Students passing driver licence tests can get NCEA credits

04 April 2016

Students passing driver licence tests are now eligible for a limited number of NCEA credits.

A Government interagency group has made this possible after employers asked us to look at increasing young people’s chances of employment. One way to do this is to provide an extra incentive for them to gain their licence.

The NCEA credits are not awarded in specific areas like literacy, but acknowledge the significant levels of varied knowledge and skill needed to pass driver licence tests.

Students can obtain up to 8 NCEA credits by passing tests for the Class 1 driver licence

Class 1 licences apply to cars, as opposed to heavier vehicles or motorcycles.

• A Learner’s Class 1 driver licence counts towards NCEA Level 1 (2 credits).
• A Restricted Class 1 driver licence counts towards NCEA Level 2 (4 credits).
• A Full Class 1 driver licence counts towards NCEA Level 2 (2 credits).

Our parents’ website has general information about how NCEA works.

Having a driver licence improves students’ future prospects

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the New Zealand Transport Agency worked together to provide this incentive for students to gain their licence.

People aged 16-24 are the biggest age group without driver licences, and yet certain industries, such as construction, are difficult to enter without one.

Having a licence can also enable people to engage safely in everyday tasks like travelling to job interviews, travelling to and from a job or training course, and providing safe transport for family.

Obtaining a Class 1 driver licence requires skill and commitment

Gaining a driver licence isn’t easy. In 2012, the Transport Agency introduced a Graduated Driver Licence system, which tightened the requirements for a Restricted Licence.

Obtaining a Graduated Driver Licence takes a minimum of 18 months. It involves a significant level of literacy, skill development, problem solving, and the ability to quickly make decisions that contribute to safe driving.

You must be at least 16 years old to take the first step and sit the learner licence theory test.

Go to the NZTA website to see the age limits that apply to each stage of the graduated driver licence.

Only enrolled students are eligible for NCEA credits

This covers senior secondary school aged students, and those enrolled in training programmes run by tertiary organisations. Go to the NZQA website for information about the class 1 driver licence standards.

Transport Agency agents will carry out the driver licensing tests as usual

Schools and tertiary education organisations will not conduct the tests themselves. The process and cost of sitting a test through the Transport Agency’s network of agents remains the same.

After passing a test, a student can show their licence (learner, restricted or full) to their school or tertiary organisation, who in turn reports the credits to NZQA. The credits will then be part of the student’s NZQA Record of Achievement.

NZQA will be working with schools and tertiary organisations to ensure this has a minimal impact on administration duties.

The credits will be carefully monitored

The Qualifications Authority and the Transport Agency determined the value of the credits involved. They will also carefully monitor the standards required for the tests, the number of credits obtained, and the number of licences gained. NZTA will continue to assure the quality of their network of agents.

There are a number of resources available to help students prepare for their licence tests

The Government provides a range of free resources to help learner drivers and their parents to prepare for their theory and practical tests.

You can explore these on the NZTA website.

Six rheumatic fever short films  co-designed by Auckland students and released late last year represent another important step in raising rheumatic fever awareness.

Young people from four secondary schools and two community youth groups have been involved with the Rheumatic Fever Film Project, developing a range of storylines to deliver rheumatic fever prevention messages through youth-appropriate language and scenes.

The project has been led by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in partnership with the Ministry of Health’s Rheumatic Fever Prevention Programme (RFPP). It is part of the RFPP Youth Campaign, which aims to raise rheumatic fever awareness among 13-19 year-old Māori and Pacific youth living in areas with high rates of rheumatic fever.

“We know that kids listen to kids and youth listen to youth, so that’s one of the magic ingredients that makes this project such a success. It’s really handing over control to young people,” Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs (MPIA) Chief Executive Pauline Winter says.

“Crucially, the films raise awareness of rheumatic fever among young people and the communities most at risk of the disease. The students involved have also had the opportunity to claim National Certificate of Educational Achievement credits for their films, as well as showcasing the creative talent of budding young filmmakers.

It is also a good example of Better Public Services in action – the Ministries of Health and Pacific Island Affairs working together to improve outcomes for at-risk Pacific and Māori young people.”

