Training for Good

Kia ora

Welcome to the Summer issue of Training for Good.

We hope you are enjoying summer and are making time to get out and about with your friends and family.

In this issue, we share a story of a family carer, learning as they go along from their support worker and what they had to do as a family to look after their dad at home. We also have assessment and study tips for you, and we answer some of your frequently asked questions.

February 14th is Valentine’s Day but more importantly, February is Heart Health Awareness Month. We share our colleague’s story of recovery from a triple heart bypass. We hope you learn something that you could apply if you are ever supporting someone with a heart condition and get inspired to look after your own heart health.

Enjoy!

Assessor Tip
Have you heard of SEE?
This is an easy way to build a paragraph and a useful tip for answering questions…

SEE stands for:

Statement

Start the paragraph with a statement. This lets the assessor know what the paragraph is about and your position about the subject matter.

Explain

Then explain your statement.

This provides the assessor with the details they need.

Example

Then give an example or two (depending on what is required in the assessment).

This helps the assessor gauge your level of understanding.

Block out study time

A very recognised and approved study technique is the ‘Pomodoro Method’. This originated with an Italian educational psychologist in the 1980’s who timed tasks using a tomato shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro being the Italian word for tomato) in order to test how intervals improve focus.

he research found that our brain tends to wander after around half-an-hour of attention on a given task. The Pomodoro Method takes advantage of this by setting 25-minute study intervals, with a 5-minute break in between.

Try the Pomodoro Method by doing the following:

Break up your task into small chunks
Set a goal that can be accomplished in 25 minutes
Set a timer for 25-minutes, and focus 100% working on your task
Then take a 5-minute break away from your study
Repeat this four times if you have not already finished your task and then take a longer break of 15 – 30 minutes

This means you will be getting the best of both worlds – it’s short and painless, and your brain will thank you for it.

In our last newsletter, we shared a tip to create an environment for learning.
How many of you thought about this and feel you have made some changes, if needed?

Titiro whakamuri kokiri whakamua
(Look back and reflect so you can move forward)

February is Heart Health Awareness Month. We speak to Pam Harris, Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor and author of Getting to the heart of the matter about her experience recovering from a triple heart bypass operation that came as a huge surprise.

It was Waitangi Day 3 years ago now when Pam awoke in such a bad mood which she says is really unlike her at all. She couldn’t understand why she felt so grumpy. To shrug off her moodiness, she started mowing the lawn. Ten minutes later, she couldn’t breathe.

Q: When can I expect to receive my certificate?
A: You will receive your certificate in about three to four weeks after your assessor has reported your last assessment result.

Q: Why does it take three to four weeks to receive my certificate?
A: It will take this long as your results need to be recorded with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) first. NZQA will then notify Careerforce once they have registered your results and we can then arrange with the printers to have your certificate printed and sent to your workplace. While you wait for your certificate, you can check your official NZQA Record of Achievement (RoA). This records all the qualifications and unit standards you have completed in New Zealand.

Read instructions on how to access your RoA

Q: How do I enrol into my next programme?
A: Any programme you enrol in should be discussed with your employer.
You might like to refer to the Careerforce website to find out what you could be doing next.
https://www.careerforce.org.nz/qualifications/

Prizes, prizes, prizes! Did we mention prizes?
Congratulations to the quiz winners from the October newsletter who each won $50 prezzy cards.
1.     Richelle Retardo
2.     Brent McConnell
3.     Nicola Donges

Want to get in on the fun and prizes? Join the quiz now and get a chance to go into the draw to win 1 of 3 $50 prezzy cards.
The quiz closes on 28 Feb To enter, follow this link.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFGFeb2021

We’ll contact the winners via email so don’t forget to provide your email address at the end of the quiz and we’ll publish your names in our next newsletter.