Skills Matter

Skills Matter provides funding for postgraduate training for new graduates and existing practitioners working in Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, NGO and primary care settings, including nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and addiction practitioners.

All programmes:

• combine academic and workplace learning
• are at postgraduate level (levels 8 and 9 in the New Zealand qualifications framework)
• are underpinned by the Keeping it Real | Kia Pono te Tika framework.

Te Pou manages Skills Matter funding on behalf of the MHealth New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.

Applications for a funded place on a programme must be made directly through the relevant tertiary institute.

The programmes of study available are:

• New Entry to Specialist Practice (NESP): mental health and addiction nursing
• New Entry to Specialist Practice (NESP): allied mental health and addiction
• Core skills for specialist practice in infant, child and adolescent mental health and addiction
• Clinical leadership in nursing practice
• Assessment and management of co-existing substance use and mental health
• Postgraduate certificate and diploma courses in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

A travel and accommodation assistance grant is also available to help trainees when the distance from their work to their place of study is more than 100 kilometres.

All Skills Matter programmes are an academic and clinical partnership. Students undertake postgraduate study at an academic institution, but their work environment provides a significant clinical component of their programme and should enable them to extend and embed their learning.

This is reflected in the fact that all programmes require trainees to be working in a mental health or addiction service and/or that they have clinical placements or opportunities for clinical experience. Managers must indicate that students have organisational support as part of the application process for a funded place on a Skills Matter programme.

Research indicates the support students receive in the clinical/workplace environment is associated with their use of training in practice. Supervisors, mentors, preceptors (and others in the workplace) have a key role to play in assisting to translate academic learning into practice.

If you're a prospective student, you should:

• find out what programmes are on offer
• learn about the travel and accommodation assistance grant
• see what past students have said about the impact of Skills Matter.

If you're a current student, you should:

• be familiar with the service specifications for the relevant course
• find out about the available travel and accommodation assistance grant.

If you're a manager or employer:

• our resource Guidance for employers of Skills Matters trainees explains what employers need to know and do to support an employee to successfully complete their programme and apply their new knowledge in the workplace
• you should be familiar with the service specifications for courses that your employees are enrolled in
• you can read evaluations and reflections from past students.

Students from NGOs are eligible to apply to all courses. However, if an NGO-based nurse is interested in applying for the New Entry to Specialist Practice: mental health and addiction nursing (NESP) programme they should indicate their interest to Te Pou in the first instance.

The following guides outline some considerations for NGO-based students and employers.

• Guidance for employers of Skills Matters trainees.
• Guidance for NGOs supporting nurses on the New Entry to Specialist Practice programme.