Teenagers from Auckland’s James Cook High School, Mt Roskill Grammar, Kelston Boys High School, Tamaki College and two community youth groups took part in the project.

Rheumatic fever is a serious illness, which in New Zealand most often affects Māori and Pacific children and young people aged 4-19 years.

“It’s very important our youth learn more about this illness and the films will ensure that the key messages get to the film makers’ peers in a way that the young people want them to,” Pauline Winter says.

“Kids have got technology and different ways of communicating and this is allowing them to have their voice in a way that traditionally they wouldn’t have. And it’s not just any voice, it’s an informative voice.

“Making sure our young Pacific people are healthy is a critical part of achieving MPIA’s vision of more Successful Pacific Peoples.’’

RFPP lead Dr Chrissie Pickin says that reducing rheumatic fever is a Government priority, with more than $65 million invested over six years to bring rates down. As part of the Better Public Service focus, the Government has a target to reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by two-thirds by June 2017.

 “We want youngsters most at risk of this disease to understand that a strep throat infection can lead to rheumatic fever if it is not checked or treated with appropriate antibiotics,” Dr Pickin says.

“And, that once antibiotics are prescribed, the full course needs to be taken to properly treat the sore throat.”

Public consultation on new Youth Service information sharing agreement

Sharing information between government agencies about young people is essential to helping the agencies identify young people who are at risk of coming on to a benefit or remaining on a benefit long-term.

Although the number of new youth entrants to benefit each year is low, the most recent actuarial valuation shows that they account for a significant proportion of benefit liability over time. In fact, more than 70 per cent of the forward liability is in respect of people who first received a benefit before the age of 20. This indicates that many of these young people remain vulnerable to benefit dependency their whole lives.

Youth Service currently gets school leaver information from the Ministry of Education. They will soon get information from the Department of Corrections. This will help them identify young people who are at risk of coming on to a benefit or remaining on a benefit long-term.

The Youth Service is expanding to include 18 and 19 year olds. The current information sharing arrangements will need to adapt to this change.

Draft Approved Information Sharing Agreement (Word 89.25KB)

The Ministry is inviting submissions on the new information sharing agreement. We are considering views about the suitability of the information sharing agreement from:

• agencies involved in the Youth Service
• potential recipients of the Youth Service
• the public.

The deadline for submissions is 6 May 2016.

Please send your submission to: YouthServiceExtensionProject@msd.govt.nz.

If you can’t email it to us, you can mail a hard copy to:

• Chris O’Grady
• Ministry of Social Development
• P O Box 1556
• Wellington 6140
• New Zealand

What are Social Sector Trials achieving

On this Page:

Service delivery changes

Special achievements and awards

Evaluation of the model

Service delivery changes

The Social Sector Trials have delivered a wide range of changes to social service delivery in their communities, filling service gaps, improving the quality and inter-connectedness of social services, and taking steps towards more systemic changes in social service delivery.

Community connectedness has led to a greater sharing of local and agency resources, information, trust and advice, a better awareness of the different groups and individuals that make up the community, and a better understanding of the collective and individual needs and supports that will most benefit residents.

These activities have, in turn, led to a number of changes for children and young people in particular, with more young people able to access services, better supported to attend school, and engage positively in their communities and in education, training and employment.

The Social Sector Trials continue to introduce solutions to fill gaps in social service delivery in their communities. Examples of initiatives introduced through the Trials include:

