OVERVIEW OF
NEW ZEALAND’S
VOCATIONAL
CONTENTS
The New Zealand Vocational Education System 2
Vocational Education and Training 5
New Zealand’s System of Vocational Pathways 5
Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) 6
Private Training Establishments (PTEs) 8
Wānanga 9
Qualifications 10
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) 10
The New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) 11
International Recognition 13
THE NEW ZEALAND
VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Ministry of Education Education policy Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise Skills policy New Zealand Government sets national strategies and policiesNew Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) maintains and quality assures NZ qualifications
Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) implements policy and manages funding
ITPs Wananga PTEs
Industry owns and provides funding to the Industry Training Organsiations
Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) develop and maintain qualifications shaped by industry, and broker training for students
Training providers provide professional and vocational education Employers provide
on-job learning through apprenticeships Trainees/ apprentices contribute to the economy while learning
New Zealand has a highly integrated vocational education system –
involving public and private providers and employers. Blended, online,
off-job and on-job learning models are used flexibly.
New Zealand’s education system strives to balance academic achievements with skills, producing creative, flexible thinkers on both practical and theoretical levels. Across the three levels of the education system - early childhood education, school education, and vocational/ tertiary education - students can follow a variety of flexible pathways.
Education in New Zealand aims to be life-long and learner-centred. It is focused on supporting students to:
Problem-solve
Process information
Work with others
Create and innovate.
Students can develop their potential along a variety of possible pathways. Pathways can be academic and/or vocational and are student-centred to promote continuous learning and choice. Each stage of students’ learning sets the foundation for the next steps along their chosen pathway. Our system recognises different:
Abilities
Religious beliefs
Ethnic groups
Income levels
Ideas about teaching and learning
And allows education providers to develop their own cultures and contributions.
Central Government sets and administers through its agencies:
National policies and frameworks for regulation and guidance
Requirements and funding arrangements
Administrative authority for most education service provision sits with education institutions, which are generally governed by individual Boards or Councils. New Zealand runs external quality
assurance systems which ensure
consistent, high quality education across all levels of the education system, both public and private. These are regulated by key government agencies.
Figure 1: The New Zealand Education System showing Academic and Vocational Pathways (Source: Education New Zealand)
Primary School Ages 5-12 Doctorate Diploma Certificate Master’s Degree Master’s Degree Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Diploma Bachelor’s Degree Bachelor’s Degree Foundation Programmes Tertiary Secondary School Ages 13-18 Years 1 - 8
Year 13 - NCEA Level 3 Year 12 - NCEA Level 2 Year 11 - NCEA Level 1 Year 10
Year 9
Polytechnics, Institutes of Technology and Private Education Providers Universities
Social & Community Services
Ratonga Pāpori, Ratonga Hapori
Construction & Infrastructure
Te Mahi Hanga me te Pūtoi Hanganga
Manufacturing & Technology
Te Whakanao me te Hangarau
Primary Industries (Food & Fibre)
Ahumahi Matua
Service Industries
Ahumahi Ratonga
Creative Industries
Ahumahi Auaha
New Zealand has identified six vocational pathways, defined by different industry sectors. These pathways show students how their study applies to the world of work and the qualifications and skills required by industry.
In the final years of secondary school, students can follow vocational pathways connected to the main secondary school qualifications, and access a range of transition models to begin to specialise in vocational learning. They may also integrate some vocational courses into a more general programme.
NEW ZEALAND’S SYSTEM
OF VOCATIONAL PATHWAYS
Vocational Education and Training (VET) begins at secondary school,
and schools arrange this with tertiary providers. Tertiary VET is currently
offered at Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), Industry
Training Organisations (ITOs), Wānanga, Private Training Establishments
(PTEs) and in the workplace.
2020 Source: youthguarantee.education.govt.nz
VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION
AND TRAINING
INDUSTRY TRAINING ORGANISATIONS (ITOS)
Since 1992, New Zealand has operated a system of competency-based and employer-led industry training and apprenticeships.
Central to this system are New Zealand’s 11 Industry-owned Training Organisations (ITOs). These are
government and industry-funded bodies that represent industry sectors. The Skills Organisation, part of the Skills Group of companies, is the largest ITO in New Zealand.
The role of an ITO is to:
Assess industry skill demand
Develop and maintain national occupational standards and qualifications for their industry sectors
Quality assure these skill standards
Broker training to meet the needs of employers in industry, including managing apprenticeship programmes.
The primary strengths of the industry training model are:
Solutions are developed alongside industry, meaning it is relevant and future-proofed and has industry needs at the centre
Learning pathways are flexible, providing many options for students
There is a consistency of learning outcomes, regardless of the pathway taken by the trainee, e.g. via on-job learning, an apprenticeship,
online training, or classroom-based training
There is co-investment by industry and government to meet the costs of training for national qualifications
Trainees and apprentices are in paying jobs, contributing to the economy and do not draw on student loans and allowances
New Zealand is also embarking on the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE) - a period of substantial system and structural reform which is due for completion in 2022.
Figure 2: Stakeholder interactions with an ITO model Industry Training
Organisations (ITOs) ProvidersTraining Education Regulator: New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) Education Policy: Ministry of Education (MOE) Skills Policy: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Funding Body: Tertiary Education Commission (TEC)
Employees & Trainees Industry
INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY AND POLYTECHNICS (ITP
s
)
There are 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) in New Zealand.From April 1, 2020 to 31 December, 2022, the ITPs are operating as subsidiaries of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. Following that period, NZIST will decide whether to absorb its subsidiaries or continue with the subsidiary model.
