Learning and assessment at work
At Te Mahi Ako we specialise in learning programmes that you complete while you’re in a paid job, or doing regular volunteer work. We help you to supercharge your career by gaining new skills and knowledge, and learning from the real-life professionals in your field of practice.
You can complete nationally-recognised qualifications, get valuable experience, and build your network of industry peers, all while working and (in most cases) earning an income.
We will provide you and your workplace with resources and support, so you can gain skills and knowledge in your role. In some cases we might organise some training outside your workplace, or connect you with other learning opportunities in the vocational education system.
Before you start
To enrol in a Te Mahi Ako programme, you need to be working in te ahumahi ā-rēhia (the active recreation, leisure or entertainment sectors) in a paid job, self-employed, or as a volunteer with regular and consistent shifts.
You need an assessor, which will be arranged by Te Mahi Ako and your workplace. More on that below. And you also need access to the right kind of work required for your programme. This means the right types of tasks and projects, and enough of them, to complete your learning and assessments.
Learning
There are a number of different ways you will learn during your programme. On-job learning is where your supervisor or colleagues will teach and guide you through your work tasks.
Self-directed learning means accessing and learning from sources, like Te Mahi Ako workbooks, books or documents from your workplace, the internet, library, technical manuals, and even conversations with people in your sector.
And then there’s attending workshops or training sessions outside of your work hours. Te Mahi Ako may arrange these, or they could be hosted by your workplace, or another education provider.
Assessment
Assessment is where everything comes together, and you get to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you’ve learned in order to meet the requirements in your programme. You will be connected with an assessor when you enrol into a Te Mahi Ako programme. This could be someone at your work who’s a registered Te Mahi Ako assessor, or one of our team of external assessors.
Most evidence comes from your day to day work, and it can include being observed you completing your tasks, evidence from work documents or emails, verbal discussions, or your supervisor verifying that you have picked up certain skills. Assessment and evidence collection is usually carried out in the workplace and takes place over the duration of the programme.
Getting your qualification
As you complete your assessment tasks, your assessor's job is to review your evidence, provide you with feedback, and make assessment decisions. They will judge whether you meet the skill standards in your programme, or need to provide further evidence.
Once they have decided you meet the standard, you will earn credits for each standard that you achieve, which your assessor will report to NZQA to be added to your record of achievement.
When you've achieved all of the standards in your programme, you will have earned your nationally-recognised qualification and we’ll send you an e-certificate marking your achievement.