• the Kawerau Engaging Youth (KEY) forum
  • to provide wrap-around case management support for high-risk young people who are at risk of or have disengaged from mainstream education. KEY membership includes operational staff from both government and non-government organisations
• the Number Twelve youth hub in Waitomo
  • which offers a youth mentoring programme, driver licence programme, music hub, alcohol and drug service, and is a registered probation service so that young people can undertake community service in a safe and positive environment. The driver licensing programme helps prevent fines due to licence breaches and helps young people gain access to employment, training and other opportunities
• school community officers in South Taranaki
  • this was enabled through the reallocation of New Plymouth School Community Officers to schools in South Taranaki in response to service gaps identified
• a new family violence intervention specialist in South Taranaki
  • this role creates cross-agency plans for young people who are witnesses to, or victims of, domestic violence. The plans involve long-term therapeutic intervention to address the symptoms and outcomes of trauma
• the Rānui Work Ready employment programme
  • this programme ensures high risk young people have the key skills to enable employment through helping young people to gain a first aid certificate, driver licence, record of community service, work experience, and other key skills
• Youth Coordinators in Horowhenua
  • these roles operate in schools and in the community and have been implemented to provide wrap-around support for young people to remain in education, or engage in further education, training or employment
• the BASE Camp programme in South Dunedin
  • which couples a strong health and fitness component with career planning and goal setting support to help young job-seekers develop a work-ready attitude and a clear plan for the their future
• funds to support participation in positive activities, where finances would otherwise be a barrier
  • the Activating Youth Fund in Horowhenua, the Aspirations Fund in Kaikohe, and Youth Fund in Taumarunui remove financial barriers to participation in sports and other positive activities by helping to pay for sports fees, transport, uniforms, or school camp fees
• attendance campaigns to increase and sustain engagement of young people in education
  • these often link truancy free CBD zones with consistent and positive messaging to young people and family/whanau in regard to school attendance
• preventative health care measures in Porirua
  • which include the supply of liquid hand soap, tissues, sanitiser and antiseptic cream to early childhood education centres and primary schools.

Special achievements and awards

Several Social Sector Trials and their Leads have been publicly recognised through awards for sector collaboration, leadership, and community contributions. 

3 District Health Board Quality Awards

Tumai Hauora ki Porirua (the Porirua Social Sector Trial) won the Commitment to Quality Improvement Award, and the Trial’s Project Manager won the Leadership Award at the 2014 3DHB Quality Awards in November. The awards aim to highlight collaborative approaches to delivery of health services, improving health outcomes, and removing disparities where they exist. The three District Health Boards involved in the awards are the Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, and Capital and Coast District Health Boards. 

Department of Corrections - Waikato District Community Partnership Award

The Waitomo Trial was awarded the Department of Corrections – Waikato District Community Partnership Award in October 2014. The Trial was nominated for the award by the Te Kuiti Community Probation Service Centre for its contributions to reducing re-offending by:

• encouraging and supporting young people to comply with their community based sentences
• enabling young people to carry out their Community Work sentences at the Number Twelve Youth Hub
• growing the relationship between Community Probation and the SST to meet the needs of young offenders in a more cooperative way.

Other awards

• The South Waikato Trial Lead’s Project Manager received the 2013 Local Hero award at the New Zealander of the Year awards
• The Horowhenua Trial’s advisory group received an award from the Mid-Central District Health Board in 2013 for inter-sectoral collaboration towards health and social outcomes
• The Waitomo Trial Lead received the Waitomo Citizen of the Year Award in 2012.

Evaluation of the model

Recent exploration of administrative data held by agencies shows that, for the first six Trials:

• the percentage of school leavers aged 15–18 years with NCEA level 2 or above has increased by around 8 percentage points from 2011 to 2013
• retention rates for school leavers to age 17 have increased by 6 percentage points when comparing 2011 to 2013 retention data.

A cross-agency Data and Measurement Group is working on a number of different approaches to measuring the impact of the Trials. This includes analysing community- and national-level data to identify changes for both individuals and communities, and contrasting results with similar locations that do not have a Trial.

A cross-agency evaluation of the first six ‘tranche one’ Social Sector Trials was carried out in 2013. The evaluation involved interviews with young people, who noted an improved sense of belonging, and an increased feeling of responsibility for others around them. It noted that key achievements of the tranche one Trials in their first two years were:

• improved community collaboration between local organisations, NGOs, and local and central government agencies
• creating a local platform for networking and relationship-building between key community stakeholders, building trust, and a shared sense of purpose
• increasing community awareness and responsiveness to the issues faced by young people
• enabling communities and government to find new ways of working together
• establishing a broader base of services for young people and improving the delivery of existing services, which was partly due to a wider community participation
• that the Trials have made progress in achieving outcomes for young people and the wider community.

Download the Social Sector Trials Evaluation report May 2013 (PDF 981.25KB)

Updated evaluation results will be available in late 2015

Supporting vulnerable children

This section has information about three priority results for supporting vulnerable children.

