We’re excited to bring you the latest updates, insights, and stories from our journey towards building a skilled, and qualified workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand, across the health, education, community and social sectors. Thank you for being a part of our workforce community. Each edition will keep you informed about our programmes, initiatives, and events, as well as share resources to help you either as a provider or a person interested in the work we do.
Kia ora koutou,
As we wrap up another year, Toitū te Waiora wants to take a moment to thank you – the providers, partners, key stakeholders and supporters – for being part of this journey with us. It’s been a year of growth, innovation, and exciting new opportunities, and we couldn’t have done it without you.
In this issue, we’re sharing some of our proud moments of 2024, updates on our latest projects, and a sneak peek into what’s coming next. We’re excited about the road ahead, and we hope you are too.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. We look forward to achieving even more together in the coming year.
Ngā mihi, Sean McKinley, Chief Executive.
Health and Wellbeing Seven Health and Wellbeing qualifications were submitted to NZQA following consultation with the sector in 2024. The review identified that the current qualifications do not meet the needs of all sectors, and further development work is planned for 2025-26, beginning with skill standards.
Long-term conditions We have developed five new skill standards to support the management of long-term conditions including, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. These standards will form the foundation for a new level 3 qualification: the New Zealand Certificate in Long-Term Condition Care (level 3, 65 credits), which is set for development in 2025.
Foot care Three new level 4 Foot Care skill standards were developed and approved alongside a Foot Care Assistant micro-credential (level 4, 25 credits), enabling learners to provide basic foot care under the supervision of a registered podiatrist. The micro-credential is primarily aimed at training people up to help manage treatment of the impact of diabetes on feet.
Firearms A new skill standard, Demonstrate safe use of firearms in accordance with the New Zealand Police Firearms Safety Code, was approved and developed in consultation with Te Tari Pūreke | Firearms Safety Authority.
Prisoner management We are developing new Prisoner Management skill standards at levels 3 – 5 to replace unit standards in conjunction with the Department of Corrections and tertiary education organisations. We expect a suite of new skill standards to be approved in 2025.
Youth work 17 new level 6 Youth Work skill standards were approved by NZQA in December 2024. The standards will underpin programmes leading to the New Zealand Diploma in Youth Work (level 6). Skill standards for levels 3, 4, and 5 are under development and will be submitted in 2025.
Education support New Zealand Diploma in Education Support (Primary) (level 5) was developed and submitted to NZQA, in collaboration with sector partners.
Funeral directing and embalming We completed reviews of the New Zealand Diploma in Funeral Directing (level 5) and the New Zealand Diploma in Embalming (level 5), and changes were approved by NZQA in November 2024.
Toitū te Waiora is excited to announce the approval of its first aid micro-credential, Manage First Aid in an Emergency Situation. Now listed on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework , this micro-credential is a vital step toward enhancing first aid capabilities across Aotearoa.
Read more about this micro-credential here
We continue to lead the charge in addressing the challenges surrounding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Toitū te Waiora recently received recognition from the Minister of Health, Hon Shane Reti, for its impactful initiatives aimed at improving services for individuals and families affected by FASD, following the launch of the first-ever FASD qualification in New Zealand, a key milestone in increasing awareness and understanding across various sectors.
Read more about this micro-credential and skill standards here
Toitū te Waiora is pleased the Health of the Older Person – Kaiāwhina-led Non-Complex Support Plan Review micro-credential (Level 3, 3 credits) has been approved. This qualification empowers kaiāwhina to conduct comprehensive reviews of non-complex individual support plans for older adults living in the community, under the guidance of a Registered Nurse.
Read more here
In another exciting development, the Toitū te Waiora Conduct Cervical Screening micro-credential (Level 6, 10 credits) was approved by NZQA. This credential enables registered health professionals to gain competency in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) cervical screening and become accredited cervical sample takers, enhancing the capacity for high-quality screening across Aotearoa.
As we continue to ensure our qualifications meet the needs of various sectors and industries, we’re looking ahead to the following upcoming projects:
We look forward to continuing this important mahi in 2025.
