Toitū te Waiora has reached a milestone in its review of CDEM standards gaining NZQA approval for 34 skill standards – a list of the standards is available here.

The review  

Toitū te Waiora Workforce Development Council worked with the Emergency Management sector during 2024 to identify the knowledge and skill required for multiple sector roles. Development of the skill standards took place in 2024 in consultation with specialist groups: CDEM foundations, treaty partnership, rescue, welfare, recovery, CIMS and response leadership.  

During this process, relevant unit standards were updated to skill standards and new skill standards were developed. Wider consultation on these skill standards was sought through the Toitū te Waiora website in December 2024 and subsequent revisions were made early 2025. 

The skill standards and change report will be published on the NZQA website shortly. 

The changes 

• 34 skill standards were developed. 18 of these replaced 17 unit standards. The remaining 16 skill standards were developed to meet the current training needs of the sector. 
• 46 unit standards were reviewed and set for expiry.  

Next steps for providers 

Providers may now develop programmes that include these skill standards. When a skill standard replaces a unit standard, Consent to Assess (CTA) is transferred – see details in change report available shortly. Where providers need to apply for CTA, we strongly encourage the review of this page on our website: 

Apply for consent to assess – Toitū te Waiora 

We extend our thanks to everyone who contributed to this review. Your input has been invaluable in shaping the future of emergency management in Aotearoa. 

For more information, contact us at [email protected].