Workforce Development Council endorsement for new and revised programmes
As part of RoVE, Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) will decide whether to endorse new or redesigned programmes leading to industry qualifications (non-degree vocational programmes), beginning 1 June 2022.
WDCs are committed to supporting providers to develop and gain approval for high quality programmes. WDC considerations for programme endorsement differ from NZQA approval criteria, with WDCs looking at industry vocational education and training needs.
WDCs have worked together and alongside NZQA to develop the programme endorsement considerations, which are the same across all WDCs. WDCs will focus on six considerations:
- Programme content
- Equity for learners
- Programme engagement and consultation
- Te ao Māori
- Pacific languages and learners
- Disabled people
WDCs understand there will be a transition to the new considerations. Early engagement with the relevant WDC is encouraged to work through these considerations and identify them in your programme. WDCs and NZQA will continue to prioritise working together to reduce duplication across respective programme endorsement and programme approval processes.
More information on the programme endorsement function has been published on the WDC websites.
See an example on construction and infrastructure (external link)
See the full description of the scope of endorsement in the Gazette notice at:
https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2022-go1664 (external link)
On this page
Code of Pastoral Care
Due dates for Code attestation
We have taken a tailored approach for Code attestation due dates for each sub-sector, based on provider feedback. The upcoming Code attestation due dates are as follows:
|
Sub-sector |
Attestation due date |
|
Wānanga |
1 November 2022 |
|
Private training establishments |
|
|
Code Signatory Schools |
1 December 2022 |
|
Te Pūkenga |
28 March 2023 |
|
Universities |
Managed through a delegation to Universities New Zealand (external link) |
Find out more about self-review and attestation requirements (external link)
You will be emailed a form to complete and submit online, and the attestation process will be the same as in previous years. We will provide further information in due course, including updated guidelines and toolkits to support your Code self-review process.
Code 101 workshops
We offer free Code 101 workshops for tertiary providers on the second Tuesday of each month. You can register via the links below:
- Code 101 for Tertiary Providers (Outcomes 1-4) (external link)
- Code 101 for School Signatories (Outcomes 13-22) (external link)
If minimum registration numbers (10) are not met, registered attendees will be invited to attend the next scheduled workshop.
Welcoming international learners
Some providers are preparing to welcome new international learners again. If this is your organisation, we encourage you to refamiliarise yourself with your most recent Code self-review report and action plan to ensure your policies and practices are up to date ahead of new learners arriving.
NZQA does not process any border exemptions for international learners. For any questions, please refer to the helpful links below:
Education New Zealand (external link)
Immigration New Zealand (external link)
Unite against Covid-19: travel to New Zealand (external link)
Code information for tertiary providers – review of Code performance in EERs
NZQA’s focus in 2022 is on building providers’ capability to meet the new Code requirements. From 1 July 2022, providers’ performance against the new Code will be included in NZQA’s external evaluation and review (EER).
EER evaluators will expect to find that the PTE:
- has undertaken their gap analysis against the new Code, identified any gaps and planned to address them
- has work underway to update its practices and upskill staff, to address any gaps identified
- is on track to meeting the basic compliance requirements of the new Code, as set out in the ‘Getting Started’ sections for Outcomes 1-4 in NZQA’s guidance for tertiary providers
- is compliant with Outcomes 8-12 (if the provider is a signatory to the Code for international students).
The Code outcomes related to student accommodation will remain out of scope for EERs.
Download the guidance for tertiary providers [PDF, 4.4 MB]
Any questions about the Code?
Go to the Tertiary and International Learners Code of Practice pages (external link)
If you have any questions, please contact us at email:
Or call 0800 697 296 and ask for the Code team.
COVID reporting for PTEs no longer required
As of 12 April 2022, tertiary education providers no longer need to report COVID-19 case numbers. We would like to thank PTEs for their diligent reporting over the past several months. If reporting processes are reinstated in the future, we will let you know.
Due to this change to case reporting, and a continued reduction in enquiries from the sector, we have scaled back the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) role.
NZQA will still be available to support providers, including with any contact tracing activities providers may choose to undertake (contact tracing is not currently required). However, the SPOC contact number will no longer be active, and the NZQA mailbox will only be monitored on business days.