ITPs provide professional and vocational education and training on a wide range of subjects from introductory studies through to full degree programmes.
Programmes are at all levels:
Community interest courses
English language training
Foundation programmes
Certificates, diplomas, degrees and some postgraduate qualifications.
The most common qualifications ITPs award are certificates and diplomas encouraging students to build from lower qualifications to higher ones. Courses emphasise practical experience and application to work situations such as studios, workshops, laboratories, hospitals, and other workplaces.
PRIVATE TRAINING
ESTABLISHMENTS (PTE
s
)
Many of New Zealand’s Private Training Establishments (PTEs) offer specific vocational niches at certificate and diploma level for occupations, e.g.
Travel and tourism
Design
Computer training
English language
And more.
There are approximately 550 registered Private Training Establishments (PTEs), including registered private English language schools. Only around 200 of these receive government training or tuition subsidies.
WĀNANGA
Aotearoa/New Zealand also has three indigenous institutions, Wānanga, which offer tertiary education in and through a Māori worldview. Two of the Wānanga are higher education and research-focused, but the third and largest, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has its origins in vocational education and trades training and offers substantial vocational provision.
Figure 3: New Zealand Vocational Education and Training Learners by Type of Provider (2008-2019) Source: educationcounts.govt.nz
Industry Training Organisation Private Training Establishments
Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Wānanga 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
THE NEW ZEALAND QUALIFICATIONS
AUTHORITY (NZQA)
NZQA’s role in the education sector is to ensure that New Zealand qualifications are regarded as credible and robust, nationally and internationally, to help learners succeed in their chosen endeavours and to contribute to New Zealand society.
NZQA’s services span the secondary and tertiary education sectors. Key responsibilities include services to:
Administer the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF)- the definitive
source for accurate information about all quality assured senior secondary and tertiary education qualifications, and all qualifications open to international students.
Manage external assessment of secondary school students and moderate secondary schools’ internal assessment activities.
Quality assure non-university tertiary education organisations and their courses,
and moderate assessment activities and processes for national qualifications for NZQA-owned unit standards.
Liaise with overseas certifying and validating bodies to recognise overseas educational and vocational qualifications in New Zealand and achieve recognition of New Zealand qualifications overseas.
Act as a standard-setting body for some specified unit standards.
THE NEW ZEALAND QUALIFICATIONS
FRAMEWORK (NZQF)
The New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) has ten qualification levels to meet a range of learners’ needs. Levels are based on complexity, with level one the least complex and level ten the most complex.
The level descriptors are broadly defined in terms of what a graduate is expected to know, understand and be able to do as a result of learning.
4 3 2 1 Certificates Diplomas
Bachelor’s degree, Graduate diplomas and certificates
Postgraduate diploma and certificates, Bachelor honours degree Master’s degree Doctoral degree 6 5 7 8 9 10
1 For full details on international recognition of New Zealand qualifications see the New Zealand Qualifications Authority,
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/our-role-in-international-education/general-recognition-agreements/ New Zealand is part of international recognition agreements and contributes to the ASEAN Qualification Referencing project.
New Zealand has signed agreements with groups of European and Asia-Pacific countries to recognise each other’s qualifications. These legal frameworks make it easier and more efficient for countries to give credit for higher education qualifications and periods of study. Agreements include the Lisbon Recognition Convention with Europe, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention (APRC) with Asia-Pacific countries1.
The Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition (2000) between Australia and New Zealand ensures mutual recognition of vocational education and training qualifications.
New Zealand’s single qualification framework – the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) - ensures a nation-wide consistency and cohesiveness, while providing students with the flexibility to move between academia and vocational pathways with ease.
New Zealand Bachelor’s Degrees are recognised for enrolment in postgraduate programmes at universities throughout the world, subject to the normal grade and subject specialisation requirements.
New Zealand is a member of the Lisbon Recognition Convention. This means that New Zealand qualifications are more easily recognised in each of the 50 Lisbon convention countries. The Lisbon Recognition Convention is recognised as setting international best practice for assessing and comparing qualifications from around the world.
NZQA liaises with overseas certifying and validating bodies to recognise overseas
educational and vocational qualifications in New Zealand and achieve recognition of New Zealand qualifications overseas.
INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION
Courses and qualifications are shaped by industry and employers to ensure their relevance. New Zealand qualifications are well
QUALITY
ASSURANCE
The New Zealand government closely monitors the quality of learning outcomes, systems and processes of education providers and organisations to maintain the quality of education across the country.
ITOs use systems to manage assessment consistency for both on-job and off-job assessments. These systems are externally quality assured by NZQA.
All tertiary organisations, excluding universities, are also subject to quality assurance evaluations involving self-assessment and regular external evaluation by NZQA.
Source: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/qa-system-for-teos/
Figure 6: The quality assurance system for non-university tertiary education organisations. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND REVIEW MANAGING RISK INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY / POLYTECHNICS (16) GOVERNMENT TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS (5) PRIVATE TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS (APPROX. 550) INDUSTRY TRAINING ORGANISATIONS (11) WĀNANGA (3) MAINTAINING QUALITY Consistency of graduate outcomes for NZ qualifications at levels 1-6 Moderation of NZ-developed unit standards Monitoring of degree programmes at level 7 and above
ENTRY PROCESS
■ Registration of Private Training Establishments ■ Recognition of Industry Training Organisations ■ Listing of qualifications and unit standards ■ Approval of programmes and training schemes ■ Accreditation of tertiary education organisation ■ Consent to assess
SELF ASSESSMENT
