Operational Definition

The learner is enrolled with a provider with delivery at a provider site, e.g. campus or other NZQA-approved delivery site, and is undertaking teaching and learning activities, such as lectures and tutorials, with additional supported self-directed learning. Cost and delivery method are the key drivers for the provider-based rate. 

This mode can include internships, practicums and temporary work experience, and field and clinical experience undertaken as part of the learning. However, where the course comprises learning in the provider setting and workplace, no formal employment relationship exists. Further information on internships, practicums, and temporary work experience is provided in the general guidance section further below.

Online learning platforms can be used under this mode. However, the learning must complement face-to-face in-person teaching and learning.  Online learning should be less than 25% of the learning delivery method. Synchronous online learning can be offered alongside in-person teaching, but the delivery will not be considered as provider-based if online delivery is the only method of teaching.

The provider is responsible for the learner’s health and wellbeing support in accordance with the NZQA Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners.

The provider is funded to:

• deliver programmes for credentials that meet employer and industry needs as well as regional and national skills priorities
• deliver all education/training and assessment activities* towards an NZQA or Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP)-approved credentials
• provide all learning support and pastoral care in relation to the learner’s needs in accordance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners.

*Assessment activities include verification and moderation and can include purchasing and utilising assessment resources from an external source.

Provider-based mode guidance

This mode is designed to cater for most existing provider-based delivery of learning.

Under this mode, teaching and learning can be offered in a variety of settings to reflect a learner-centric approach. For example, classroom based, evening workshops or access to synchronous, online lectures that complement the in-person on campus delivery. Even though this blended or flexible approach covers a range of physical settings, it is still considered to be provider-based so long as NZQA and TEC requirements for approved delivery sites are met.

TEC’s funding expectations of the difference between Provider-based and the Provider-based: extramural modes are to do with the drivers of costs and delivery methods as noted in the policy development for this mode. TEC expect at least 75 percent of the course to be delivered to the learner in a synchronous manner, either on campus or at an approved delivery site equivalent.

The Programme Development and Maintenance Fund (PDMF) is intended to support the upfront costs of programme development, with a focus on extramural and innovative delivery. 

For further information, see the strategic component.

See general guidance on the modes of delivery for additional detail.

Example

Provider A offers Tourism and Hospitality courses delivered at a main campus or an NZQA-approved delivery site.*

* If providers are forced to close their campuses and transition to online learning due to situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding rate for the mode of delivery could remain at the provider-based mode (where appropriate).

Learners attend in person at an approved delivery site to undertake the majority of their studies. They participate in classroom/kitchen-based activities designed to help them achieve the expected learning outcomes of the programme. They undertake work experience when ready, and during that time may have some of their skills formally assessed by a visiting tutor. Learners may also undertake self-directed study (either supervised on campus or offsite) during their Programme.

To retain the provider-based funding rate, the delivery needs to mirror what would have happened in a campus setting.  The delivery also needs to include the same level of engagement opportunities between learners and the provider (to the best of the provider’s ability.)

Operational Definition

The learner is enrolled with the provider with learning occurring away from a provider site (and not in a workplace).  The delivery only involves the use of postal services; or hard copy workbooks, or an online learning platform with or without face-to-face contact (either online or in-person) between the provider and learner. Where online learning platforms are used, they can also involve group lectures, tutorials, etc.

Learning in this mode is typically structured to give learners the flexibility to complete their work in their own time, notwithstanding the provider’s ability to set timeframes during which learners need to engage with the learning.

The provider is responsible for the learner’s health and wellbeing support in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners.

The provider is funded to:

• deliver programmes for credentials that meet employer and industry needs as well as regional and national skills priorities
• deliver all education/training and assessment activities* towards an NZQA-approved credential
• provide all learning support and pastoral care in relation to the learner’s needs while studying and in accordance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners.

*Assessment activities include verification and moderation and can include purchasing and utilising assessment resources from an external source.

Provider-based: extramural mode guidance

This mode is designed to fund delivery of learning that is essentially based away from campus (but not in a workplace) that includes face-to-face online engagement between the learner and provider.

This mode is not intended to cover any current or future delivery which is being offered online due to COVID-19 related restrictions on campus-based activity.

Learning support and pastoral care responsibilities still apply, in a proportionate and measurable way, in accordance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners.

