National Careers System Strategy New Zealand

TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION (TEC) 2023

 RATIONALE

A very impressive National Careers System Strategy (NCSS) has been developed by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), New Zealand, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the careers system. Economic and structural changes arising from COVID-19 provided the impetus for the refresh. The review allowed for alignment with government priorities as reflected in other education and employment strategies, including the implications of technological change and the future of work. These priorities encompass improving equity, inclusivity, and learner-centricity; building a skilled workforce; supporting regional development; and reflecting te ao Māori.

FOCUS

The National Careers System Strategy adopts a lifelong and life wide learning approach. Its key objectives are:

• to strengthen and future-proof New Zealand’s careers system
• to support the system to help people make careers decisions
• to support people to grow the skills and capability needed now and in the future.

METHODOLOGY

In the development of the strategy, TEC consulted with a wide range of the careers system’s stakeholders – including Māori, government agencies, representatives of underserved communities, industry, the education sector, learners, and careers practitioners and their peak bodies, and undertook research with school students (highlighted in the September ICCDPP  newsletter). The TEC used a variety of methods for such consultation - partnering with Māori to understand Māori aspirations and specific needs from the careers system, which included engaging with iwi, hapū and rōpū, and establishing and engaging with an Advisory Panel through a series of workshops during the strategy development. To develop an overall picture of the careers system and how it is currently operating, TEC completed research, causal loop mapping, international comparisons, Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) analysis, and stakeholder interviews.

CONCLUSIONS

The strategy recognises the key role of government in the careers system, bringing stakeholders together, and providing trusted, aggregated information in an accessible way for people making careers decisions and those that support them. A successful strategy for all New Zealanders requires improvements in three key areas: strengthening connections between existing providers and stakeholders; improving the quality and availability of careers support; and ensuring equitable access to services and information for all. The second of these makes specific reference to the needs for improvement at school level.

BUILDING ON WHAT EXISTS

New Zealand is lucky that it has a well developed government website for careers information and career planning (www.careers.govt.nz)  plus a telephone  and online careers service during normal working hours. The government website will be replaced shortly by the Tahatū Career Navigator, developed by the TEC, which will refresh the best of its content, tools and functions. It will deliver complex careers information in a useful and interactive way to help all New Zealanders make informed career decisions .at any stage in their lives, especially those least well served by the existing careers system and those most disadvantaged in the workforce.

Readers from countries that wish to develop a national strategy or refresh an existing strategy are advised to read the Supporting Information Note which clearly outlines the methodology followed by the TEC in strategy development. You can also view the roadmap for the Actions for the implementation of the strategy.