The Short Course Training Project team has been focusing on changes to the Training and Assessment Guidance document following consultation with industry and providers through a series of webinars, written feedback, and individual meetings with specialist groups.
The Training and Assessment document has now been finalised. This document outlines changes to how the training and assessment for specific unit standards need to be undertaken from 1 September 2025. It also outlines what unit standards can or cannot be used within the secondary school system from 1 August 2025. The document is specific to Working at Heights, Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP), Cranes, Telehandler, and Wheels-Tracks-Roller standards.
The guidance document will assist industry and providers in selecting the appropriate standard/s to ensure that workers have the knowledge and skills to be safe at work and be deemed competent at the appropriate level. The implementation of this guidance is the first step in ensuring consistent training and assessment across the industry sectors that require these skills.
The Waihanga Ara Rau Assurance Team want to work with providers who want to look at how practical assessment could be used to meet the requirements of any standards within the Training and Assessment Guidance document. Get in touch if you want to explore the possibilities in this area.
To coincide with the release of the finalised Short Course Training and Assessment Guidance document, we invite you to join our webinar where we will:
Book for the session time that suits you best. We look forward to seeing you there.
Pre-moderation is now open for submissions. Your Assurance Specialist will follow up on any pre-moderation currently on hold, outlining any necessary changes to align with the guidance document.
Where a training provider already has a Waihanga Ara Rau approved assessment resource, including an integrated assessment, for US23229, 15757, 30072, 23966, or 23960-23964:
Where a training provider already has a Waihanga Ara Rau approved assessment resource for US16617, 3800, 23637, 33425, or 33426:
It is not expected that the assessment for US16701, 16702, or 16703 will need to change based on the guidelines given in this document.
NOTE:
Contact [email protected] or your Assurance Lead if you have any questions.
Full project report
Summary project report
Consultation key themes and recommendations
Consultation questions & answers
Watch the CHASNZ webinar
This project focuses on short-duration training courses critical to the cranes, scaffolding, working at height, elevated work platforms, and wheels, tracks, and rollers (WTR) work activities. These courses are essential for ensuring workers in high-risk environments are equipped with the skills and knowledge to perform their roles safely and effectively.
However, current training and assessment practices within these courses are falling short of meeting the expected outcomes of the standards or the expectations of industry. This gap is affecting both the quality of training and the confidence of employers in the competency of graduates.
In 2024, to address this, we worked hard to understand the size of the issue. We completed a number of discovery activities, including visits to providers to observe course delivery, targeted post-assessment moderation of relevant unit standards, and we reviewed previous pre-assessment moderation applications. We discussed our findings with industry and providers to determine some potential solutions. The reports herein detail the insights we gathered during our investigative phase and our recommendations for moving forward.
If you’d like more information about this project please get in touch.
