Funding assistance

The government provides funding assistance for certain programmes and training providers.

Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund

The Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund is administered by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). The fund supports training programmes that range from 25 to 80 hours and are delivered within the context of workplace learning, so the programmes are tailored to meet the needs of employees and their employers. The programmes are offered in two ways: training provider and employer led.

Training provider programmes

How do these programmes work? The TEC contracts training providers to deliver workplace literacy and numeracy programmes. Workplaces contract a provider who is expected to deliver the following.

Assessment

The provider conducts an assessment of work tasks including the literacy and numeracy requirements for these tasks. The provider assesses the literacy and numeracy skills of employees who are being targeted for the programme.

Programme development

The provider works with the employer to design a training programme based on the needs of the employees and the skills they need for work. The provider then delivers the programme and measures the extent to which it has made a difference for employees and what they do at work.

Building sustainability

The provider works with the employer to look at how aspects of the programme can be sustained after the training period.

Employer-led programmes

How do these programmes work? The TEC contracts directly with the employer to organise a workplace literacy and numeracy programme. This is done following a contestable application process. The employer then contracts a person to work in-house or a third-party provider.

Assessment

The employer works with the third-party provider or in-house trainer who conducts an assessment of work tasks including the literacy and numeracy requirements for these tasks. The provider assesses the literacy and numeracy skills of employees who are being targeted for the programme.

Programme development

The employer works with the third-party provider or in-house trainer who designs a training programme based on the needs of the employees and the skills they need for work. The third-party provider or in-house trainer then delivers the programme and measures the extent to which it has made a difference for employees and what they do at work.

Building sustainability

Alongside the training programme, the employer can undertake sustainability work such as upskilling in-house training staff, revising in-house training programmes, and revising workplace documentation.

Forming a consortium

The employer can be part of a consortium with other employers who between them can deliver a training programme to a minimum of 20 employees. Organisations that have relationships of trust with employers have an opportunity to project manage a programme consortium. The TEC is particularly interested in using consortia to include smaller employers that do not have the same ease of access to TEC funding as larger employers. A short guide for potential project managers of EWLN programme consortia to help determine the level of work they want to do is available here.

Go here for more information for Funding for employers.

Other TEC-funded literacy and numeracy provision

Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund

The TEC funds tertiary education organisations to deliver Intensive Literacy and Numeracy provision. This supports the intensive provision of quality fees-free literacy, language and numeracy learning opportunities for learners with low-level literacy and numeracy skills.

Programmes are delivered in an appropriately structured context with strong community links. These links will be evidenced through relationships between tertiary education organisations and local business, industry, employers, iwi and the wider community, and learners.

Industry training organisations – embedded literacy and numeracy

Industry training organisations (ITOs) also offer embedded literacy and numeracy with training that they arrange at levels 1 and 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Contact your ITO for details.

Funding through Work and Income

Work and Income has workplace training funding for businesses whose employees were previously on an unemployment benefit. A percentage of this funding is for literacy and numeracy training.

Skills for Industry - Work and Income website

Support for trainers

Adult Literacy Educator Grants

The government awards a limited number of Adult Literacy Educator Grants (ALEG) to individuals each year to support the costs of completing a NZCALNE (Voc) qualification.

These scholarships are currently available from VisionWest. Scholarships are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.