In situations where a learner studying under the extramural mode would benefit from more face‑to‑face support than extramural study would normally accommodate, additional learner‑centred support using the resources available can be provided. Webchat, email, video call in one-to-one or group situations would be considered a normal part of extramural delivery.

Extramural delivery would include (but is not limited to) the following examples:

• hard-copy course and assessment materials are posted to learners
• pre-recorded tutorials are made available to the learner, and they complete online assessments
• situations where specialist resources may need to be loaned to students
• the provision of asynchronous learning (where there is no significant interaction between tutor and student; and study materials are pre-recorded and static)
• provision of synchronous learning (where there is tutor-student or peer-to-peer interaction, often involving broadcast lectures, interactive webinars etc., which are live/delivered in real time) that is typically delivered away from a provider’s site.

In general, for courses that are reported as extramural in 2023 the value of delivery will be calculated based on Provider-based: extramural rate.

The definition of the Provider-based: extramural mode will be refined during 2023 and 2024, with the definition being in place from 2025.

See general guidance on the modes of delivery for additional detail.

Example

Provider B delivers Business and Accounting courses online using a mix of online learning platforms and hardcopy workbooks. Most of the course credentials can be completed through asynchronous learning with some credentials requiring the learner to attend a small number of online lectures and workshops.

Operational Definition

The Work-based: pathway to work mode is about a transition from provider-based learning to work-based learning. It consists of a three-step process starting in the provider setting, moving into Work-based: pathway to work setting, and resulting in the learner completing their study in the Work-based mode. The funding for this mode covers the transition period from Provider-based (or Provider-based: extramural) to Work-based learning.

The learner is enrolled with the provider and delivery has transitioned from either Provider-based (or Provider-based: extramural) mode to Work-based learning with the same provider. Learning is provided in partnership by the provider and employer.

Work-based: pathway to work only occurs when there are formal agreements in place covering each party’s roles and responsibilities. The formal agreements that are required by this mode include: 

• an agreement between the provider and employer outlining the arrangement to support learners in a work-based learning environment
• an enrolment agreement between the learner and provider
• a training agreement, which forms part of the formal employment agreement or relevant equivalent, between the employer and employee/learner.

This mode is to support learners to gain suitable, meaningful and sustainable employment relevant to their programme of learning. The provider will actively assist the learner to find employment and support and establish their learning in the workplace. The role of supporting workplace-based learning is shifting from the Transitional Industry Training Organisations to other providers (Te Pūkenga, private training establishments (PTEs), and wānanga).

By 01 January 2023, these providers will arrange and support work-based training as well as deliver education and training in classroom and online settings, so learners can move seamlessly across the vocational education system.

See further information on workplace-based learning.

Micro-credentials and training schemes are not eligible for funding under this mode.

The learner is only able to transition from Provider-based or Provider-based: extramural mode, to the Work-based: pathway to work mode to continue their learning towards an NZQA-approved qualification, when the:

• employment opportunity is relevant to their continuing programme of study
• training covers up to 30 credits or a period of 3 months (whichever comes first), and
• work-based learning is from the same provider.

The prerequisites for this mode are that the:

• learner has been awarded some credits in either the Provider-based mode, or the Provider-based: extramural mode in a relevant programme of study (e.g., same field of study or industry connection)
• learner must not have been enrolled in TEC-funded work-based learning for at least six months prior to them studying the same (or a similar) qualification
• learner has not completed 75 percent of the same programme in the last three years.

The provider is funded to:

• deliver programmes that enable learners to enter the workforce while undertaking learning towards a qualification that meets regional and national skills priorities
• find suitable employment that provides work-based learning opportunities for the learner
• work with the employer to develop the required agreements, identify relevant training needs, develop a learner pathway and a learner-specific training agreement
• enrol learner in relevant courses
• work with the employer to deliver learning, and support a transition to work-based learning
• provide all learning support and pastoral care in relation to the learner’s needs, in accordance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners
• assess and, where necessary, develop employer capability for training and verification of skill acquisition
• provide learning and assessment material towards an NZQA-approved credential (level 3-7 non-degree)
• undertake all assessment and quality assurance activities* to NZQA standards.

The employer is required to:

• ensure there are formal agreements that clearly define each party’s responsibilities and describes the training that will continue under the Work-based mode
• ensure there is a formal written employment agreement with the learner that complies with the Employment Relations Act 2000, or a relevant equivalent for those that are volunteers or contracting their services
• provide regular training and supervision during work hours
• support the learner’s relevant skill acquisition and any self-directed learning through resource provision
• work with the provider to ensure the work-based learning modules to achieve the learning outcomes within the relevant agreement are completed
• transition the learner to work-based learning once the learning outcomes identified as a pre-requisite to enter the Work-based mode, as defined in the relevant agreement, have been met.