The Ministries of Social Development, Education, and Health are working together, alongside the Police and the Social Sector Forum, on three results that will support vulnerable children.

These results are:

Result 2: Early childhood education: In 2016, 98 per cent of children starting school will have participated in quality early childhood education.

Result 3:
Immunisation: Increase infant immunisation rates so that 95 per cent of eight month olds are fully immunised by December 2014 and this is maintained until 30 June 2017.
Rheumatic fever: Reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by two thirds to 1.4 cases per 100,000 people by June 2017.

Result 4: Assaults on children: By 2017, we aim to halt the rise in children experiencing physical abuse and reduce current numbers by five per cent.

The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development is the lead Chief Executive for these results, supported by the Secretary of Education and the Director-General of Health. The agencies of the Social Sector Forum have agreed to share responsibility for delivering the results. The Social Sector Forum's members are:

• Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development (Chair)
• Secretary for Justice
• Secretary of Education
• Director-General of Health
• Deputy Chief Executive Building and Housing, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Why these results are important

Achieving in these three areas is crucial if we are to do better for vulnerable children in New Zealand.

Read more about why this is important

How we are going to support vulnerable children

Read more about how we are going to support vulnerable children

Download the Supporting Vulnerable Children Result Action Plan (PDF 2.23MB)

Related links

Go to the Ministry of Health website

Go to the Ministry of Education website

The Government has set 10 challenging results for the public sector to achieve over the next five years.  

Ten results within 5 areas - snapshot

Click here to view

Better Public Services

In 2012, the Government set 10 challenging results for the public sector to achieve over the next five years. Ministers and a public sector chief executive have been appointed to lead each result and will be accountable for demonstrating real progress against his or her result.

These targets, organised under five themes, require a stretch beyond immediately deliverable results and highlight opportunities for new ways of working together to deliver better public services to New Zealanders. The work underway in these areas will, in time, demonstrate innovation and improvement across a connected, collaborative public sector.

The Ministry of Social Development is responsible for two programmes that will help the Government deliver Better Public Services.

The Ministry is working closely with other government agencies to achieve these results. 

Reducing long-term welfare dependence

Result 1: By June 2018, a 25 per cent reduction (from 295,000 people in June 2014) in the total number of people receiving main benefits and a $13 billion reduction in the long-term cost of benefit dependence.

Read more about how we are reducing long-term welfare dependence

Supporting vulnerable children

The Ministries of Social Development, Education, and Health are working together, alongside the Police and the Social Sector Forum, on three results that will support vulnerable children. They are:

Result 2: Early childhood education: In 2016, 98 per cent of children starting school will have participated in quality early childhood education..

Result 3:
Immunisation: Increase infant immunisation rates so that 95 per cent of eight month olds are fully immunised by December 2014 and this is maintained until 30 June 2017.
Rheumatic fever: Reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by two thirds to 1.4 cases per 100,000 people by June 2017.

Result 4: Assaults on children: By 2017, we aim to halt the rise in children experiencing physical abuse and reduce current numbers by five per cent.

Read more about Supporting vulnerable children

Boosting skills and employment

Result 5. Increase the proportion of 18 year olds with NCEA level 2 or equivalent qualification.

Result 6. Increase the proportion of 25-34 year olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at level 4 or above).

Read more about these results

Reducing crime

Result 7. Reduce the rates of total crime, violent crime and youth crime.

Result 8. Reduce reoffending.

Read more about these results

Read more about how we plan to achieve these results on the Ministry of Justice website

Improving interaction with government

Result 9. New Zealand businesses have a one-stop online shop for all government advice and support they need to run and grow their business.

Result 10. New Zealanders can complete their transactions with the Government easily in a digital environment.

Read more about these results

Investing in New Zealand’s Children and Their Families

On this Page:

Final Report of the Expert Panel on Modernising Child Youth and Family

Indicative timeline

Minister's release and the full report

Cabinet papers

Final Report of the Expert Panel on Modernising Child Youth and Family

The Government has announced major state care reforms and a complete overhaul of Child, Youth and Family to improve the long-term life outcomes for New Zealand’s most vulnerable population. The Minister for Social Development, Hon Anne Tolley, says that the whole system needs to be transformed if we are to give vulnerable children and young people the protection and life opportunities they deserve.

