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Newsletter #2

March 2008

You may have noticed that we were out of touch last month. That’s because we were waiting to let you know about a couple of big milestones - and here they are.

Final competency standards and code of conduct approved


Industry input was invaluable during the development of our competency standards and code of conduct. Now, as we begin to finalise processes around assessment and evidence requirements, it’s important to engage with the sector again.

To facilitate this, a new Industry Reference Group has been formed. Members include immigration consultants from Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, plus key Department of Labour staff. The group met twice in February, and we will meet again on 27 March. We are discussing the use of evidence from knowledge-based learning activities, work history and samples, and quality assurance policies and procedures. These discussions have given us a solid foundation for developing our assessment evidence guidelines.

In addition, members of the Reference Group and some of their staff are helping run a trial of our procedures this month, to ensure they are of the right standard and fit for purpose. We will update you on the results of this trial once it is complete.

 

Industry Reference Group helping to trial assessments


The right assessment procedures are crucial to any high-quality licensing system. We have engaged Competency International Limited (CIL) to develop our assessment model and evidence requirements. CIL specialises in qualifications development, workplace assessment operations and training linked to competency standards. CIL has worked with clients around the world, as well as with ITOs, tertiary institutions, private industry and government agencies in New Zealand. Most recently CIL developed the assessment tools for the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme for the New Zealand Department of Building and Housing.

Application workshops planned

Adviser licensing is uncharted territory here in New Zealand. The application process will be new to all of us, so I am planning to run a series of application workshops in late May/early June in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

If you would like to attend a workshop, please register your interest and preferred venue by 20 March on info@iaa.govt.nz or at PO Box 6222, Wellesley St, Auckland. If you are keen to attend a workshop but unable to get to any of these locations, please let us know as soon as possible. If interest is high enough, I may be able to arrange additional sessions outside the main centres.

Contact us

If you have any ideas or feedback, please contact us at info@iaa.govt.nz, freephone 0508 IAA IAA (0508 422 422 — New Zealand only) or write to us at PO Box 6222, Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand.

Otherwise, you’ll hear from me again next month.

Barry Smedts
Registrar of Immigration Advisers