*Assessment activities include verification and moderation and can include purchasing and utilising assessment resources from an external source.

Work-based: pathway to work mode guidance

The Work-based: pathway to work mode recognises the extra effort and support often required to transition a learner from an existing provider-based programme of learning into suitable, meaningful, and sustainable work-based learning. This mode is designed to support the transition by funding the extra effort the provider puts into supporting the learner.

The TEC would require evidence of employment and work-based learning (i.e., up to 30 credits or not less than 3 months) at the end of the pathway period in order to receive funding under this mode of delivery. TEC retains the right to request evidence of employment and work-based learning at the end of the pathway period in order for the TEO to retain funding under this mode of delivery.

Both the provider and the employer need to be clear on their pastoral support arrangements and for the learner to have a safe place to learn. This should be documented in the relevant agreement between the two parties. Overall, the provider is responsible for the health and wellbeing of the learner. The employer is responsible for the learner’s health and wellbeing in accordance with statutory workplace health and safety requirements.

When we consider whether the learner may have previously been enrolled in similar and related qualifications, the TEC will consider the course funding category, the New Zealand Standard Classification of Education (NZSCED) code, and any overlap in learning outcomes between the programmes, allowing for the fact that there may be variations on a case-by-case basis.

The learner can have an existing job elsewhere so long as it does not involve funded, work-based learning. This is because the Pathway to work mode is about finding the learner a job in their field of study that will allow them to continue to study.

The point at which a learner transitions from one mode of delivery to another, and the duration of each mode, can vary by programme and learner.

There is an expectation of seamless transition between modes from the learner’s point of view. This is to ensure they see the transition from a provider setting into supported workplace learning and on to independent workplace learning as a natural progression, and that the momentum of learning is not lost. Any gap greater than 90 days between a provider-based enrolment period and subsequent work-based programme enrolment would be a new enrolment, and not eligible for the Pathway to work mode.

The Pathway to work mode is a short-term transition from provider-based learning to work-based learning (i.e., 30 credits or 3 months). To ensure the learner is not disadvantaged, in the very rare cases where a ‘pathwaying’ learner was to transfer from one TEO to another, then the new, work-based TEO would qualify to receive the Pathway to work mode rate relating to the learner.

Example of transition between modes where Work-based: pathway to work is utilised

See general guidance on the modes of delivery for additional detail.

Example

Provider C currently delivers programmes which are Provider-based, Provider-based: extramural and Work-based. They leverage their close contacts with local engineering businesses and their own staff expertise and equipment in response to indications from their Regional Skills Leadership Group of a looming shortage of fabricators due to retirement within the existing local workforce.

Learners enrol in the Level 3 Engineering Fabrication programme at the provider’s site. The provider offers core skills in health and safety, tool use, and employability skills and other learning relevant to the programme. The provider then arranges a ‘pathway to work’ where the learner becomes employed (and a relevant employment agreement signed) and is supported to continue with their programme as outlined in formal agreements signed by the learner, provider and employer.

A provider staff member is allocated as a mentor to learners in the Work-based: pathway to work mode, and visits regularly.

After the Work-based: pathway to work period has finished, the learning shifts to the Work-based mode. As part of their commercial agreement, the provider has already determined with the employer what assessment evidence is suitable for final assessments and the assessment evidence and activities comply with the NZQA requirements for the programme. For example, production logs and low reject or re-work tallies are suitable evidence of competence.

The learner continues under Work-based mode with the programme of training / learning until they complete all the requirements of that programme.

The funding for this mode covers the transition period from provider-based (or provider-based: extramural) to work-based learning, where specific requirements are met:

• The learner has been awarded some credits in either the provider-based mode or the provider-based: extramural mode in a relevant programme of study (eg, same field of study or industry connection).
• The learner has not been enrolled in TEC-funded work-based learning for at least six months before studying for the same (or a similar) qualification.
• The learner has not completed 75 percent of the same (or a similar) programme in the last three years.

TEC will compare the data in both the Industry Training Register (ITR) and the Single Data Return (SDR) to identify:

• learners who:
  • initially enrolled in provider-based or provider-based: extramural learning,
  • have transitioned to work-based learning, and
• other relevant data requirements have passed pathway validations.

