Training grants
Training grants are available to assist employers with costs arising from their employee's participation in a Ministry of Health approved national certificate or diploma.
Our aim is to increase the number of people in the disability support service workforce accessing and completing training. This will improve the knowledge and skills of the workforce, and ensure this is underpinned by appropriate attitudes and values.
The key outcome of increased access to training is better quality support for people living with disabilities.
Applications can be made at any time and will be processed throughout the year until the funds are spent.
All applications will be guided by the Ministry of Health's criteria for selection and priorities for funding.
On this page:
- Applications
- 2012 Application form
- 2012 Funding allocation
- Approved qualifications
- Criteria for training grants
Read about Canterbury Home Care Charitable Trust (Berrywood), Community Connections, Hawksbury Trust, Laura Fergusson Trust Canterbury and Spectrum Care, recent recipients of training grants.
Applications
Employers of trainees or students who are enrolled in a Ministry of Health approved national certificate or diploma, directly relevant to the disability support service they provide, may apply for a grant to assist with costs arising from their employee's participation in the course.
2012 Application form
Download an application form.
2012 Funding allocation
Up to $2,000 per trainee is available, dependent on the level of qualification they are working towards.
| Qualification level | Grant funding |
| Level 2 | $400 |
| Level 3 | $600 |
| Level 4 | |
| <40 credits | $300 |
| 40 - 59 credits | $800 |
| 60 + credits | $1,600 |
| Levels 5, 6 and 7 | |
| 40 - 59 credits | $800 |
| 60 - 79 credits | $1,600 |
| 80 + credits | $2,000 |
| Exception | |
| National Certificate in Diversional Therapy (L4/88 credits) | $600 |
Approved qualifications
The following qualifications are approved by the Ministry of Health as eligible to receive funding through the Disability Workforce Development training grants.
Further qualifications may be added to this list of new qualifications once they are developed, following consultation with stakeholders such as Careerforce and the DSS Workforce Reference Group. Furthermore, any relevant qualification may be added to the list on a case by case basis, with Ministry of Health approval, following consultation with individual employers, and employees. The individual cases will be assessed against the objectives of the DSS Workforce Action Plan.
National Certificate in Health, Disability and Aged Support (Foundation skills)
Level 2 | Credits: 43 | Completion timeframe: 8 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed as an entry-level qualification to recognise the knowledge and skills required of support workers during their induction into work in a health or disability setting.
Training grant funding application: $400.
National Certificate in Health, Disability and Aged Support (Core Competencies)
Level 3 | Credits: 57 | Completion timeframe: 12 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed to recognise the industry generic knowledge and skills required of support workers working in a health or disability setting.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate in Health, Disability and Aged Support (Human Services)
Level 3 | Credits: 55 | Completion timeframe: 12 months | Pre-requisite: Core competencies
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed to recognise the knowledge and skills required of support people who work in the human services area in a health or disability setting.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate in Health, Disability and Aged Support (Intellectual Disability)
Level 3 | Credits: 48 | Completion timeframe: 12 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed to recognise the knowledge and skills required of support people who work in the intellectual disability area in a health or disability setting.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate in Youth Work
Level 3 | Credits: 40 | Completion timeframe: 9 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed for people who are interested in entering the youth work field and working with young disabled people.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate: Health Assistant (Rehabilitation strand only)
Level 3 | Credits: 72/73 | Completion timeframe: 13 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: is designed to recognise the knowledge and skills required of health assistants working in a health, disability, or community setting; Rehabilitation strand only.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate in Community Support (Disability Information Provision)
Level 4 | Credits: 39 | Completion timeframe: 13 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed for people already working in the health and disability sector as disability information consultants, or similar, or those wishing to pursue a career within the sector.
Training grant funding allocation: $1,600.
Limited Credit Programme: Dementia
Level 4 | Credits: 20| Completion timeframe: 6 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This Limited Credit Programme (LCP) represents the essential knowledge and skills required for working with people affected by dementia.
Training grant funding allocation: $300.
National Certificate in Diversional Therapy
Level 4 | Credits: 88 | Completion timeframe: 24 months | Pre-requisite: Core Competencies
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed for people working as diversional therapists (also known as activities officers) in a community, residential home, or hospital setting.
Training grant funding allocation: $600.
National Certificate in Brain Injury Support
Level 4 | Credits: 74 | Completion timeframe: 15 months | Pre-requisite: Core Competencies
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed for support workers who support people after brain injury in a residential or community-based rehabilitation organisation.
Training grant funding allocation: $1,600.
National Diploma in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational Workplace)
Level 5 | Credits: 40 | Completion timeframe: variable | Pre-requisite: (Not entry level)
Target group and purpose: This qualification recognises expertise in adult education and training, and thereby contributes to the improvement of the foundation skills (literacy and numeracy) of adult learners in New Zealand.
Training grant funding allocation: $800.
National Certificate in Disability Support Assessment, Planning and Coordination
Level 5 | Credits: 80 | Completion timeframe: 24 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is intended for people who are new to, or are working in needs assessment and service coordination, case management, or similar roles.
Training grant funding allocation: $1,600.
National Diploma in Hearing Therapy
Level 5 | Credits: 121 | Completion timeframe: 36 months | Pre-requisite: None
Target group and purpose: This qualification is designed for people who specialise in providing support for people with epilepsy.
Training grant funding allocation: $2,000.
National Diploma in Rehabilitation Studies
Level 5 | Credits: 120 | Pre-requisite: New Zealand university entrance qualification or equivalent.
Target group and purpose: Holders will have acquired a broad general knowledge and skills at an introductory level in rehabilitation. They will have a working understanding of the impact of disability on the lives of those so affected and the processes and interventions used to remediate them, as well as the issues affecting effective rehabilitation and the means to measure outcomes.
Training grant funding allocation: $2,000.
Criteria for training grants
Training grants are available to assist employers with costs arising from their employee’s participation in a Ministry of Health approved national certificate or diploma. The aims of the training grants are to:
- build skills in the disability workforce
- increase the number of people with recognised qualifications
- improve knowledge and skills, leading to better quality support for people with disabilities.
All applications for training grants will be assessed against the following. All applications must also comply with Disability Workforce Development terms and conditions.
Trainees/participants
Trainees or participants must:
- be a paid employee in a disability support service that is funded by the Ministry of Health
- be employed in a role that has significant interaction with disabled people (consumers)
- have approval and support from their employer to participate in the course
- be eligible for enrolment in a Ministry of Health approved NZQA course.
Courses
- Must be included in the Ministry of Health approved list.
Applications
- Must be made by an organisation funded by Disability Support Services Group of the Ministry of Health.
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Will have priority if the organisation:
- specialises in providing services for Māori or Pacific people
- has demonstrated a commitment to workforce development for Māori or Pacific support workers
- provides services in rural or remote locations.
- Must be from an organisation that has a proven track record in supporting learning for their staff or the sector.
- From an organisation that has previously received funding will not be accepted until the organisation has presented an invoice and met all due reporting requirements for the previous grant.
- Will not be considered for training that is already fully funded (by other agencies).
Funding allocation
- Up to $2,000 (GST inclusive) is available per participant (depending on the qualification level for the training grant).
Footnotes
- The completion timeframe refers to the expected time period for a trainee to complete the qualification. For some of the qualifications above a credit achievement payment is available from Careerforce to help meet the workplace based assessment costs incurred by employers (as long as the trainee completes the qualification within the given completion timeframe).
