National Certificate in Employment Skills
New Zealand employers need to know that prospective employees have certain key skills and are ready for the workplace.
The National Certificate in Employment Skills (NCES) gives employers confidence that people holding the qualification are competent in these skill areas:
- oral and written communication
- numeracy
- teamwork and problem-solving
- specific workplace skills, including safety and timeliness
- keyboard/computing
- employment responsibilities and rights
- self-management.
The NCES provides people with skills that are needed in most workplaces. Some people with the NCES will also have completed an industry qualification and others will be working towards one.
The NCES is designed to be a starting point for further qualifications, and to complement them.
All learner results relating to NCES and other qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework are recorded in a Qualifications Authority Record of Achievement.
How learners get the NCES
Most learners work towards the NCES through a training provider, such as a polytechnic, wānanga, private training establishment or school. It doesn't matter how or where they learn, as long as an accredited organisation assesses them.
The NCES is open to everyone. Learners don't need any previous experience in any of the areas covered by the qualification.
To get the NCES learners need to get the required number of credits. To get credits on the National Qualifications Framework, learners have to achieve national standards. These standards describe the skills and knowledge learners need in a particular aspect of learning.
Once learners have been assessed, they are registered as learners with the Qualifications Authority and every year in which they gain credits or qualifications, they receive a listing of all their results in their Record of Achievement. This Record of Achievement demonstrates to employers what they have achieved.
If employers want to assess staff in the workplace, assessors that carry it out must be part of the quality management system of an accredited organisation - probably the relevant industry training organisation (ITO).
Industry training organisations (ITOs)
ITOs are set up by their industries to develop skill standards and national qualifications that reflect industry needs. They arrange on and off-job training and assessment for employees in their industries, including developing training packages for employers. They also oversee the quality of training arrangements and provide information and advice to trainees and their employers.
Useful links
Tertiary Education Commission website - list of recognised
Industry Training Organisations.
Skill New Zealand portal site
Page updated: 29 January 2008