TEOs will receive a template through Workspace 2 with this data for all learners who match the system rules. You are required to complete the Pathway Verified Flag informing us whether each learner’s transition meets the requirement for pathway mode.

Eligible TEOs are required to submit a template, via WorkSpace 2 (WS2), to signal YES (learner event meets the criteria for pathway mode), or NO (it does not meet criteria). This return is due monthly. You may need to submit a final template, or amendments to previously submitted templates, at the same time as the ITR final cut-off of 31 March (the following year).

Eligibility

The pathway mode is valid for up to 30 credits or three months of the learner’s work-based learning (whichever comes first) or when the learner has withdrawn.

Note: Micro-credentials and training schemes are not eligible for funding under the work-based: pathway to work mode.

Payment

Payments will be made to TEOs when either:

• the learner has completed the three months, or
• the learner has completed 30 credits, or
• the learner has withdrawn from the programme and the three months cut-off has been reached. After this, payment will be made up to the withdrawal date (rounded up to the nearest month).

Adjustments after review of data and other information relating to pathway mode settings

TEC will be monitoring the data and engaging with TEOs about what they are doing with pathway learners. If this results in changes to the WS2 return (eg, changing the previously submitted YES or NO), the impact will be reflected in the next YTD total payment calculation (ie, the funding will be “washed-up” on an ongoing basis each year, not just at the year-end).

Payments will be made on actuals three times per year after the WS2 and SDR submission.

Note: Round up partial months for the purposes of the payment calculation. For example: 1.1 months of reported learning in the pathways template will equate to and be rounded up to two months, which will be accounted for the funding calculation. This is consistent with how the ITR calculates STM values.

Payment calculation

The TEO has already been allocated (and paid) for volumes under the work-based funding rate. The payment for pathway is to recognise the currently unfunded difference between:

• the rate applicable for the work-based: pathway to work mode, and
• the rate applicable for the work-based mode.

Further information

For more information on the work-based: pathway to work mode, see Modes of delivery.

Operational definition

The learner is an employee, contractor or volunteer, and an enrolee with a provider and acquires skills in their workplace. Learning is typically work-based with supported self-directed learning.

Learners are supported in all aspects of their training by both the provider and employer. Providers are responsible for the learner’s health and wellbeing support, in combination with the employer, and in accordance with their obligations under employment legislation and, where applicable, the Code of Good Practice for New Zealand Apprenticeships (PDF 440 KB).

The following formal agreements are required for this mode: 

• an agreement between the provider and employer outlining the arrangements to support learners in a work-based learning environment
• an enrolment agreement between the learner and provider
• a training agreement, which forms part of the employment agreement or relevant equivalent, between the employer and employee/learner.

The provider is funded to:

• deliver programmes for credentials that meet regional and national skills priorities
• determine the credits that need to be completed before the learner is eligible to undertake work-based learning with the employer
• work with the employer to develop or amend the required agreements, identify relevant training needs, develop the learner pathway, and provide the learner-specific training agreement
• enrol the learner in a relevant credential
• work with the employer to provide learning
• provide all learning support and pastoral care in relation to the learner’s needs and in accordance with the NZQA Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners and, where relevant, the Code of Good Practice for NZ Apprenticeships (PDF 440 KB) (PDF, 440 Kb)
• assess and, where necessary, develop employer capability for training and verification of skill acquisition
• provide learning and assessment material towards an NZQA-approved credential
• undertake all assessment and quality assurance activities* to NZQA standards.

The employer is required to:

• work with the provider to ensure learners have the necessary skills to undertake work-based learning
• provide regular learning and supervision during work hours and support to attend any campus-based course
• ensure there are relevant formal agreements
• provide all learning support and pastoral care in relation to the learner’s needs and, where applicable, in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for NZ Apprenticeships (PDF 440 KB) when learning is undertaken at the workplace
• work with the provider to ensure all work-based learning defined in the relevant agreement is completed
• support the provider with the assessment and verification of the learner’s skill acquisition
• support the learner’s relevant skill acquisition and any self-directed learning through resource provision.

*Assessment activities include verification and moderation and can include purchasing and utilising assessment resources from an external source.

Work-based mode guidance

This mode is intended to cover much of what has previously been delivered and funded as industry training. It is likely to be most accessible to providers with existing connections and operational arrangements with the sectors and workplaces concerned.

