and learn.’  

“I was looking for something new to learn after the apprenticeship, when I heard about the Diploma in Health and Wellbeing Applied Practice. I’m quite passionate about learning and so I wanted to learn more. I was motivated to keep moving up the ladder, so I jumped straight on it.”
 
Introducing Te Pae Ora - our wellbeing hub for learners
We're excited to share Te Pae Ora, an online hub developed by Te Pūkenga. The hub is dedicated to support you on your learning journey with Careerforce | Te Pūkenga.

It contains information, advice and resources about wellbeing drawn on best practice and lived experience, and was co-designed with ākonga from across Aotearoa.  
 
 
Free counselling to all Careerforce learners
Careerforce enrolled learners who are going through a tough time can now access a free counselling service, available throughout New Zealand, from the professional employee assistance provider Vitae. More information:  careerforce.org.nz/counsellingforlearners/
Recommended for watching - I am
I Am tells the real-life events of people whose experiences are unique and diverse, in their own words. Take in powerful journeys, emotional true stories and insights into worlds many of us will never be privy to. Made with the support of NZ on Air.    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/i-am
 
I Am Tui Taurua: I am A Mental Health Warrier
Tui spent more than two decades in and out of psychiatric hospitals because of the way the western lens viewed the voices she was hearing in her head.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/i-am/episodes/s4-e6
 
 
 
See previous newsletters
for more hints and tips

You can look back on previous issues of this newsletter for more ideas to help you really take charge of your apprenticeship journey.  You'll also find more news stories to help keep you motivated.

Previous issues of the apprenticeship newsletter can be found here

 
Stay Connected
Join the Apprenticeship Facebook Group to link in with your fellow apprentices. Follow the Careerforce Facebook Page for some inspiration, stories and important announcements.
 
 
 
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