NZ Certificate in Electronic Security (NZCiES) qualifications

In a December update, the NZSA advised its members of two significant developments for those wishing to undertake training as Security Technicians and their employers.

According to the update, the Level 3 (Electrotechnology) and Level 4 (Electronic Security) qualifications are currently covered under the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (Fees Free), which runs until 31 December 2022.

Under the TTAF, fees are paid directly to tertiary education organisations (TEOs) by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), thus enabling TEOs to provide education and training without fees to learners.

In addition to being Fees Free, the New Zealand Certificate in Electronic Security (Level 4) has now been approved by the TEC as a New Zealand Apprenticeship. This means that it now qualifies for the Apprenticeship Boost through Work and Income, which provides a subsidy of up to $1,000 per month for the employer. Applications can be made via the Work and Income website.

This scheme only runs until 4 August 2022, however, so employers should apply with some urgency if they wish to maximise the subsidy.

“Further good news is that it is now possible to enrol non-New Zealand citizens, provided they have a legal right to work in New Zealand for the length of the training programme specified in the training agreement,” stated the NZSA update.

“We are aware that the previous restrictions had impacted onto a number of employees and this should provide some certainty for employers looking to register non-New Zealand citizens for the NZCiES qualification.”

According to the Work and Income website, Apprenticeship Boost can be paid for an apprentice who is employed by a business, or self-employed if contracted by a business.

The business needs to apply for the apprentice, and it needs to have a training agreement between the business, the apprentice and a TEC approved Transitional ITO or provider.

How much of a boost a business can get depends on whether the apprentice is in their first or second year of training. First year apprentices can get $1,000 a month, and second year apprentices can get $500 a month (if GST registered, the employing business will be paid the amount plus GST).

Apprentices must be paid at least the minimum, starting out, or training wage.

To be eligible for the Apprenticeship Boost, an apprentice must not have completed more than 24 months of their apprenticeship and not had their enrolment withdrawn or put on hold.

According to the NZSA, these funding arrangements are relatively short-term with an entirely new funding system scheduled for introduction in 2023 as part of the Review of Vocational Education (ROVE), however initial indications are that training investment will be further increased.