Documented agreements that outline the responsibilities of the learner, employer and provider are a requirement for this mode of delivery.

In general, we expect courses recorded within the Industry Training Register in 2022 will be funded as Work-based in 2023. As per our Plan Guidance document, those that are not currently work-based in 2022 will only be considered at the work-based rate on an exceptional basis for 2023. The volume of the Work-based mode is expected to increase over time as providers adapt to the incentives intended by the UFS.

See general guidance on the modes of delivery for additional detail.

Example

Provider D arranges to support learners who are ‘learning while they’re earning’ as a trades apprentice. The learner, employer and provider all understand the learning content delivered, evidence collection points and any gaps in learning that can be covered within the workplace.

Learners go to their workplace most of the time.  They participate in work-based activities designed to help them achieve the expected learning outcomes in their training plan.  During that time they have some of their skills formally assessed by a visiting tutor.  Learners may also undertake relevant block-courses at a TEO’s site during their Programme.

Operational definition

The learner is already employed with skills acquisition and training occurring in their workplace.

The learner undertakes in-house learning to complete training towards a level 3-7 (non-degree) credential that is delivered by their employer.

The employer and the employee (the learner) have a training agreement in place as part of the employee’s employment agreement.

The employer is required to:

• develop or contract the delivery of an in-house training programme to deliver training specific to the employer’s needs
• work with provider(s) to map these to a specific qualification or credential that the provider has NZQA accreditation and approval for
• work with provider(s) to agree a contract for assessment and verification services
• deliver all training
• provide all training and assessment material (which may include procurement of these from the provider)
• be responsible for learning support and pastoral care in accordance with employment law.

The provider is funded to:

• map the employer’s training programme to an NZQA-approved credential, skill standard or qualification
• oversee the development and execution of all assessment quality assurance activities *
• award the credential to the learner upon completion of their learning.

*Assessment activities include verification and moderation and can include purchasing and utilising assessment resources from an external source.

Assessment and verification mode guidance

This mode is considered to apply to a limited set of circumstances. An example is where large workplaces with their own learning and assessment collection methodologies partner with a provider to have this mapped and recognised against outcomes in national qualifications. It is usually national or multi-national companies with their own training and evidence collection infrastructure and support systems that would fall under this mode.

The TEC will not fund any workplace training that is primarily linked to statutory health and safety requirements as that is an employer’s responsibility to their employees. The TEC also does not fund Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) which is related to matching qualification outcomes to previously acquired skills and knowledge.

Providers are expected to carry out a detailed review of the workplace learning and evidence collection programme against New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) components and to ‘maintain’ this mapping in line with any Workforce Development Council (WDC) or NZQA reviews of relevant national standards or qualifications.

The learner must complete the employer’s learning programme to be awarded a qualification. If the learner changes employment mid-learning, the provider must report all completed unit standards to NZQA for inclusion in the learner’s NZ Record of Achievement.

Learner component top-ups of funding are not available under this mode.

Providers must be able to meet all the workplace’s requirements for volume of learners and geographical spread. In the event an employer’s training content does not meet all the learning outcomes within the provider’s approved programme for the relevant qualification, it is not expected the provider will cover gaps in learning under the assessment and verification mode.

See general guidance on the modes of delivery for additional detail.

Example

Provider E partners with a national restaurant chain that utilises their own structured learning and evidence collection systems.

The provider has carried out detailed mapping of these workplace outcomes against the qualification outcomes for the appropriate programmes and documented these for future quality assurance purposes. The provider assists with relatively ‘light touch’ support, such as tracking their progress through internal learning and evidence collection steps and reporting the results to NZQA and awarding learners the correct credential.

This guidance supplements the information in the mode of delivery definitions and guidance provided above.

Overarching guidance

• Learners will continue to be enrolled in programmes across a range of provider types. Providers will need to ensure that the learning outcomes in their programmes still meet all New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) approval and accreditation requirements and meet the TEC’s requirements for funding.
• The level of engagement and responsibilities the provider has in relation to their learners is expected to be proportional across the modes in line with the delivery. For example, the funding for some of the modes is at a lower level than other modes to reflect the varying range of cost structures, responsibilities and engagement in relation to the delivery of learning and engagement with learners.
• Providers are still required to offer coherent packages of learning which meet NZQA programme approval and accreditation
• Providers are responsible for ensuring appropriate learning outcomes can be met in different delivery settings as required, and to retain overall responsibility for reporting and quality assurance.
• The learner journey is not affected by the provider accessing different funding via different modes where required.
• It is required that all programmes are informed by Workforce Development Council (WDC) and Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG) priorities for each business sector and region.
• Learner pastoral care requirements must be addressed in a proportionate and tailored way by providers whatever mode of funding is accessed.