For SPOC support, PTEs can contact NZQA on working days via email to:
QAD on the web
Consistency review reports
A key feature of New Zealand qualifications is that they can be obtained through different programmes and education organisations.
NZQA quality assurance is intended to assure stakeholders that even though graduates have completed their qualifications through different programmes, they are all achieving the same outcomes at an equivalent standard.
The quality assurance process used is Assuring Consistency. The overall results from each consistency review are published in a report, published on the NZQA website.
Assuring Consistency workshops
See the schedule for 2022 Assuring Consistency reviews. For any queries or assistance, contact the team at:
Reminders
Submitting applications to NZQA for delivery in 2023
To help with your planning and processes for internal quality assurance, below are the cut-off dates for submitting applications for programmes of study you want to deliver in 2023.
Level 7 Diplomas and degrees
You can submit degree applications to NZQA at any time. Informing NZQA three months before submitting the degree application will help us meet your intended timelines.
If you want new degree approvals and/or accreditations or Type 2 changes to existing degrees ready for Semester One of 2023, please submit the application to NZQA before 29 July 2022.
Programmes of study at levels 1-6
You can submit applications at any time. Providers seeking new approvals and/or accreditations for programmes of study at levels 1-6, or Type 2 changes to existing level 1-6 programmes ready for Semester One of 2023, please submit the application to NZQA before 7 October 2022.
Please call or email your Approvals and Accreditations contact if you require further information.
NZQA processes
Lapse of programme accreditation or training scheme approval
If a particular programme or training scheme has not been delivered for 12 months, the programme accreditation will lapse, and the training scheme approval will lapse.
You can apply for an extension to the lapse of programme accreditation or training scheme approval by emailing:
Change of ownership
Registered private training establishments planning a Sale of Shares, Transfer of Shares or Introduction of new Shareholders must apply for NZQA approval pursuant to Rule 6.1.1(b) of the Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2021.
Applications must be made no less than 30 working days before the proposed transaction completion or settlement date.
An application for outlines the information that a PTE must provide to NZQA. The application must be submitted online.
Application for change of ownership of a registered PTE [DOCX, 78 KB]
Submit an application online (external link)
For more information see:
Change of ownership (external link)
Permanent delivery sites – what to apply for
If you are a Category 1 or 2 TEO intending to deliver a programme at levels 1-6 or a Level 7 Diploma, please complete the site approval form.
Permanent Delivery Site Approval Form [DOCX, 181 KB]
If you are a Category 1 or 2 TEO intending to deliver a degree (levels 7-10) at a new delivery site, please submit a Type 2 change application to NZQA for that degree programme.
The NZQA website has information about approving delivery sites, see:
Approval of delivery sites (external link)
If you have any questions about programme applications, please email us at:
approval_accreditation@nzqa.govt.nz.
Keeping your registration status current
PTEs must deliver at least one approved programme or training scheme within a 12-month period to avoid their registration lapsing.
If you anticipate not providing a programme or training scheme for 12 months or more, you can apply for an extension of time to stop your registration lapsing.
Apply for this extension before the 12 months of non-usage ends by emailing:
For more information about PTE registration see:
Coming up this quarter
| Send NZQA your… | Who? | By when? |
|---|---|---|
| Annual statutory declaration (external link) Different forms for PTEs and TEIs |
TEOs with a financial year-end of 31 December 2021 | 31 May 2022 |
|
Annual financial return (external link) Independent Assurance Practitioner's Review Report or Auditor's Report |
PTEs with a financial year-end of 31 December 2021 | 31 May 2022 |
| Audit of Student Fee Protection arrangements (external link) | PTEs with a financial year-end of 31 December 2021 TEOs not exempt (external link) |
31 May 2022 |
| Quarterly student fee protection attestation (external link) Quarter ending 28 February 2022 |
TEOs not exempt (external link): - static trusts - bank bond trusts Not required for standard trusts |
To trustee by 7 June 2022 To NZQA by 14 June 2022 |
| Fit and Proper Person and Conflict of Interest declarations (external link) Submit a new or amended declaration: - before any new governing member starts - if an existing governing member has a new or changed conflict of interest - if an existing governing member has a change in their fit and proper person status See Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020 (external link) for the definition of governing member |
PTEs only: - applying for registration - registered PTEs |
As needed |
Forwarding information and queries
Forward the above documents and any queries to: