Kai Tech Ltd - Te Akomanga no nga hua a Tangaroa
STEP  Identifying the areas for accreditation
Kai Tech wanted to extend their accreditation so they could assess against basic literacy, numeracy and reo Māori unit standards at levels 1-2. There were a number of factors that helped Kai Tech identify the areas they wanted to seek accreditation for.
Managing Directors Paki Raumati and Michelle Trow approached other Māori training providers who are part of the Seafood Industry Training Organisation (SITO) for assistance. Paki and Michelle represent Te Ohu Kaimoana on the advisory group for SITO's Māori caucus.
NZQA Auditor Pani Bird also offered Kai Tech some advice. Pani visited Kai Tech prior to the PTE becoming registered. She recommended it extend its accreditation so they could assess their students against some core generic unit standards. This would ensure that Kai Tech graduates could demonstrate they had basic numeracy and literacy skills.
Michelle says 'We needed to identify the needs of our learners as well as the seafood industry. We also needed to understand the requirements of our funders. I think it helped that Kai Tech was up and running before we applied for NZQA registration and accreditation. It gave Pani the advantage of seeing the programme in operation and offering us appropriate advice.'
Managing Directors Paki and Michelle says this move also helped Kai Tech secure Skill New Zealand funding for their courses. Numeracy and literacy skills at level 2 are also valuable if a student wants to transfer these credits to earn other National Certificates including the National Certificate of Educational Achievement. (NCEA)
Kai Tech also wanted to offer te reo Māori papers because their students had indicated on a survey that they enjoyed those components of the course and wanted more. Many of Kai Tech's learners are Māori and basic tikanga such as karakia was already established as part of the daily routine.
Michelle says Kai Tech also had to consider their capacity to offer these additional unit standards and the cost involved. If they were to offer a Māori language programme and assess against those unit standards they would need to employ someone to run these classes. On the positive side, they were more likely to secure Skill New Zealand funding if their courses included numeracy and literacy components.
Kai Tech chose to seek accreditation at levels 1 and 2 because they wanted to develop introductory programmes in Reo Māori and Core Generics. Michelle says 'We wanted to cover the basics before seeking accreditation for the higher levels.'
Kai Tech's decision to apply for accreditation at levels 1 and 2 also eliminated the need for a site visit. Most applications for unit standards at levels 3 and above require a visit by the relevant standards setting body, the cost of which is borne by the provider.
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