Toitū te Waiora is pleased to announce that 17 level 6 youth development skill standards have been approved by NZQA, and will shortly be listed in the Directory of Assessment and Skill Standards (‘DASS’). The standards align with the 240-credit New Zealand Diploma in Youth Work (level 6).

These standards have been developed to ensure that they meet current and future demands and reflect the latest frameworks and research around the diverse and complex nature of youth work practice. They include the integration of Mana Taiohi and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the social and digital worlds where rangatahi exist, the known impacts of trauma and family violence, and the growing body of evidence regarding the mental health and wellbeing of taiohi.

The new skill standards will be listed in the DASS Youth Development domain.

The skill standards have been listed as ‘aligning’ with programmes of study leading to the New Zealand Diploma in Youth Work (level 6). Toitū te Waiora will make an application to NZQA in Q1 2025 to list the skill standards as mandatory assessments in programmes of study leading to the qualification.

Providers developing new programmes of study leading to version 3 of the qualification are therefore strongly encouraged to adopt the skill standards for assessment purposes.

Toitū te Waiora intends to expire the existing level 6 unit standards listed in the Youth Development domain on 31 December 2026. This affects unit standards 16852, 16863-5, 19416, 22246-7, 22249, 22253, and 26135.

An application to NZQA for the remaining youth work/development skill standards at levels 3, 4, and 5, will be made prior to Christmas 2024.

The standards are available in pdf format below:

• Registration of Youth Development skill standards – C62188 Change report
• Implement self-care strategies in own youth development practice -40423
• Engage in external supervision to critically reflect on own youth work practice – 40422
• Critically analyse reflective practice, supervision, and cultural considerations in youth development practice – 40421
• Develop and implement a youth development project management plan – 40419
• Develop and implement an evaluation plan for a youth development project – 40420
• Critically analyse project management and leadership approaches in a youth development setting – 40418
• Critically analyse and apply Code of Ethics for Youth Work to promote and manage the safety and hauora of taiohi – 40417
• Develop and apply evidence-based youth development plans to support taiohi groups from diverse contexts and cultures – 40415
• Develop and apply evidence-based youth development plans to support individual taiohi from diverse contexts and cultures – 40414
• Apply strategies informed by sociological, historical, economic and political factors to support taiohi – 40413
• Critically analyse sociological, historical, economic and political factors which impact on taiohi – 40412
• Apply and critically reflect on strategies to support taiohi using te Tiriti o Waitangi and indigenous frameworks – 40411
• Critically analyse a range of indigenous frameworks that support the aspirations of taiohi – 40410
• Critically analyse application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori in youth development settings – 40409
• Develop own positive youth development model of practice to support taiohi in diverse contexts and cultures – 40408
• Critically assess youth development practice in diverse contexts and cultures -40407
• Critically analyse positive youth development theories that support taiohi in diverse contexts and cultures -40406