Short Course Training Project

The heights unit standards review to transition to skill standards will begin shortly within the Scaffolding and Industrial Rope Access reviews. 

Consent to assess will be considered on a case-by-case basis once the skills standard requirements are determined. Where suitable to do so, we will automatically give consent to assess during the listing process of the new standards. 

Evidence requirements will be dependent on the standard and context. The guidance document will give an indication of the types of evidence that is required, but it could include photos, a verifier sign off, and a logbook of hours related to the standard. Ultimately the provider will need to determine what this looks like when developing the assessment resource. 

This is a valid point, and a gantry crane is an example of where workers may lift the same load repeatedly through the workday. Where this is a barrier, an interim ruling may need to be considered. This will also need to be considered during the review and transition to skill standards. Examples of barriers should be feed through as part of the open consultation period.  

The requirements for a verifier are outlined in the guidance document, but often people who meet these requirements are already in place within most businesses. If a verifier is not in place, then the assessor will need to undertake this function to ensure that the learner still has an opportunity to be assessed. 

The management of the verifier or the assessor is something that providers will need to consider and manage. How this is achieved will be reflected in the delivery and assessment resources. 

The learner will not necessarily be required to undertake an assessor-observed lift. Evidence will be gained based on naturally occurring evidence gained in the workplace, including verified hours. A key point here is that the verifier does not make the assessment decision, this would be made by the assessor based on the body of evidence supplied by the learner and verifier. 

We are working with Toitū te Waiora to incorporate both standards 17600 and 23229 into the guidance document, this will also include the confined space standards delivered in short courses. An updated document will be made available with the inclusion of these.

A provider will need to consider learners who can demonstrate experience and will have internal processes that will apply depending on the situation. The guidance document is aligned to the large portion of learners who attend these courses and are new to the industry with little prior experience. Learners with English as a second language will need to be given additional support to ensure they understand the subject and be deemed competent against the outcomes of the standard.  

Overall, we are trying to increase the level of competency for learners that are attending the course. The two days incorporated the opportunity for teaching, the time to reinforce their knowledge through practical application in different situations, and assessment across different situations to ensure they are competent and safe in the use of a harness whilst working at heights with minimal supervision.  

Refreshers are not a requirement for any of the standards. While there is some WorkSafe guidance, the refreshers and their timing are a decision for industry/employers. Refreshers could be undertaken through a provider or done internally within the workplace; this is a decision for the employer. 

Block courses are mentioned as the issues identified for short-course delivery are the same for block courses where the delivery and assessment is undertaken over a short period of time resulting in a high number of credits being awarded. Often the learners have not been exposed to the skills being delivered on the block course and due to timeframes, the main focus is on assessment rather than delivery with an opportunity to practice before being assessed. This is currently a concern for the PGD and Scaffolding sectors. 

An interim determination cannot be applied to credit values.  However, the suitability of some standards within a current programme will need to be considered going forward.

The seven-week window in the timeline is to ensure that there is the opportunity to have reviewed materials pre-assessment moderated so they can be used from 1 July. Materials submitted after this time period will mean that there are delays in the approval process. 

Workplace training in New Zealand can present unique challenges when English is a second language or workers have literacy and learning difficulties. The needs for these learners are not always met, in particular with the theory component of an assessment. Some providers are looking at contextualizing learning and assessment resources to address this issue, but more needs to be done in this area.

We will need to work with industry and the owners of the good practice guidelines to ensure that the appropriate standards are reflected going forward. It is an important step in the process, but consistency of messaging is important to ensure that the right outcomes are being achieved.