Training for Good - November 2024: Digital prize pack, celebrating learners, where to from here..

Aimee Rubio is passionate about supporting people to achieve their goals and to be as independent as possible.

Starting as a Flexible Supports Coordinator with the Florence Nightingale Agency five years ago, Aimee’s focus was giving choice and control to people to support them to stay in their home or community and make a meaningful difference in their lives.

“I was looking for more challenges within our organisation, and was given the opportunity to look into more training,” says Aimee.

The Level 5 Leadership and Management Diploma stood out to her, and so with support from Careerforce, she embarked on the 18-month programme. Aimee completed the Diploma and has secured a leadership role as Client Services Manager with the agency.

Having completed the Diploma, she looks at things in a different way now and can strategically look at her tasks to better support her team and the work they do.
“It has really helped me progress within my role and advance my knowledge and skills,” says Aimee.

To help us improve the wellbeing support we offer all our learners, we’re running a short three minute wellbeing survey.

We have sent all Careerforce learners this short survey on behalf of
Te Pūkenga’s Learner Journey and Experience team. The survey aims to monitor learner wellbeing across the country, and is completely anonymous.

Thank you to those of you who have already completed the survey. If you haven't yet, there is still time. The closing date has been extended to 12 noon on Sunday 1 December 2024.

You can enter a prize draw to win a Digital Prize Pack valued at approximately $2866, containing an HP Pavilion 16" Laptop, Targus Cypress 15.6 Hero backpack - Grey, Technics EAH-A800 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones - Black and Logitech G309 Lightspeed Gaming Mouse by clicking on a separate link to the prize draw form.

To start the survey, please click on the link below.
Learner Wellbeing Survey Two 2024

The Careerforce Manaaki Fund provides temporary financial assistance to learners facing unexpected hardship that is impacting upon their studies. The fund can be used for a number of things including necessary medical, dental or optical costs. Check out the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to see more examples of what the fund can be used for. Round 8 of the fund is now open.

Round 8*
Applications open: 4 - 17 November 2024
Applicants notified: 2 December 2024
*Dates are subject to change

To apply for the funding, you need to complete the application form here. Within your application, it is important that you:

are clear and specific with the nature of your current financial hardship, that the fund will help to address, and
detail how the one-off payment will support you in your learning.

To be eligible, you must be enrolled in a Careerforce programme and meet all the relevant criteria.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application within two weeks of the fund closing date. Recipients of the Manaaki fund will be asked to provide feedback to Careerforce to enable us to measure the impact of this funding.

Please note that online applications only are accepted. If you require any assistance to complete the application, we are happy to help. Please contact us at Manaaki.Fund@careerforce.org.nz or on 0800 277 486 (and ask for the Manaaki Fund Team).

We have already supported a number of learners with a one-off payment of $400 to help with alleviating financial barriers:

"Thank you so very much for the funds. It will help enormously with food, transport, power and school. The struggles are real and receiving these funds is very much appreciated."

"I am absolutely thrilled that I have been accepted for the Manaaki fund. I feel very blessed to be acknowledged in this kind Koha towards my education."

"Good morning, I have received the financial assistance, thank you very much to you and to Careerforce. You guys have been with me in my apprenticeship journey and even in my personal matters. My family is very grateful."

Recent Manaaki Fund recipients

Would you like some extra support with your training programme? Our Achieve Study Hubs are face-to-face sessions where you can drop in, ask questions, meet with other learners, and receive help with your learning. There are still a few more dates in the calendar for 2024. Watch this space as 2025 dates will be published shortly.

Our Achieve Study Hubs are scheduled across the country. Learners are also welcome to attend sessions outside their area. See the full schedule on our website.

You can RSVP for the Achieve Study Hubs by completing the online form.

Study support options for Māori and Pasifika
If you identify as either Māori or Pasifika, we also have study support resources and face-to-face study options available including wānanga, noho marae and talanoa events. See our Māori support page and our Pasifika support page.

Do you have a compliment that you would like to share, or a concern that you would like us to address? We’d love to hear from you.

Your feedback helps us enhance our services and serve you better. Let us know by completing our new Compliments and Complaints form on our website.
For more information, please read the Careerforce Compliments and Complaints Policy.

In the document, we cover:

The service expectations people should expect from Careerforce
How to resolve complaints
The procedure if an investigation is required
How complainants can appeal
Other organisations a person may wish to contact, if necessary, to deal with their complaint
Providing feedback about the process.

Careerforce was featured in a recent article in Aged Plus magazine. The article covered our thirty years offering Health and Wellbeing programmes for the aged care sector.

Five Careerforce learners who work in aged care were recognised and celebrated in the article. You can read the full article here from page 13. We'd also like to share their learning journeys here, as follow. Many of these learners completed the Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy. If you work in aged care, you may wish to consider if this apprenticeship is the next best step for you?

Thanks to her employer, Oceania Healthcare and Careerforce, Ruth Snowden was very proud to successfully complete her Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy.
“This has been a big accomplishment for me. I feel very proud that I’ve done it, and very thankful,” says the Auckland based diversional therapist. Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor, Shane Bennett says “Ruth has an infectious passion for her residents and supporting her to transfer that dedication into her apprenticeship assignments was a genuine pleasure.”
>>Read more about Ruth's journey

Joanna Hood is overcoming the challenges of dyslexia to succeed as a diversional therapist at Alzheimers Manawatu. The apprentice helps to run day centre programmes for people affected by dementia across the region and she is bringing joy to people’s lives.

Joanna lives with Irlen Syndrome, a particular type of dyslexia, where the brain is unable to properly process visual information, because of sensitivity to certain wavelengths of light. Careerforce Literacy and Numeracy Advisor Cushla Wilson is helping Joanna to work with various tools that can successfully support her apprenticeship training.
>>Read more about Joanna's journey

Whangārei caregiver, Santana Ngawharau carries out housekeeping and laundry duties at Metlifecare’s Whangārei Park Retirement Village. Being profoundly deaf, Santana’s first language is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). She communicates using a combination of lip reading and NZSL.

With her own determination and support from her employer, Santana has completed her New Zealand Certificate in Cleaning (Level 2) with Careerforce and has now enrolled in the Certificate in Cleaning (Level 3) also with Careerforce.
>>Read more about Santana's journey

Frank Malley discovered his true passion, supporting elders in a role he was born to do. While Covid ended his career as a sports reporter, a role he held for over 17 years, he is now finding fulfilment working in the rewarding care and support sector.

A few challenges resulting from the pandemic led Frank to pursue a role at Switzer, a rest home, hospital and secure dementia unit in Kaitaia, and in 2023 started a full-time role as a diversional therapy assistant.
Frank has now qualified in his new chosen career, having completed his Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy.
>>Read more about Frank's journey

Central Hawke’s Bay diversional therapist Nika Harley has ‘found her place’ in aged residential care and wants other young people to consider the career path too.

The youngster from Takapau is an Activities Assistant at Waipukurau’s Woburn Rest Home. It’s a role she never even knew existed. “I absolutely love this job, it allows me to do everything I enjoy, every day,” says Nika. She has successfully completed her Diversional Therapy Apprenticeship which will enable her to advance her career in the health and wellbeing sector.
>>Read more about Nika's journey

Some of you will be completing Unit Standard 20826, which is part of Careerforce’s Health and Wellbeing Level 2 and Level 3 Health Assistance and Support Work programmes.

Unit Standard 20826 - Demonstrate knowledge of infection control requirements in a health or wellbeing setting

Version 6 of the following Unit Standard expires on 31 December 2024 and has been replaced with Version 7.

Version 7 of the unit standard has been available to all new learners for the last few months. However, it is important that everyone currently enrolled in Version 6 completes this before the end of 2024.

It is recommended that you complete Version 6 no later than the dates below:

Completing via the online learning platform Aka Toi:

All assessment tasks must be submitted for marking by Monday 18 November 2024 to allow time for assessors to mark them by Monday 16 December (11.59 pm).

