Careerforce takes the lead on determining pay equity qualification equivalencies
MEDIA RELEASE
10 July 2017
Careerforce, the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the health and wellbeing sectors, has been tasked under new
legislation to take on a new role to support the recognition of the health and disability care and support workforce.
The recent pay equity settlement, which increased wages for New Zealand’s 55,000 care and support workers, requires the
new wage rates to be mapped to workers’ qualifications and or experience, as set out in the Care and Support Worker (Pay
Equity) Settlement Act 2017.
Careerforce has been named the lead on establishing whether existing or expired care and support qualifications are
equivalent to New Zealand Health and Wellbeing qualifications for pay equity purposes.
Chief Executive Ray Lind says “Careerforce are pleased the New Zealand government has recognised our standing in the
Tertiary Education, Health and Wellbeing sectors and has named us to lead this qualification equivalency process.”
The Act specifies that these qualifications must be a Level 2, 3 or 4 New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing
issued by the NZQA; or a qualification (whether from New Zealand or overseas) that is recognised by the relevant
industry training organisation, which is Careerforce, as being equivalent to a Level 2, 3 or 4 qualification.
As many of New Zealand’s care and support workforce do not hold the New Zealand Certificates, Careerforce is now
assessing the qualifications these workers hold to determine what level of equivalency they relate to.
It is then up to employers to implement the new rates of pay for these care and support workers, as set out under the
Care and Support Worker (Pay Equity) Settlement Act.
“The Act legally requires Careerforce as the relevant Industry Training Organisation to determine recognition of
equivalency of qualifications,” Mr Lind says.
“We are working closely with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), whose function under the Education Act of
1989 includes the recognition of education and vocational qualifications, including overseas qualifications.”
Mr Lind says Careerforce is receiving an average of 150 email requests and phone calls per day about qualifications that
may or may not be relevant to care and support roles and dedicated teams were busy establishing the relevancy of these
qualifications.
“We have established a process for the assessing of qualification equivalencies. This process is being adapted and
refined as we advance in our new role,”
“We have also established an internal pay equity team to understand and support the needs of the workforce and develop
appropriate workplace training supports.”
As the Industry Training Organisation for the health, mental health, youth work, disability, social services and
cleaning sectors, Careerforce are the Government appointed body that sets skill standards, develops and facilitates
achievement of NZQA qualifications across all our sectors.
“Careerforce are aware of the pressures facing many of our workplaces and are continuing to support employers in our
traditional role as an Industry Training Organisation to continue their commitments to workplace training, as set out
under the Act,” Mr Lind says.
More information is available on the Careerforce website and will be updated regularly. If you have any questions about
the assessment process, please contact Careerforce by calling 0800 277 486 or email info@careerforce.org.nz with ‘Pay
Equity Qualification Query’ in the subject line.
ENDS