Assurance news for schools and providers
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Nau mai ki te ‘Te Aro Taumata' - ngā pānui matua nā te Kāhui Aromātairua ki Waihanga Ara Rau!
We are excited to introduce Te Aro Taumata – the Quality Assurance Newsletter. This newsletter combines our QA Update and TE Pae Tawhiti – BCATS news for schools publications.
Designed with secondary schools and tertiary providers in mind, our first edition is packed with updates and information –
- Welcome from the GM Assurance
- Update on Assurance Projects and Webinars
- Supporting good practices: Last Date of Assessment – have you checked?
- The latest from the Qualification System Products team
- Meet Craigo – Building Abilities
- Our school cluster schedule.
As always, we welcome your feedback. Tell us what you think of our new format, and what you’d like to see in upcoming editions.
Welcome from Mike Grumball, GM Assurance
I hope that everyone managed to have a relaxing break with family and friends and come back refreshed for 2025. I know that the term Happy New Year is no longer relevant as we find ourselves in February already.
2025 is going to be a challenging year for us all as we work through the VET Reforms and more consultation following announcements made by the Minister just before the break.
What we currently know:
- WDCs will be disestablished, and Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) will be established.
- The core functions of the ISBs will be standard setting, workforce development planning, and advice to TEC.
- That Te Pūkenga will be disestablished, and a network of regional providers will be established.
- There is active consultation on the structure of work-based learning in the new system. The consultation closes on 21 February, with the Minister also conducting targeted focus groups with industry over this period.
What we currently don’t know:
- The final number of ISBs, how the industry sectors will be allocated, or the funding allocations. Consultation on these elements will happen shortly.
Let us know your plans
We need your help this year so we can better plan our activities in a year of transition. The Leads for each tertiary provider will be speaking to you about your plans for pre-assessment moderation, programme endorsement, or micro-credential support in the next few weeks. This will help us to understand and allocate appropriate resources and avoid any unnecessary delays.
Our Moderation and Assurance Plans are now published on our website. We have only published moderation information for the first half of the year at this stage; the focus is on material that was pre-assessment moderated during 2023 and 2024.
Assessment Design Webinar
We are excited to share our free Assessment Design Webinar. At this webinar, we will share our key findings from pre-assessment moderation and discuss practices that support robust assessment and design of assessment resources .
We’ll be looking at the assessment resource for the learner (before, during and after assessment) and the assessor guidance.
While this webinar is intended for resource writers, instructional designers, assessors, moderators, trainers, and industry professionals, it is open to everyone.
Webinar dates:
- 25 February, 11am-12pm
- 5 March, 1:30-2:30pm
- 13 March, 11:30am-12:30pm
Short Course Training Project
The work we started last year for the Compliance Training Project continues this year under a new name – ‘Short Course Training Project’. The focus for the next phase of the project is on implementing the recommendations from the project report. The main focus is on the development of a guidance document for industry and providers.
The guidance document will assist industry and providers to select the appropriate standard/s to ensure that workers have the knowledge and skills to be safe at work and be deemed competent at the appropriate level. It provides guidance for the delivery and assessment of the standards in a short course format including the sufficiency of evidence to support the assessment decisions made by assessors.
Introduction to Skill Standards Webinar recording available now
This webinar provides an introduction to what skill standards are and why they matter. Learn about programme guidance, and how Waihanga Ara Rau supports skill standards, and the role of assessment and moderation.
New Good Practice Guidance Toolkit for Skill Standards
ConCOVE, with support from Waihanga Ara Rau, has funded the development of a Good Practice Guidance toolkit for skill standards. This toolkit features six comprehensive guides designed to support standard-setters, programme developers, and assessors in defining and implementing high-quality, consistent skill standards that meet industry and learner needs.
Developed through research with Waihanga Ara Rau, industry experts, training providers, and NZQA, these guides offer practical insights, proven principles, and real-world examples. They reflect our commitment to a collaborative, research-driven approach to strengthening skill standards across the industry.
Download the guides below, and stay tuned for a webinar in early April for a walk-through in how to apply them effectively.
Last Date for Assessment
One area that education providers need to be aware of is ensuring that standards are assessed against a current version of that standard. A programme of study will need to be updated through NZQA, as the version approved in the programme is due to expire.
Updates from the Qualifications team
We welcome your feedback on any of our qualifications, micro-credentials or standards at any time - reach us at qualifications@waihangaararau.nz
All the best for a productive and successful year.
Invitation: Expressions of Interest for delivery of new Paving qualification
Waihanga Ara Rau approved a request to develop a new qualification for people who lay streetscape paving surfaces, with a focus on permeable paving. Ahead of the qualification development process, Waihanga Ara Rau is inviting expressions of interest from providers who wish to be involved in the development process with a view to delivering the new qualification.
Development will commence in February 2025 with the intention to have qualifications and any required new skill standards submitted to NZQA by July 2025.
School Cluster moderation dates
We will be running six face-to-face workshops in 2025 for the following cluster groups:
- Hamilton 1 Term 1 – 25 March
- Hamilton 2 Term 1 – 26 March
- Gisborne/Hawkes Bay 1 Term 2 – 17 June
- Hawkes Bay 2 Term 2 – 18 June
- Westland TBC
- Auckland TBC
More details to follow for those who will be involved!
Meet Craigo - Building Abilities
Watch the story of Craigo, a Deaf building foreman who undertook his apprenticeship with BCITO.
In this short video, Craigo shares how BCITO supported him in finding new ways to make his learning journey easier, removing any barrier related to his disability. As writing is a bit of challenge for him, Craigo was able to capture his new skills by taking photos of what he was doing, instead of writing about them.
Thanks to BCITO's adaptability to meet everyone’s needs, now Craigo trains new apprentices every day and even teaches them some sign language, to prepare them even more for their future journey.
The meaning behind Te Aro Taumata:
An aro taumata is the viewpoint for scouts who are always alert, ensuring the continuous upkeep of the community.
As well as the meaning of the ingoa as per above, translated it specifies the duties and functions of the Assurance team (Te Aro = Aromatairua) and the way these functions are performed (Taumata = Kounga).
Useful links
Ngā hononga ā-ipurangi
We are often asked where various templates, documents and websites can be found. Here are some you might find helpful:
