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Kaiāwhina have the opportunity to participate in training and learning to develop their knowledge and skills and advance their careers. Choices regarding the range of jobs are available. Career information, workplace development and progression can be accessed by all. Kaiāwhina have access to and use technology in their workplace.
Of the six actions in this domain, Actions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 have been completed while the remaining three are ‘in progress’ as at 30 June 2020.
Significant funding settlements, introduced from 2014 onwards, recognise, enable, support and promote the role of Kaiāwhina and access to professional development. They include the In Between Travel Settlement (2014), the Guaranteed Hours Settlement (2017), the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement (2017), and the Pay Equity for Mental Health and Addiction Support Workers Settlement (2018). These latter two increased the wage rates of Kaiāwhina to at least the living wage level and saw wages based on level of qualification or length of service, whichever was the most advantageous to the worker. Provision for training is an important part of the agreements, leading to a more consistently prepared workforce with appropriate qualifications.
The development of the apprenticeship programme gave greater visibility of this workforce to vocational education, expanding the types of training available and therefore increasing access.
The 2014/15 NZQA Qualification Framework established a clearly articulated unified set of qualifications that demonstrate the career pathways for Kaiāwhina. The pathways map the qualification progression as Kaiāwhina move into more advanced roles. The NZQA website provides information on qualifications on the Level 2-7 framework including those pertaining to Health and Wellbeing and Whānau Ora qualifications. Opportunities now exist via the Industry Training Organisation Careerforce for recognition of current competencies for some courses/programmes. They have also introduced apprenticeships at Level 4 and qualifications in management and leadership relevant to the health and disability sector for Levels 4-6. In addition, career pathway information is available through various websites including the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Careers NZ. There is also provision of a number of grants and rebates to assist with study costs from a range of funding sources.
In response to the growing call for Kaiāwhina to have improved digital literacy and to also increase access to training, Careerforce developed Aka Toi a Learning Management System for trainees and apprentices. Online users have access to a broad range of ‘help’ resources via a ‘help tab’. These resources include FAQ, video and documents. A Careerforce Workplace Advisor is also available to help trainees get started, as well as a ‘chatbot’ for asking questions. Learning and assessment resources are available as modules. Once a trainee has successfully completed a module, they are in a strong position to be able to use the technology for other qualification modules with confidence and transfer their digital literacy skills to other applications. The Open Polytechnic, another education provider has a similar online option that some Kaiāwhina use.
While much has been achieved to improve access to learning and development, there is still work to be done to enable access in a more equitable manner for particular workforce groups, particularly Māori, Pacifica, migrant, those living with disability and those living remotely. Support for improved literacy remains an important area for focus.
This aligns with the Kaiāwhina Workforce Taskforce 2020-2025 Priority 5: Supplying and developing the workforce
Feedback continues to be received from Kaiāwhina that they find it difficult to gain clear information about the career pathways and progression opportunities that exist. Continued focus will be required to disseminate information about jobs and pathways in a more accessible manner and to develop communication networks that reach Kaiāwhina more consistently in the many different settings in which they work. The inclusion of Kaiāwhina in decision making forums and co-design processes will also assist.
This aligns with the Kaiāwhina Workforce Taskforce 2020-2025 Priority 2: Connecting Kaiāwhina; Priority 5: Supplying and developing the workforce
Digital knowledge and skills are increasingly being identified as a core competency required by industry and consumers, however there will always be developments in this space and the opportunity to grow Kaiāwhina confidence in the use of technology relevant to their roles. Similarly, employers will develop their capacity to support Kaiāwhina to engage with technology as has been evident during COVID-19. Greater inclusion of Kaiāwhina with technology includes their having access to organisational intranet and email systems enabling access to staff communications and information; and being encouraged to contribute to client related information systems as members of the interprofessional team.
This aligns with the Kaiāwhina Workforce Taskforce 2020-2025 Priority 3: Accelerating new ways of working and eco-system thinking.