"After making a very clear case for change in its Interim Report, the Expert Panel advising me on the radical overhaul of Child Youth and Family has delivered a final report with a bold set of recommendations for a new child-centred system which the Government is taking action on," says the Minister.

The package of reforms, which is expected to take up to five years to be fully implemented, will include:

• A new child-centred operating model with a greater focus on harm and trauma prevention and early intervention. It will provide a single point of accountability for the long-term wellbeing of vulnerable children, with the voice of the child represented in planning and strategy.
• A social investment approach using actuarial valuations and evidence of what works will identify the best way of targeting early interventions, to ensure that vulnerable children receive the care and support they need, when they need it.
• Direct purchasing of vital services such as health, education and counselling support to allow funding to follow the child, so that young people can gain immediate access to assistance.
• A stronger focus on reducing the over-representation of Maori young people in the system. Currently, 60 per cent of children in care are Maori. Strategic partnerships will be developed with iwi groups and NGOs.
• Legislation this year raising the age of state care to a young person’s 18^th birthday, with transition support being considered up to the age of 25. Cabinet has also agreed to investigate raising the youth justice age to 17.
• Legislation establishing an independent youth advocacy service to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard in the design of systems and services.

Intensive targeted support for caregivers, including some increased financial assistance and better access to support services. For the first time, National Care Standards will be introduced so that there is a clear expectation for the standard and quality of care in placement homes.

The system will focus on five core services – prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and a youth justice service aimed at preventing reoffending. Delivery of these services will require a suitably trained workforce, with a requirement for a greater range of specialist skills, to better prevent harm and trauma.

The Report notes that CYF staff, agencies and the Government can’t do this in isolation. Communities need to be engaged and play their part. Work is already underway on attracting and retaining a wider pool of quality caregivers, who will receive increased support to take on such an important role.

Indicative timeline

Look at the indicative timeline for the implementation of the changes here [PDF] (PDF 111.67KB)

Minister's release and the full report

See the Minister’s release on the Beehive website

Read the Final Report of the Expert Panel: Investing in New Zealand’s Children and Families (PDF 9.48MB)

Cabinet papers

Read the following Cabinet Papers accompanying the Final Report

Overview – Proposed Blueprint for Reform and Implementation (The case for change, the purpose and scope of the reforms, and the proposed blueprint for reform) (PDF 944.33KB)

Paper One – The New Operating Model (The detailed proposals for reform, leadership and cultural shifts required, significant service changes and a new operating model) (PDF 5.04MB)

Paper Two – Policy and Legislation (The legislative changes required to underpin the new operating model) (PDF 2.36MB)

We are pleased to share with you SAHM's weeklyAdolescent Health News Roundup for April 1-7.

Top stories this week include: U.S. autism rate reported unchanged since 2010, a decrease in infection-related hospitalization among children and teens, a statement from doctors urging U.S. state and local facilities to ban solitary confinement for youth, protesters want Poland to abandon a plan to outlaw abortion completely, and resources available for National Youth Prevention Week.

Click here to view Newsletter

Industry News I Updates I Upcoming Courses

Emcare Update I #Resus2016 I News Dave and Geoff attended Resuscitation 2016 in Las Vegas last month. It was a very interesting conference with fantastic international speakers. Search #Resus2016 on Twitter for highlights (Geoff won a prize for sending the most tweets at the conference!). Dave and Geoff also sat a American Heart Association ACLS Provider course while in America – we feel your anxiety sitting courses and being examined. The New Zealand Resuscitation Council conference is happening in April. Emcare Services will be tweeting live from @EmcareServices The Warehouse Ltd are currently installing AEDs throughout New Zealand. This is a 2 - 3 year project, and Emcare are fortunate to be involved with the product familiarisation for The Warehouse staff. Stay safe The team at Emcare - Saving Lives Made Simple   An AED at the Grand Canyon!     Geoff's prize for sending the most tweets at the conference!   Dave and Geoff at the American Heart Association Provider course.

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