Required agreements for Work-based: pathway to work and Work-based modes

Providers that offer work-based learning arrangements are required to ensure the following agreements are in place:

• an agreement between the provider and employer outlining their arrangement to support learners to continue their learning journey in the workplace;
• an enrolment agreement between the learner and provider; and
• a training agreement between the employer and the employee (the learner) as part of their employment agreement.

The required agreements must cover all relevant learner and programme information and clarify provider and employer responsibility. For example, in addition to mandatory employment agreement clauses, some of the content TEC expects to see in the agreements collectively includes:

• learner, employer and provider obligations
• learning programme for the relevant mode or modes and the learning outcomes to be achieved
• a structured programme in place to enable the learner to achieve their learning outcomes and to support their transition from one mode of delivery to another
• enrolment and withdrawal processes
• variation and termination processes.

The requirement to have formal agreements is not about imposing new obligations on the sector. It is about ensuring good business practices are in place, that each party understands the arrangements and their related obligations, and that it’s documented and agreed by the relevant parties. Providers currently delivering courses in the workplace should have some form of these agreements in place already. For this reason, TEC has not prescribed a specific format or template to be used to meet this requirement but instead identified key aspects these agreements should cover. 

Group training schemes and providers training their own employees

For the purposes of the modes of delivery, Group Training Scheme (GTS) learners enrolled with TEOs who have secured TEC funding for 2023 will be recognised and funded under the Work-based mode. This approach recognises the unique learner pathway that they facilitate.

Where a GTS becomes a provider, or where a provider is also the employer, it is envisaged any distinctions between their roles as an employer and provider will be fully documented for transparency to the learner. Employment agreements between the provider (as the employer) and learner (as the employee) are still required in these scenarios.

Self-directed learning

Learners can undertake ‘self-directed learning’ with support from the provider and/or the employer depending on the mode. The location of where this self-directed learning is undertaken does not have an impact on the mode used for funding. Supported self-directed learning can look like but is not restricted to:

• learner engages with lessons in their own time
• learning is not instructor-led and isn’t delivered in real time
• learner engages with pre-recorded lectures or online tutorials, or
• Learner completes assignments.

Examples of how the provider/employer may be able to support a learner when undertaking self-directed learning could include:

Provider:

• Targeted assignments to increase knowledge and understanding of specific subjects or skills
• Online quizzes or exams.

Employer:

• Providing study time or adjusting working schedule to enable learner to complete lessons or assignments by their deadline
• Targeted on the job learning or experience to increase knowledge and understanding of specific skills and expertise.

Subcontracting arrangements

Formalised partnerships with other providers are possible, as long as mutual obligations are clearly documented and adhered to and the arrangement complies with funding conditions set by TEC. Subcontracting arrangements need to be approved by NZQA and TEC and formalised by an agreement between the two parties.

Temporary work experience, internships and practicums

Temporary work experience and placements add value to programmes and play an important part in learning and career success, both for technical and employment skills.

For transparency, the learner, provider and employer must be clear on the obligations and boundaries of these arrangements. An ‘internship’ doesn’t necessarily mean the learner is employed but the legal requirements must be understood by all parties. Further information on the legality of internships and employment can be found on the Employment New Zealand website.

All internships (regardless of the learning setting) will be funded through the relevant provider-based mode.

Suitable, meaningful and sustainable employment

Suitable and meaningful employment refers to employment that provides opportunities within the same industry as the qualification of study, and employment that aligns with the learner’s current skill set and capability. This enables the learner to continue their learning journey and career development.

Sustainable employment refers to ongoing employment that contributes to career aspirations and goals, with any specific employment conditions such as hours of work or type of work suitable for the individual learner.

As each individual’s definition of suitable, meaningful and sustainable employment will differ, the provider and the learner will work together to define what such employment means for the individual learner.

The employer continues to have all the same obligations under employment legislation regardless of the provider’s role in looking after pastoral care for the learner.

There is an expectation of overall alignment to the Government’s Employment Strategy.

• Frequently asked questions about the delivery component 
• Course Categorisation Guide

 Provider-based: extramural FAQs

Work-based: pathway to work FAQs