Spring is Here

Kia ora Kotou,
 
My name is Simon Barnett, the newly elected Chair for AECTP. 
 
Firstly, I want to thank our previous Chair, Shirley Kerr, who has made the decision to resign to enjoy her retirement. Shirley has contributed a significant amount of her time and energy to both AECTP and the industry, she leaves a legacy that we are all responsible for continuing and building upon. I have had the privilege of knowing Shirley for a long time now, and in fact, I personally wouldn’t be the one sending this update today if it wasn’t for Shirley’s support almost 20 years ago when she first hired me as a First Aid tutor in Dunedin. On behalf of us all, thank you Shirley for your incredible contribution.

As the Head of Public Training for Hato Hone St John, I have been on the AECTP board now for over a year and I have been incredibly impressed at the dedication and passion the board brings to supporting the industry and the providers within it. I look forward to meeting those of you I have not yet had the privilege to meet at the November AECTP conference in Auckland, however in the interim please feel free to reach out to me using the link at the bottom of the page if there is anything you would like to discuss.
 
Changing to the new Certificate Naming Conventions 
You will all be aware that from the 1^st of November, providers will start the process of changing the name of NZQA-recognised First Aid Certificates to align with the new naming conventions outlined in the First Aid as a Life Skill Document. This is an important step forward to provide a level of consistency for learners and where relevant their employers, primarily due to the fact they no longer need to try and interpret the difference between the wide range of courses currently taught in the market. Whilst a final date has not been determined we anticipate that all providers will seek to transition to the new naming convention over the next 6months, which enables sufficient time for system changes and communication with customers. 
 
Meeting with NZQA and TTW
This week we met with NZQA and TTW to discuss a proposal from NZQA to introduce the logging of Unit Standards upon the successful completion of Revalidation Courses. AECTP raised several concerns which were both heard and acknowledged in the room, including the increasing cost of compliance (time and money) and the difference in practicality between a 6-hour revalidation and an 8-12hr assessment-based course. It was agreed by all stakeholders that an alternative way forward would be to look at co-designing a new Unit Standard made up of one Credit for a Revalidation course. We see this as a mutually beneficial outcome that will ensure accountability for delivery to a consistent standard, appropriate recognition of learning, and minimal additional cost of compliance to administer. We will share more information on this development over the coming weeks, as well as seek your feedback. 
 
Proposed alternative for US 6402
If you haven’t already provided feedback to Toitū te Waiora on the proposed new Unit Standard, please do so prior to the 2^nd of October. Details can be found here: Announcement: proposed alternative to Unit Standard 6402 - Toitū te Waiora (toitutewaiora.nz)
 

Nga mihi

Simon Barnett

26 September 2023