Completing via paper based products

It is recommended that all assessment tasks are submitted to the assessor for marking by 20 December 2024 (or at a date arranged with your assessor) to allow time for assessors to mark and report them by 11.59pm on 31 December 2024 (via iportal).

See the email we sent to impacted learners on 14 October >>More

Te Pūkenga run a regular learner wellbeing survey on behalf of all business divisions, including Careerforce. This helps us understand how satisfied learners are with their training experience and monitors their overall wellbeing while they train. The most recent survey results are very pleasing from a Careerforce perspective.

We had the top learner response rate amongst the work-based learning divisions, a strong indicator of learner engagement.
Overall learner wellbeing – 94.1% of Careerforce learners feel their wellbeing is supported during their training (based on their agreement with a series of wellbeing statements). This aligns with our Māori learners (94.3%), and our Pacific learners (97.4%).
Overall learner satisfaction – 93.3% of Careerforce learners are satisfied with their overall learner experience, similar to our Māori learners (95.1%) and our Pacific learners (95.7%).

As a learner enrolled in Careerforce programmes, we hope that these results show that we are working hard to ensure you have a positive learner experience, and that your wellbeing is being supported.

We're extending support to learners enrolled in a Careerforce programme* through a short-term pilot programme. Our Wellbeing Advisors are available to provide assistance to individuals on their learning journey.

We aim to help Careerforce learners feel comfortable seeking confidential support for their mental health and wellbeing. Support is available via phone, text, email, Microsoft Teams, or in-person depending on location.

To take the first step, visit our webpage and complete the referral form.

This pilot is generously funded by Te Whatu Ora until 20 December 2024
*This pilot excludes Gateway learners

Have you considered what you'd like to do when you finish your current programme? Are you keen to broaden your knowledge via further work-based learning programmes?

For those of you coming to the end of your Level 3 programme, this is a good time to consider if a level 4 apprenticeship is the next step for you.

Graduates of the Level 3 Health Assistance programme may wish to consider

The Advanced Care and Support Apprenticeship
The Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy

Graduates of the Level 3 Support Work - Disability programme may wish to consider

Apprenticeship in Whānau, Community and Social Services
The Apprenticeship in Disability Support
The Apprenticeship in Peer Support
The Apprenticeship in Mental Health and Addiction Support

Graduates of the Level 3 in Youth Work may wish to consider

The Apprenticeship in Youth Work

Check out the full list of apprenticeships.

Free Enrolments
We are offering free enrolments in the following programmes:

Apprenticeship in PCPA extended to 31 December 2024
Apprenticeship in Whānau, Community and Social Services until 30 November 2024
Apprenticeship in Youth Work (Level 4) until 30 November 2024
Diploma in Health and Wellbeing (Level 5) Applied Practice until 30 November 2024
Apprenticeship in Peer Support until June 2026 via the Peer Support Training Grant (subject to applicants meeting the full eligibility criteria)

Apprenticeship Boost
Your employer may also be able to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Boost wage subsidy which had been extended to June 2028.

The Careerforce offices will be closed for the holidays. Offices close at midday on Tuesday 24 December, and re-open on Monday 6 January 2025.

For those of you using Aka Toi, our online learning and assessment platform, this will be available for you to continue your learning during the holiday period. You can still work on your assessments over the holidays and submit them to your assessor for marking. Careerforce support won’t however be available from midday on 24 December 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025.

Keep up-to-date, and read more inspirational stories about your fellow Careerforce trainees, follow or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/careerforceNZ/

If you’re having some challenges with your training, ask your assessor or employer for some advice. If you think Careerforce can help, do get in touch with us.
Careerforce.org.nz/contact-us/

Has anything changed? It's important that we hold up to date contact information in order for us to connect and provide updates on your training progress. If you have recently changed home address, contact number or email address, then please let us know by sending an email to info@careerforce.org.nz

Are you leaving your employment or wish to withdraw from your training? Please let us know by completing the “Training Agreement Termination” online submission form which can be found on the Careerforce website here

Tip: We suggest you check that all completed work has been assessed and reported by your assessor before requesting your training to be withdrawn. You can do this through iportal if you are a registered user or contact us on 0800 277 486.